Shabbat Shalom everyone. I would like you please to turn with me to the letter that Shaul Paul wrote to Titus. So, we are studying today the book of Titus, and today we are going to begin with Titus chapter 1. Turn with me to this letter that was written by the apostle, the apostle Paul, who was so much concerned with the welfare of the people of God. And he was committed to instruct the believers, the people of God, as to how the assembly, the church, the ecclesia, the body of Messiah, will function in a world where there is so much chaos and complication that only the people of God receiving help from the Lord will enable them to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord.

So, today, as an introduction to the book of Titus, I like only to read the first four verses of Titus chapter 1. So, I'm just reading those four verses. Titus chapter 1, verse 1, Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Yeshua, the Messiah, Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth, which is after godliness, in hope of eternal life, which God that cannot lie, promised before the world began, but hath in due time manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandments of God our Savior. To Titus, my own son, after the common faith, grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Yeshua HaMashiach, our Savior.

And I'm going to stop here with the reading of the first four verses of this letter to Titus. Titus, you see, beloved brothers and sisters, there were two young men, or I would say younger men, in the days of Shaul Paul, whom the apostle, the shaliach, or the apostle, the servant of the Lord, have been led by the Spirit of God to bring them into the knowledge of the Lord Jesus, the Lord Yeshua, the Messiah, and to send them out as, you might say, not only missionaries, but also as those that will become, you might say, overseeing a pastoral care over the people of God.

These two men, one of them was a Jewish man by the name of Timothy, and another one who was not Jewish from among the nations by the name of Titus. In fact, in the Brit HaChadasha, that is in the New Testament, we have only three letters that were written specifically by the apostle Paul, as it's called oftentimes by Bible teachers, a pastoral letters. What does it mean? Letters that Shaul Paul wrote in order to instruct the leaders as to how to conduct a local assembly, a local church, a local congregation, a local congregation, we call it in Hebrew a kehila, how to lead and conduct a local congregation in a world that is a chaotic situation.

People have heard the gospel message. People have accepted the Lord Jesus, the Lord Yeshua HaMashiach. They become now part and parcel of the assembly of the ecclesia, and now they needed to have guidance as to how to live their lives in the midst of a pagan world. And for that, the apostle Shaul Paul wrote these three letters, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy, to a younger Jewish man who became a believer in Yeshua, the Messiah, and the letter that we are studying today, a man by the name of Titus, who was not a Jewish believer. He was from among the nations, but he loved the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, and was used by the apostle Paul to minister to the people among whom the Lord called him to serve.

And I want you for a moment just to look at the map behind me. And you will notice that Titus, he was actually, was called by Shaul Paul to minister in an island that is called Crete. It is an island that is part, you might say, of the Greek islands. In fact, I was there just a few months ago when we took the group to Israel, and then we have an extension. We went to the Greek islands to have some ministry, like the island of Patmos, mentioned in Revelation chapter 1, and other islands like Ephesus, it was in Turkey, in Asia Minor, and so on. And to just, to have the word of God before us while we are in these localities.

And in the case of this man by the name of Titus, Titus was called to go and to minister in the island that is called the island of Crete. Now, we're going to get to it in a moment, but at this particular time, I would like just to give you some introduction, just that you will get, you know, I say some general information about the book of Titus. The first thing that I would like you to notice in the introduction to the book of Titus, the author himself, we begin with the first verse of Titus chapter 1, and we notice that the first verse that gives us the name of the author is a man by the name of Paul.

Paul, we know very well that his Hebrew name is Shaul, his diaspora name is Paul. Shaul, Paul, if you remember, he was a Pharisee of the Pharisees. He was a godly Jewish man who rejected Yeshua the Messiah at the beginning. Shaul was opposing Stephen, if you remember, in Acts chapter 7, and after, as it says in Acts chapter 8, this man by the name of Shaul was so opposing the message of the gospel of Yeshua the Messiah that we read of him in Acts chapter 8, that Shaul was consenting unto his death. This is the death of Stephen, Acts chapter 8 and verse 1. And at that time there was a great persecution against the assembly, the church, which was in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles.

And I'm reading verses 2 and 3 as well. And a devout man carried Stephen to his burial and made great lamentation over him for, and it says here, as for Shaul, he made havoc of the church, entering into every house and hauling men and women, committed them to prison. Now, just imagine, beloved brothers and sisters, here is Shaul, a Jewish man who loved the God of our fathers, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but he opposed the message concerning Yeshua the Messiah. And so what was he doing? He was causing persecution among his own Jewish believers, Jewish brethren, in the land of Israel. And according to what we read here in Acts chapter 8, there was such a great persecution that many of the Hebrew Christian, Messianic Jews from the land of Israel, they were scattered throughout Judea, Samaria, and so on.

