When the Going Gets Tough

“When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” Legendary football coach Knute Rockne used these words to focus his team when their backs were against the wall. We’re all pretty good when things are easy. We’re all winners when life is going our way. We’re all superstars when the Big Mo is wearing our team’s jersey. But what happens when opposition rears its ugly head? What happens when things get hard? When the going gets tough, does the tough get going…in the opposite direction? That’s because resistance reveals resolve. Do I cut and run when I hit hostility? Do I allow the enemy to get me off my game plan? 

That’s exactly what happened to the children of God just when they were getting started rebuilding the temple in Jerusalem. Ezra 4:1-5 takes us to the Promised Land to witness Israelite enthusiasm turn to apathy. One minute they’re throwing the loudest party the land has ever seen (Ez 3:11, 13). They worship God for His goodness as they lay the foundation for Temple 2.0. The very next minute they’re discouraged, afraid, and frustrated thanks to Samaritan sabotage. 

The big worship shindig was so loud that “the sound was heard far away” (Ez 3:11, 13). It apparently got the attention of “the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin” (v1). The author makes it clear from the get-go that these folks are bad news. They are the enemy. They are the opposition. So who are these guys? They’re Samaritans. Let’s crank up the WABAC machine for a little history lesson. In 722 BC, the Assyrian superpower steamrolled the ten tribes of Jewish northern kingdom and hauled them off into captivity. They did just take them as slaves back to places like Nineveh but also shipped folks from other parts of their kingdom. Flip over to 2 Kings for a list of the folks the Assyrians sent to dilute those still in the land. “And the king of Assyria brought people form Babylon, Cuthah, Avva, Hamath, and Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of of Samaria instead of the people of Israel” (2Ki 17:24). Eventually this stew of cultures and religions cook up some goofy pagan hybrid of worship that incorporates a little bit of this, a little bit of that, including a smidge of Jewish burnt offerings.

Almost 3,000 years later, this garbage is still going on. No, most of us aren’t building Asherah poles in our backyards or worshiping Baal in the basement. Folks who say they follow Jesus also sprinkle in a little bit New Age stuff here and little bit of Oprah over there. And we also worship such 21st century idols as cash, careers, cars, and kids while squeezing in just a little bit of time for Christ if we don’t feel like sleeping in on Sunday morning. Let’s be careful not to become modern day Samaritans.

After hearing the big throw-down on the temple mount, the Samaritans knew they had to do something to shut down this Jewish comeback. As Barney Fife would say, “Nip it. Nip it in the bud!” That’s when “they approached Zerubbabel and the heads of fathers’ houses and said to them, ‘Let us build with you, for we worship your God as you do, and we have been sacrificing to Him ever since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria who brought us here’” (v2). While this might sound all well and good, remember how Ezra describes them as “adversaries” in the previous verse (v1). Had they worshiped the same God as the Israelites? Well, if sort of. If you squint hard enough you could kinda, sorta come to that conclusion. But they also worshiped every other god and goddess like they were in some sort of Golden Corral buffet of dieties. Let’s face it, they were simply pretending to be all nicey-nice in order to execute the Samaritan sabotage.

The Z man and the rest of the Jewish leaders see right through their smarmy, Eddie Haskel-like approach. They shut the Samaritans down before they can say another word. “You have nothing to do with us in building a house to our God; but we alone will build to the LORD, the God of Israel, as King Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us” (v3). Do you think Zerubbabel was being more than just a little bit rude to turn down the Samaritan offer to help? On top of not trusting their motives, he knew full well that it was because of idolatry that God sent His people into captivity in the first place (2Ki 17:18; 23:26-27). If Zerubbabel had anything to do with it, he would do everything in his power to keep it from happening again. Good leaders learn from history. 

But the Samaritans didn’t just shrug their shoulders and walk away to bother somebody else. “Then the people of the land discouraged the people of Judah and made them afraid to build and bribed counselors against them to frustrate their purpose” (v4). If they weren’t able to infiltrate the construction project from the inside, they had a few other tricks up their sleeve. They demoralized and deflated the Jews. They put fear in their hearts to put down their tools and stop building. They even greased the palms of the foremen and engineers on the job site to keep the project from ever getting off the ground. When the going got tough, the people got going…home.

And the Samaritan sabotage was successful. It lasted “all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia” (v5). Remember, this whole send-the-Jews-back-to-Jerusalem-to-rebuild-the-temple-so-they-can-worship-God thing started with King Cyrus. God stirred his heart to get behind this project (Ez 1:1-4). But after local opposition bullied and bribed the reconstruction to a halt, nobody lifted a hammer or pushed a wheelbarrow for 16 years. It wasn’t until God used the prophet Haggai to remind His people that He was backing their effort that they got back to work (Hag 1:12-15).

So is this some sort of hang-in-there-you-can-do-it pep talk using the Jewish people as the bad example? Let’s face it, we’ve all heard messages from the Old Testament like that before. But we need to keep in mind that the entire Bible is about Jesus. He said so Himself (Jn 5:39, 46). We find encouragement here in the fact that our Savior didn’t waver in the face of satanic sabotage. Christ never wavered when His Father set the cross before Him (Lk 22:42). He saw His mission through to the end until it was absolutely and completely finished (Jn 19:30). We can be very thankful that when the going got tough, Jesus got going. 

When the going got tough, the Tough got going. 

You Know You Make Me Wanna SHOUT!

“Shhh. Keep your voice down. We’re in church.” How many times did you hear those words growing up? Sure there are times when we gather to worship God when we should quietly reflect and meditate on who He is and what He’s done. But more often than not, our response to God’s goodness should get loud. We should remember the words of the old hymn made popular by the psalmists known as Otis Day and the Nights. “You know You make me wanna SHOUT! Kick my heels up and SHOUT! Throw my hands up and SHOUT!” That’s certainly what we see and hear in Ezra 3:8-13. Back in Jerusalem after 70 years, the Israelites crank up the volume of their praise when the rebuilding of the temple begins. 

Ezra lets us know that this is “now in the second year after their coming to the house of God in Jerusalem” (v8). The Jewish people are two years into their return from being under the thumb of Babylon. That would make this 536 BC. My guess is that it’s no coincidence that this is right 500 years before our High Priest Jesus Christ makes the ultimate and final sacrifice for sin around AD 33. The author tips us off that the beginning of the temple project starts “in the second month” (v8). For those of us who don’t use the Jewish calendar, he’s talking about Iyar which falls during April and May. The spring sure seems like a good time to begin any big construction project.

Once again, we see the dynamic duo of Zerubbabel and Jeshua leading the way. They assemble a team of Levites who are at least 20 years old “to supervise the work of the house of the LORD” (v8). A few verses back, they raised the financing needed for the reconstruction to buy building materials as well as pay and feed the various craftsmen (Ez 3:7). It’s a great reminder that leaders must lead. They do the dirty work so that others can win. They select the right people for the right job and give them everything they need in order to be successful.

Phase one of the temple project is a huge success “when the builders laid the foundation of the temple of the LORD” (v10). It’s time to celebrate. It’s time to party. It’s time to get the band back together. “The priests in their vestments came forward with trumpets, and the Levites, the sons of Asaph, with cymbals, to praise the LORD” (v10). When you flip back over to the roll call in Ezra 2, you see that this is a BIG band! We’re talking about 4,800 players!! These horn and rhythm sections make the Tower of Power sound like they’re blowing kazoos. Get ready. This is gonna get loud. REALLY loud!

 So just why in the wide world of sports are cranking up the band? Remember, it’s been seven decades since the Israelites have been able to worship in the holy city of Jerusalem. Not only that but this is all being done “according to the directions of David the king of Israel” (v10). Just as Ezra said before, everything is done by the book (Ez 3:2, 4). King David made naming worship leaders a top priority back in the day (1Chr 6:31; 16:4; 25:1). 

From the very first note, it’s obvious that this isn’t a concert. The crowd isn’t simply sitting back listening to band rock. Once the music cranks up, “they sang responsively, praising and giving thanks to the LORD” (v11). The priests, Levites, and sons of Asaph aren’t there to soak up the spotlight. They are there to point people to the only One who deserves the applause. This concert is an act of worship for the Audience of One. Just like this spectacular scene on the temple mount, let’s get up out of our seats to praise God for who He is. Let’s sing a song of thanks to God for all He’s done. We don’t show up to watch and listen. We assemble to praise and sing. We’re not spectators. We’re worshipers.