Only the apostles remained there. They remained for a while because by the time we get to chapter 12, they were scattered as well. But Shaul made havoc of the church. Now, when we say the church, we know very well, it means the assembly of the believers. Every Jewish person who became a believer in Yeshua the Messiah, in Jerusalem, in Judea, and so on, was part of this church. Now the church was going to the Gentile world, and so on. The church was the composition of Jew and Gentile who became believers in Yeshua the Messiah. So the writer to Titus was a man who was opposing the message of the gospel before he became a believer.

I'm not going to read everything, but in Acts chapter 9, Shaul was on the way to Damascus. He took letters from the synagogue, you might say from the spiritual leaders of Israel, the Pharisees, and he was on the way to the synagogue in Damascus. He was going to continue the persecution of the early Hebrew Christians or Messianic Jews. But you see what happened to this man. A change happened. It's so wonderful to see when something, God is working in the life of a person, and God gloriously saved Shaul. As he was on the way to Damascus, the voice of the Lord came from glory. And he said to Shaul, Shaul, Shaul, why do you persecute me?

And when Shaul was persecuting the Lord, he was not persecuting him in glory. He was persecuting his own people here on earth. And then the man Shaul became called by the Lord. We know him now as an apostle. He says, "Lord, what will you have me to do?" And the Lord, Yeshua the Messiah, sent him to become a servant of his. And according to Acts chapter 9, the Lord said to this man by the name of Hananiah, He said, "Go thy way, for I have chosen, for he is a chosen vessel unto me, to bear my name before the Gentiles, and kings, and the children of Israel.

For I will show him how great things he must suffer for my name's sake." And from thereon, beloved brothers and sisters, Shaul, whose diaspora name is also Paul, He became a servant of our Lord Jesus the Messiah. And he went and he became the apostle to the uncircumcision in Asia Minor and beyond. And so he is the author. He is the author of the book of Titus. He says, "Paul, he now is writing this letter to a younger man by the name of Titus." Now we don't read about Titus very much in the book of Acts. In fact, his name is not even mentioned once in the book of Acts.

If you go down to verse 4 of Titus chapter 1, you notice to Titus. Titus' name is mentioned 13 times in the Brit HaChadasha in the New Testament. None at all in the book of Acts. It had been suggested that Titus became a believer in the Lord Jesus the Messiah through the apostle Paul, who led him to know Yeshua the Messiah. But Titus, we don't read of him at all in the book of Acts. And we get some glimpse about his activity in the book of Galatians and in the book of 2 Corinthians. And one time his name is mentioned in 2 Timothy chapter 4, just before the apostle Paul committed himself to the Lord because soon he was going to die.

And what a joy it must be to the apostle Shaul Paul to have these two young men who were so devoted to the things of the Lord Jesus the Messiah. Timothy, a Jewish believer. Titus, a non-Jewish believer. Together he served with them in the gospel of our Lord Yeshua, our Lord Jesus the Messiah. So while we don't read of Titus in the book of Acts, yet the second epistle to the Corinthians mentioned his name at least around 9 or 10 times. 2 Corinthians chapter 2 and verse 13, chapter 7 and verse 6, 13 and 14. And chapter 8 and verse 6, 16 and 23. And 2 Corinthians chapter 12 and verse 18. Titus' name is mentioned again and again and again.

In fact, we learned very quickly that Titus became a servant of the Lord after he became a child of God, a believer. And he was used by Paul to be sent as a minister of the gospel, as you might say a person that can be a help and a blessing to the people of God. And so I found it extremely interesting when I read and studied those two books, 1 Timothy, 2 Timothy and Titus. Extremely interesting to see how wise Shaul Paul was in his dealing, even with these two men, two younger men. If you remember, I just wanted you to turn with me for a moment to Galatians, just for a moment, Galatians chapter 2.

Just bear with me. I would like to mention a verse there, Galatians chapter 2. Do you remember the issue is what should the Gentiles believers do when they become believers? Should they be circumcised? Should they, you might say, follow that which God had given to Israel, the nation? Look what we find out in Galatians chapter 2, which the apostle Paul said when he wrote to the Galatians. And I'm reading verse 1, 2 and 3. He says, 14 years after, I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas and took Titus with me also. And I went up by revelation and communicated unto them the gospel which I preached among the Gentiles. But privately to them which were of reputation, lest by any means I should run or had run in vain.

And then notice what Paul says in verse 3. But neither Titus, who was with me, being a Greek, was compelled to be circumcised. Notice how interesting that we find here in these lessons that we learn in scripture concerning the manner whereby Paul behaved as a servant of the Lord. Titus was not Jewish. Titus did not come from a descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. To Titus and to the nations of the world, the call and the sign of circumcision was not given. It was given to Abraham, to Isaac, to Jacob and the descendants of Abraham, Yitzhak and Jacob. It was given to the people of Israel in Leviticus chapter 12 as part of the law.