The worship band and the people sing back and forth “responsively” (v11). Like any good worship leaders, the priests and the rest of the team invite everyone to join in. The vocalists sing a line. The congregation responds accordingly. Ezra gives a clue as to what was on the set list for this gig. “For He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever toward Israel” (v11). It sure looks like this is a cover of one of the great worship tunes of all time: Psalm 136. Just in case you thought Chris Tomlin’s “Forever” was fairly new, think again. The original track focuses on the never-ending, always faithful love of our heavenly Father. The Hebrew word we translate here as “steadfast love” is hesed. There’s probably no more important term used in the entire Old Testament. It gets translated a variety of ways just because it has such rich meaning. Kindness. Goodness. Grace. Mercy. Faithfulness. It means a love that never, ever stops. Hesed is tied directory to our covenant-making and covenant-keeping God. He’s promised to love. And once He starts, He never stops. It’s faithful love with no strings attached. Even now, 2,500 years later, another great worship band called Jesus Culture sings of God’s hesed. “Your love never fails, it never gives up, it never runs out on me.” When we sing of God’s never failing love, let’s sing it proud and sing it loud.

But while the crowd gets loud with joy, there are some others who’s hearts are breaking. There’s a group of “old men who had seen the first house, wept with a loud voice when they saw the foundation of this house being laid, though many shouted with joy” (v12). So why would these old timers be so upset about what was going on? Some folks believe that they were overwhelmed with emotion seeing a new temple being built after being held for 70 years. Possibly. But I think a better idea is that this rebuilt house of God didn’t come close to matching the spectacular structure that Solomon built (Hag 2:3). And why would it? This construction crew didn’t have the resources available to them that David and Solomon had. The ark of the covenant wasn’t there (Ezra doesn’t list it in the inventory of temple wares back in Ez 1:9-11). 

This new house of worship lacked the Shekinah glory, God’s very powerful and very special presence. His Shekinah packed up and left town as the people turned their backs on Yahweh just before the Babylonians dropped the hammer on God’s people (Ezek 10:18). These senior citizen saints were the only ones who really understood what was missing. If you had seen Solomon’s spectacular original temple, wouldn’t you be in tears at what you were witnessing? But 2,500 years later, we have no reason to cry. As His church, we are God’s new temple and He’s sent His Spirit to live in each of us (1Cor 3:16-17; 6:19). God’s glory is back in the house!

So just how loud was this crowd? Twice in this passage, Ezra tells us, “All the people shouted with a great shout” (v11, 13). The Who is believed to be the loudest rock and roll band in history. Experts say LSU’s Death Valley say the Tiger football fans are deafening. Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium can be absolutely ear-splitting when the Blue Devils are rolling. There’s no doubt that ear plugs for each is a good idea. But the volume on the temple mount was cranked to eleven. The combo of praise, worship, and tears was so stinkin’ loud that “the sound was heard far away” (v13). Remember, this is long before speakers, sound systems, amps, and mics. No PA system needed for this event. This was all in response of who God is and all that He has done. The celebration thundered throughout the land. God is so good! “You know You make me wanna SHOUT! Kick my heels up and SHOUT! Throw my hands up and SHOUT!”

Worship in Progress

What are you waiting for? Yeah, I’m talking to you. What needs to happen before you worship God? For many of us who’ve been away from church for a long time, we think we need to get our life together before we can ever dream of getting religious (whatever THAT means!). We think we need to get cleaned up. We think conditions need to be perfect. We think everything needs to be just right. But here in Ezra 3:1-7, you’ll see that the people were so stoked about worshiping God that they weren’t going to let the mess get in their way. They made worship a priority. They didn’t need a building. They didn’t need a temple. They simply needed God. They needed to celebrate who He was and what He has done. It was a work in progress and a worship in progress.

Let’s set the scene. After being held captive in Babylon for 70 years, God’s people are allowed to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the temple. Yahweh had allowed Nebuchadnezzar and the Babylonians to haul away the Hebrews because they had completely turned their backs on His goodness and grace (2Ki 17:7-1; Jer 2:7-13). But their situation had changed drastically since they had been thrown in the supernatural penalty box. God dropped the hammer on Babylon when He sent King Cyrus and His Persian to knock them off the top spot as the world’s superpower. The LORD then stirred Cy’s heart to let God’s people pack up and head home  (Ez 1:1-4). Almost 50,000 Jews packed up and made the 500 mile trip back home. Just as Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt into the Promised Land, Zerubbabel led them on the Exodus 2.0 (Ez 2). 