The people of Israel had been commended by God to be circumcised, but not the Gentile world. So when Titus became a believer and Titus was brought now into the, brought to Jerusalem, Titus was not at all compelled to be circumcised because he was not Jewish man by birth. On the other hand, there is another person that became a believer. His name was Timothy. His name was Timothy. And if you just please bear with me, turn with me to act chapter 16. Now, you will notice that with respect to Timothy, Paul took Timothy and he circumcised Timothy. And to act chapter 16 and verse 1, 2 and 3. We read, And then came he to Derbe and Lystra.

And behold, a certain disciple was there named Timothy, the son of a certain woman, which was Jewish and believed. But his father was a Greek, which was well reported by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium. Him, listen to verse 3, would Paul have to go forth with him and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters. For they knew all that his father was a Greek. Apparently, a Timothy as a Jewish man because of his mother, his father probably did not allow him to be circumcised in the early time of his life when he was eight days old. But he was definitely circumcised by the Apostle Paul, not of necessity.

He didn't have to. But Paul wisely have circumcised Timothy because the Jewish community was going to hear of the message of the gospel of our Lord Jesus, the Messiah. And Paul wisely circumcised Timothy for the testimony. As you remember, in 1 Corinthians 9, I became all things to all men that I might gain some. There was no longer, you might say, binding upon the circumcision of the believers in Yeshua, the Messiah. But still, as a testimony to our own people, Shaul Paul circumcised Timothy, but he did not circumcise Titus. And you can see the wisdom that Shaul Paul had as he ministered the gospel to the world around with all sorts of conflicts and views that existing, still existing in the days in which we live in.

Now, notice another thing that I want you to notice about the remarks that the Apostle Paul have to say about Titus. In Titus chapter 1, notice what the Apostle Paul called him in verse 4. He says to Titus, mine own son after the common faith. Titus apparently became a spiritual son of the Apostle Paul because he was exposed to the message of the gospel of Yeshua, the Messiah. And Paul somehow gloriously led him to accept the person of the Lord Jesus. And he became a son in the faith. Timothy became a son in the faith as well. Paul was not only a Bible teacher, he was a missionary, he was a preacher of the gospel.

And Timothy somehow in one of his visits perhaps to Galatia, Titus was there and Titus heard the message of the gospel. And Paul had led him to the knowledge of Yeshua, the Messiah. And Titus according to chapter 1 and verse 4, he's called my own son. My own son after the common, common faith. They had a common faith. They had a common faith. The faith was in the person of the Lord Jesus, Yeshua, the Messiah, who came from heaven, who was born to the virgin Miriam, who lived a perfect life, who died a substitutionary death, who was buried and rose again on the third day, and is ascended to glory, and is seated at God's right hand.

And whosoever would believe on him is part of the common faith. The same faith that the apostle Paul had. Titus had enjoyed to be part of this faith. So he was called in scripture by the apostle Paul, my own son. And what a pleasure this Titus, young man by the name of Titus, gave to the apostle Paul, as Paul led him to the Lord, and you could see how he was ready to serve wherever Paul will send him. He sent him to Corinth. He went there to serve. And now, as we look at that map one more time, he's going to be the one that he will remain in this island of Crete, there, as we're going to continue in our study, to minister the word of God among the believers that were in that area, in this island called the island of Crete.

Now, I want you to notice that the Bible is not only called my son, as it says here, or my own son in verse 4. Now, if you bear with me, I'd like you to turn with me to 2 Corinthians chapter 8 for a moment. And there is another very precious verse and statement that the apostle Paul is saying about Titus. Notice in 2 Corinthians chapter 8, we read two more things that the apostle Paul could say about Titus. This verse is found in verse 23. 2 Corinthians chapter 8 and verse 23, two more expressions. Whether any do inquire of Titus, Paul is saying to the Corinthians. Number one, he says, he is my partner.

And number two, he is calling him, and he is my fellow helper. Now, I can tell you, beloved brothers and sisters, for the apostle Paul to have a partner in a ministry was precious. To have a fellow worker and fellow helper in a ministry was precious because in the latter days of the life of the apostle Paul, he says, all seek their own, not the things of Jesus the Messiah. All, many have, all forsook him. And he really remained alone when he died, this man by the name of Shaul Paul. And so to have a man like Titus and a man like Timothy that will be really willing to serve with him in the gospel was, the apostle Paul was so precious.

It is encouraging to his heart to have such a man as Titus. So three things we find out about Titus. He was my own son, Paul said of him. Secondly, he was my partner. He was part in the ministry. And thirdly, he was my fellow helper. In Hebrew, we call it Ozri. You know, we read today from the book of Joshua, Yehoshua. Joshua was a servant, a helper, Moses, the servant of the Lord. What a blessing Joshua must have been to Moshe, the leader, the lawgiver of our own people, the people of Israel. So just as much as Joshua was a helper to Moshe, Moses, a Titus, according to 2 Corinthians 8 and verse 23.

He was my partner, Paul is saying, but he was my fellow helper. Imagine all the opposition that Paul had experienced in his life. How must he have been so joyful and rejoicing when a person like Titus was willing to be his partner in the ministry and his fellow worker concerning the people of God. And I can tell you, beloved brothers and sisters, if you and I will develop the heart that Titus had and Timothy had, we can also be part in serving the Lord among his own people. In a ministry of encouragement, a ministry of teaching, a ministry of instruction, a ministry of the gospel, the people of God need to participate and to become, you might say, in some small measure, like Titus, who was a partner and a fellow worker with the apostle Paul.

Now, just this two points here before I'm going to go further down, we want to know the time in which the Shaul Paul wrote that letter to Titus. Now, it had been suggested that he wrote this sometimes around 65 AD or so, around 65 AD. Now, let me just remind you, because we don't read of Titus in the book of Acts, and we don't know exactly when he became a believer in Yeshua, Jesus, the Messiah. And we know very well that somehow in the island of Crete, the apostle Paul had some time of ministry with Titus in the island of Crete. And since we don't read of the ministry of the apostle Paul in Crete, we assume, and some assume, that the ministry of the apostle Paul in Crete was done after he came out of prison from the city of Rome.

To remind you, in Acts chapter 23, the apostle Paul, the apostle Paul, Shaul, was captured in Jerusalem, in the temple. Then he was taken by the Romans, the Roman leaders there, with soldiers. He was moved from the city of Jerusalem all the way to Qasariah, on the seashore. And he was there for two years in the city of Qasariah. And after two years, he began his voyage as a prisoner all the way to the city of Rome. By the time he finished his voyage by ship, all sorts of shipwreck that happened, and all this happened to him on the way to Rome, he finally arrived to the city of Rome.

And according to the book of Acts, the apostle Paul was in prison there, in house arrest, in the city of Rome, for two additional years. We read in Acts chapter 28, in verse 30, that Paul dwelled two whole years in his own hired house, and he received all that came in unto him, preaching the kingdom of God. This is Acts chapter 28, verse 30, and part of verse 31. Paul was in the city of Rome, the Jewish community came to him to ask him about the Messiah. Many people came to him. And apparently, from what we understand from history, Paul was released after two years because no one eventually came to accuse him.

So after he finished his second two years in prison, after the long trip from Qasariah to Rome, then the apostle Paul was released and had been suggested that a ministry that we again see in the island of Crete was done after he was released from the second imprisonment from the city of Rome. And he took Titus, and apparently they have this ministry there in the island of Crete, where Titus was left to continue on to serve among the believers there, the island that is called Crete. So if the apostle Paul was released from Rome at about 62, 63 AD, and then later on he was captured again, and if you remember, he was actually captured, and he was beheaded in the city of Rome eventually.

So somewhere between 63 to 65, 66 AD, the apostle Paul had his ministry in Crete with Titus, and then later on he wrote this letter, perhaps from Corinth or Macedonia to Titus, to give him a word of encouragement to continue on in a ministry there in the island of Crete. Now there are a few things that I want to suggest that in this letter the apostle Paul is encouraging Titus. In chapter 1, verses 1 to 4, the apostle Paul encouraged Titus to preach the word of God. Then later on, in the very same chapter, in verse 5 to 9, the apostle Paul continued, and he instructed Titus as to the necessity of appointing spiritual leaders, elders that will lead in the local assemblies on the island of Crete.

Then still in chapter 1, verses 10 to 16, he gave Titus a warning as to false teachers who come in to teach false teachings. And he gave him a warning because, after all, Titus needed encouragement. There was already in the early days of the church age, already then and there false teachings have crept in. And there was a danger that the new-born believers in this area called Crete will be influenced by false teachings. And then the apostle Paul helped him to see that, and he's warning him against it. In chapter 2, in the first 10 verses, he's encouraging Titus to instruct the believers in Crete to live a holy life, a godly life.

After all, they were saved by grace, they came from a pagan world, now they became part of the body of Christ, the body of Messiah. Well, what kind of a life they are going to live? Are they going to live like the life they used to live before they became believers? Or are they going to live now in newness of life, to have a life that is pleasing to the Lord? Then in chapter 2 and verse 11 to 15, he continued to exhort Titus to have what you call sound doctrine, sound teaching. Beloved brothers and sisters, if we don't have sound teaching, we will never be able to understand clearly the Word of God.

Sound teaching, teaching that are coming from the Word, based upon the present day era in which we live in. Jew and Gentile united together in the body of Messiah. The apostle Paul is instructing Titus and exhorting him to have sound doctrine in the midst of the local assembly. And then finally, he's speaking in the third chapter of the book of Titus. He also expecting Titus and the brothers and sisters in the local assemblies in the island of Crete, that they will have, you might say, a godly behavior towards those that are without. You see, what is the assembly, the ecclesia? These are people that were saved from among Israel and from among the Gentile world.

And these people are now a company called called out ones. Our hopes are in heaven. The Messiah is going to come very, very soon. And if we are going to be a testimony to the world around us, our behavior and conduct must be different than the way that the world that we live in. And that's why in chapter 3, he said to them, be subject to every principalities and power. Obey, magistrate, and to be ready to every good work. Be a good testimony to the world that is around us in order that God will use you to be a blessing to the people that are still without the Messiah.

So, the timing was written about 65, 66 A.D. The purpose of the writing is simply to give a testimony here and to know how to conduct yourself in the local assembly. But I want to add one more thing. If you notice there in the verses that we read, in fact, I want to read verse 5, even though it's not part of our reading today. You notice what he said in verse 5, For this cause I left you in Crete. Here's the name Crete mentioned here in the book of Titus. What is the reason? Look at this. That thou should set in order the things that are lacking or wanting and ordain elders in every city.

In other words, set things in order. Apparently, there were things that were lacking. There were things that were wanting. There were things that were simply not right in these local assemblies there on the island. It is called the island of Crete. So, Paul sent him there. Paul left him there. And he asked him to set things in order. And you know, brothers and sisters, this is not only needful for 2,000 years ago to set things in order. Oh, yes. You set things in order in Crete, but keep on having this order in another place. No, this is applied to every local assembly, every local church or local congregation, everywhere in the world.

Whether it is in the island of Crete, in the city of Jerusalem, in Europe, in North America, in where we live in today. In every situation, there must be set an order if the people of God are going to enjoy a fellowship with the Lord and be a good testimony to the Lord himself. Now, this is just by way of introduction to tell us a little bit about the timing of the writing, the purpose of the writing. And now, I just want to highlight one more thing before we're going to go to these verses. What is the theme that we find again and again and again mentioned in the book of Titus?

Just look with me down in your Bible for a moment. Notice in Titus chapter 1 and verse 16. Look what it says. They profess that they know God, but in works they deny Him. Oh yeah, they profess that they belong to God, that they know God, but in practice, they don't perform the good works that should come out of the life of the believer. You see, we are saved by grace, but we are saved by grace in order to live a life that produces good works, honoring God, living for God, being a good testimony to God here in this world. Look at chapter 2 and verse 7. Notice again, Paul is saying to Titus, Titus, listen, you yourself, Titus, show yourself as a patron.

In Hebrew we say, in Hebrew we say, a patron of good works. How many a times when somebody look at us and speak to us and see how we conduct ourselves, they say, and you say that you belong to this Yeshua, this Jesus? Look at the way you're conducting yourself. Look at the way you behave. Shaul saying to him, Paul saying to him, you be sure that you show yourself as a patron of good works. Of good works. It's beautiful to see how he's encouraging this younger brother to be an example to the local assembly in the island of Crete. Look at verse 14 of the very same second chapter.

He says, he's speaking about the Messiah, and he says, who gave himself for us. You see, Yeshua gave himself for us. That he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto himself a peculiar people. There is of good works. The reason that your Lord Jesus died and gave himself for us, who were sinners by nature, who were lost in trespasses and sins, in order that he will have a redeemed people, saved and forgiven. But not only that, he could take us to heaven, brothers and sisters. At the moment that we have accepted him, we are suitable for heaven, positionally, right there and then. But somehow, he didn't.

Some of us are left for 10 years, 20 years, 50 years, 100 years. But how is our life here? When we're going to leave this sin, we're going to go to heaven. We're going to be with the Lord. He will never ask from us anymore to do that which he is expecting from us to do here and now. So, Paul is saying to Titus, remember, Yeshua HaMashiach, Jesus the Messiah. He gave himself. He gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity. We were dead in trespasses and sins. But he wanted to purify to himself a peculiar people. You know, when he chose, when God chose our people Israel, he wanted his own people to be a nation that would be a peculiar nation.

A nation that would be a testimony to the world that there is a living God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob while all the nations of the world worship idols. But when a Messiah came, our people Israel did not accept him as a nation. And now he's used these early Hebrew Christians to go and give a testimony to the world and he used them to preach the gospel, including the Apostle Paul, that people will be redeemed out of every people, tongues and nation. And in this present day age in which we live in, we are called to be a peculiar people. Unique. A people that are zealous of every good works.

So we will be a good testimony here in this world. Notice in chapter 3 of the book of Titus, you see, the main theme is the necessity to live a godly life and to produce good works for the Lord. And notice now chapter 3 and verse 1. Put them in mind to be subject to principalities and powers, to obey magistrate, to be ready to every good work. Once again, the Apostle Paul is emphasizing the importance of having good works in the life of the believers. A little bit further down, just look at this. In the next verse 8 of Titus chapter 3, it says, These things are good and profitable unto men.

Good deeds, good deeds, good action, not for salvation, but because of salvation. It is a result of salvation, is that the people of God who have realized that the Messiah Yeshua gave himself for us, we are exhorted to now seek to live a life that is pleasing to the Lord. Notice the final time that he's mentioned the word good works is found in verse 14 of Titus chapter 3. Let ours also learn to maintain good works for necessary use that they be not unfruitful. You know, fruit for God in the midst of a world that is against the things of God. The necessity to have good works in the life of the people of God is that which the Apostle Paul, Shaul Paul, is encouraging the believers in Yeshua the Messiah to do.

So you notice that many times, chapter 1, verse 16, chapter 2, verse 7, chapter 2, verse 14, chapter 3, verse 1, chapter 3, verse 8, chapter 3, verse 14. Again and again, the theme of this letter by Shaul Paul to Titus is doing good works, which is a blessing to the people of God and it is a testimony to the unbelieving world in which we live in today. Now, I just wanted to look at the outline for a moment, as we have here in those three chapters. Titus is a very short letter that Shaul Paul wrote. In the first chapter, he is desiring him to appoint godly leaders in a local assembly, in a local congregation. In the second chapter, he is the teaching God's people, specifically in relationship to maintaining good works.

And number 3, in chapter 3, to remind them of God's grace and the necessity to be a good testimony in a world in which we live in. So this is basically the general information about the, you might say, introduction to the book of Titus. So let's just go over quickly, with the Lord's help, over the first four verses of Titus, chapter 1. And so notice, the first thing we said, that in chapter 1 and verse 1, Paul is now writing this letter to Titus. Titus is now in Crete, in this island, and Paul is writing to him. And notice how wonderful the manner whereby Shaul Paul presents himself. The first thing, he is calling himself the servant of God.

In Hebrew, we call it Eved Elohim. One man that was called Eved, the servant of the Lord, or the servant of Jehovah. Eved Yehovah is Moses. In fact, some suggest that Moses, Moshe, and Paul, Shaul, were two towering personalities. One of them was before the Messiah came. Another one was after the Messiah came. Both of them called themselves the servant of God. In English, we call it servant, but really in Hebrew, the word slave is really a correct word. Paul, Shaul, devoted his whole life to the person of the Lord, but to the God and Father of our Lord, Yeshua, the Messiah. He called himself Eved Elohim, the servant of God.

This is actually, if I'm correct, the only time in the New Testament that the Apostle Paul called himself the servant of God. In other passages, he called himself a servant of Yeshua, Jesus, the Messiah. But here, he's specifically speaking about calling himself the servant of God. He's like a slave for God. And I can assure you that he must have learned this from the Lord, Yeshua, the Messiah, the glorified Messiah, who himself became a servant. You remember we read in Exodus chapter 21 about the Hebrew servant. The Hebrew servant in Exodus chapter 21 is a picture of the Lord, Yeshua, the Messiah, who said, I love my master.

I love my wife. I love my children. I can go out free, but I'm not going to go out free. And he says, I will serve my master forever. And then his master will take him to the doorpost and he will bore his ear with an awl. He's going to make a hole in his ear. And that Hebrew servant is going to serve his master forever. It's exactly what the Lord Jesus, Yeshua, the Messiah, have done. When he came down from heaven, though he was equal with God, but he counted himself of no reputation to be equal with God, but he made himself of no reputation.

Paul said it elsewhere in Philippians chapter 2. He said of the Lord Yeshua, the Messiah, he says, who being in the form of God, verse 6, thought it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men and being found in a fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. The Lord Yeshua, the Messiah, became avid, servant, mesharet Adonai, the servant of the Lord. He came down from heaven, went all the way to the cross where he shed his precious blood in order to redeem a people for himself.

So Paul, a servant of God. Paul wanted to serve God and he indeed did so when he called himself here a servant of God. He literally lived out his life in such a way. And you and I are benefiting from the letters that he wrote and you and I are reading that even today, this Shabbat meeting. But he was not only a servant of God in verse 1, he was also an apostle of Jesus, Yeshua, the Christ, the Messiah. He was also a messenger that was sent by the Lord Jesus, the Messiah, to be that messenger to carry the message. The Greek word apostle, apostolos, in Hebrew, shaliach, he was simply a man that was serving the Lord, was sent with a message.

There's no glory in being a messenger. There's no, you might say, there's no titles that he take here for his own self. He just simply say to Titus, Titus, I'm a messenger, I'm an apostle that was sent by the Lord, Yeshua, Jesus, the Messiah. He sent me with a message. What was the message? The message of the gospel. That the Messiah died for our sins. That he was buried and he rose up on the third day according to the scripture. And that he is now, he is seated at God's right hand. So, Paul is a servant of God and he is an apostle of Jesus, the Messiah, of Yeshua, the Messiah.

But I want you to also notice how much food you have here in these verses that seems to be just like something we can just quickly read. But notice he says here, according to the faith of God's elect. According to the faith of God's elect. That word elect, sometimes troubling many. The faith of those whom God had elected and chosen to be for him. Brothers and sisters, do you see? Scripture so many times teaches us that we were elected by God in time. But he was already elected by God before the foundation of the world. But in time, we became believers in the Lord Jesus, the Messiah.

Ephesians teaches us that we were chosen, Ephesians 1, we were chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world. Now, who can fathom that? Is God have elected a people for himself? Well, look what Paul is saying. He said in verse 1, who are according to the faith of God's elect, the people whom God has chosen. Well, Israel, our people was chosen. Not because Israel was better than any other nation. But God is sovereign. And he elected a nation, the nation of Israel, to be a nation for himself. And Israel is yet waiting the day when Israel as a nation going to come into the full enjoyment of that election, when they're going to accept the Messiah at the second coming and will enter into the Messianic kingdom.

But Israel do not enjoy that election today because of unbelief. Because Israel as a nation do not, as a nation, believe that Yeshua is the Messiah. But God has a people who, according to the faith of God's elect, he had brought them to himself, and they are Jew and Gentile who have been elected by God to be part of the company that belongs to him. And if you and I are believers, we kind of wonder what God had found in us. The Bible tells us that men by nature do not want God. In fact, John 3 tells us that men love darkness rather than light. So how come you and I have brought into, are we better than a neighbor on the other side of the street?

This is the divine design that God, by his grace, have elected the people for himself. He has chosen us in the Messiah before the foundation of the world, but in due time, through the preaching of the gospel, God used the message of the gospel to convict the very souls of those whom he had elected to bring them into himself. I mean, I cannot quite grasp it, but scripture teaches this very, very clearly. If you turn with me to 1 Peter chapter 1, 1 Peter chapter 1, just to read that, so we will have this verse as well with us. I mentioned Ephesians chapter 1, and notice in 1 Peter chapter 1, we read in verse 1 and 2, Peter, an apostle of Yeshua the Messiah, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontius, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, and then verse 2, elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father elect according to the foreknowledge of God our Father.

It is God who actually brought us into a relationship with himself. Why? Because we would not come unless he would draw us to himself. No one can come to the Father except the Father draws him unto himself. In fact, John 15, Yeshua said, you have not chosen me, but I have chosen you. Now, I cannot grasp it. I don't understand the sovereignty of God. You cannot fathom how God, he's choosing and electing a people for himself. You begin to wonder and ask the question, why him and not her? Why them and not the others? It's not for us to ask. It's for us to, first of all, make sure that we have acknowledged that Yeshua the Messiah has come to save us.

And so he's writing to Titus and said, Titus, I'm a servant of God. I'm an apostle of Yeshua the Messiah. And it is according to the faith of God's elect. You and I have the same faith. He's saying to Titus. And then notice what he continued in verse 1, and he said, and the acknowledging of the truth, which is after godliness. Here's the word truth. What is truth? Today, if you open television and read newspaper or open the radio, you don't have absolute truth. He has his truth, and she has her truth, and they have their truth. Well, who is right? Well, notice this. The Bible says, let God be true and every man a liar.

Yeshua said in John 14, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one come to the Father but by me. There's only one absolute truth. And that absolute truth is found in God's word and in the person of Yeshua the Messiah. Every time we shift one way or another, we are always at the wrong. There is an absolute truth. So here we find out that Paul is writing to Titus, and together, he as well as Titus are really part of this God's elect through faith, and they are the one that have accepted the truth of the word of God and that Yeshua is indeed the Messiah.

And like you and I today, if we haven't accepted the Lord Jesus, Yeshua the Messiah, we believe a lie. We believe that which is not right because we need the truth of the word of God. Plenty of verses to be read about the truth of the word of God which we could do so, but some of them I've already mentioned. Yeshua called himself the way, the truth, and the life. No one will come to the Father but by him. Now, notice that in verse 2. In verse 2, he continues, the Apostle Paul in his introduction in the letter to Titus, he said, in a hope of eternal life which God that cannot lie promised before the world began.

You see, the Apostle Paul is saying to Timothy that there is for the believers who have accepted the truth of the gospel, there is the hope, the assurance of eternal life. In Hebrew, we call it chayei olam, to live eternally in a relationship to the Lord, to live eternally with the knowledge that Yeshua is the Messiah, to live eternally as forgiven people, the people that belong to the Savior, to have eternal life. You remember the verse that we all memorize in John 3, 16, for God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.

faith in the Messiah will bring a person into a relationship with the Lord that is not only for a day or a month or a year or a few years but eternally to be with Him. That's what Paul says, it is a hope, it's not I hope that maybe it's going to happen, it is a sure hope of eternal life. Jesus the Messiah in His prayer in John 17, He said, you remember when He was speaking to the Father, He says, this is eternal life that they might know Thee, the only true God and Yeshua the Messiah whom Thou had sent. Eternal life is having a relationship with a person and will lead us into also eternally being with Him in hope of eternal life which God that cannot lie He promised.

You know, God made a promise and a promise is that we who will belong to Him and accept Him have eternal life trusting in Him, trusting in His truth that He has taught us in His Word. Eternal life that God had promised everyone that have accepted the person of the Lord Jesus the Messiah, the Lord Yeshua the Messiah, in hope of eternal life which God who cannot lie. You see, man lies but not God. Man gives us hopes and promises but he fails in fulfilling them. We fail. We many times fail in not saying the truth. That's why we are constantly exhorted to speak the truth and to speak it in love but not God.

God will never lie. Whatever God says it will surely come to pass and He gave this assuring promise. The hope of eternal life that whoever will believe on Him will have eternal life as we have here in verse 2. it's a promise that was given by God already according to verse 2 before the world began. In other words, in the providence of God, in the wisdom of God you have already planned years before creation came into being He is going to save a people for Himself. This morning I read Proverbs 8. When you have a chance read Proverbs 8 and you will see that before the mountains were brought forth, before creation had began, we read of the Messiah who is wisdom.

He was already there in the presence of God and He said my delight was with the sons of men. In the wisdom of God in eternity past God had planned it that a people for Himself will be saved through belief in the truth and in the person of the Lord Jesus Yeshua the Messiah. Now, quickly, verse 3 now and verse 4 in due time God conveyed this truth of having eternal life to those here on earth. it was in due time and notice verse 3 but hath in due time manifested His word or revealed His word through preaching which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Savior.

You see, Paul is saying eternity past God planned this wonderful plan of salvation but He revealed it as it says here in due time how did He reveal it? Through the preaching of His word. See what happened today? When a man when a person when a preacher preached the word he takes the Bible he reads the text and he ministered the word he just simply conveyed the word of God. For the unbelievers it is foolish but for those who recognize that they need the forgiveness of sins for them it's a blessing. They respond to the word of God. Faith cometh by hearing hearing by the word of God.

That's how it is going. So God used a preacher like Shaul Paul He can use you and I today when we share the message of the gospel with our friends with our family but we have to share the sincere milk of the word and God is sowing seeds that eventually will produce fruit for himself. For the preaching preaching such a simple thing to do to preach the message. Timothy preached the word God said and Paul said to Timothy in season and out of season Titus preached the word.

Paul said in Romans 1 16 I am not ashamed of the gospel of the Messiah for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone one that believers to the Jew first and also to the Greek share the word of God let others know about the Messiah and his work for us on the shameful cross in due time he manifested his word through the preaching which is committed unto me according to the commandments of God our Savior God God is a saving God Moshe'ah in Hebrew he is a Savior he delighted to have people who were lost to be saved and so finally beloved brothers and sisters in verse 4 he said to Titus

such a long you might say introduction finally he get to the men to whom he wrote he says Titus you are my own son after the common faith grace and mercy and peace from God the Father from our Lord Jesus the Messiah our Savior Titus I'm writing this letter to you because you are my son in the faith I have already shared with you the gospel you and I as it says we have the same common faith we belong to the same God we belong to the same Savior we belong to the same body of Messiah body of Christ we belong to the same people we are Jew and Gentile but we belong to the

same group a company of redeemed people who needed forgiveness of sin and you notice he says three things grace chesed mercy rachamim peace shalom he said the same thing to Timothy because you know what if you're going to work in a ministry of the Lord Yeshua the Messiah among God's people you will need a lot of grace you will need a lot of mercy and you will need a lot of shalom a lot of peace because there is constantly conflict constantly friction to deal with and you need the wisdom the grace the mercy and the peace that passes all understanding if you are going to minister among the people of God and Titus needed the

Lord's help and Paul writing this and wishing him that he will have grace mercy and peace from whom from God the Father and also from the Lord Jesus the Messiah who is our Savior here so brothers and sisters Jesus suggests the introduction to the book to the letter to a man by the name of Titus written by Shaul Paul to the man that was right left on the island it is called the island of Crete Titus was left here in order to help the brothers and sisters because there was so much disorder in the local assemblies there in the island that is called Crete may the Lord help us as we study together the book

of Titus can we say amen to that