Once the Hebrews are back home, the flipped their calendar over to the most special time of the year. “The seventh month came” (v1). This is the seventh month of the Jewish calendar, not seven months after they hit town. It’s Tishrei, a month that falls within our September and October. For the Jewish people, this is the most wonderful time of the year. It’s when they celebrate the high holy days. It’s the Big Three of Hebrew holidays. The Feast of Trumpets, the Day of Atonement, and the Feast of Booths. The city may be in shambles. The temple may be a pile of rubble. But that’s not going to stop God’s people. Their rebuilding project may be a work in progress but they’re going to worship in progress.

Despite the devastation all around, the people made worship priority one. “They built the altar of the God of Israel,” (v2). They didn’t let the lack of a temple keep them from worshiping God. They knew that this was NOT about a building! They didn’t need some brand spanking new church building in order to thank the LORD for who He was and what He had done. It’s about worshiping God! This is all about keeping the main thing the the main thing. And God is THE Main Thing! Rebuilding the temple is a work in progress. This is worship in progress.

Ezra tells us how they cranked up the grill “to offer burnt offerings on it, as is written in the Law of Moses” (v2). We find all the details of these offerings in everyone’s favorite book of the Bible, Leviticus. The LORD tells Moses all about these in Lev 1:3-17. There we read that we should “offer a male without blemish” (Lev 1:3, 10). That’s a preview of Jesus’ sinless sacrifice for our sin almost 500 years later. The other holy days of the seventh month are also listed in Leviticus (Lev 23:24-44). 

The Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah) falls on the first day of the seventh month. This is the Jewish New Year’s Day and is a celebration of Creation of Adam and Eve. They blow a ram’s horn called a “shofar” to kick things off (makes me wonder if you have to have a “shofar’s license;” think about that one for a moment). This points us to Jesus “for by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through Him and for Him” (Col 1:16). And for those of us who are “in Christ, he is a new creation” (2Cor 5:17).

On the tenth day of Tishrei, they would celebrate the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur). God spends the entire chapter of Leviticus 16 going in great detail of this incredibly important day. This is the holiest day of the year for the Jewish people. As part of an elaborate ceremony, the high priest offers sacrifices as a sin offering for all the people. God uses these sacrifices to cleanse them of both their sins of commission and omission over the past year. Five centuries later, Jesus would one day act as the ultimate High Priest offer Himself for our sins once and for all (Heb 7:24-28; 9:11-14). Because of what Christ did to celebrate the supreme Day of Atonement on Calvary, we no longer have reason to do it every year.

Less than a week later, the Israelites would celebrate the Feast of Booths (Sukkot) on the fifteenth day of the month. They would remember how their ancestors lived in temporary booths when God brought them out of Egypt after Exodus 1.0. It’s a celebration of God’s deliverance from slavery. In 500 years, Jesus would deliver us from our slavery to sin (Rom 6:18).

So what does this passage about the Jewish high holy days have to do with a 21st century follower of Jesus? As you can see, each of these celebrations point to the One who would come to and fulfill them all. They also remind us that we don’t need a temple to worship God. We don’t need a gorgeous church building to show our love to Him. We don’t need to have all our ducks in a row in order express our thanks to Jesus. We don’t have to get ourselves all scrubbed up and buttoned down to worship God. We can worship Him in the rubble. We can worship Him in the mess. We can worship in progress.

Exodus 2.0

Long before Christian Bale and even before Charlton Heston, God used the original Moses to lead His people out of Egypt after 400 years of forced labor. While you might have seen the movie, I suggest you read the book. Or should I say The Book. Flip back over and check out Exodus 1-15 for the full story. Hollywood spent millions making these motion pictures but they look like bad straight-to-DVD flicks when compared to the epic true story. Did you know that God wrote a sequel to His original blockbuster? You’ll find it in the second chapter of Ezra. After 70 years of slavery in Babylon, God moves the heart of King Cyrus to send the Israelites back to the Promised Land (Ez 1:1-4). Ezra tells the story of the second Exodus. Exodus 2.0.

Before we get to the roster of who’s headed home, Ezra wants to remind us of just how God’s people got to Babylon in the first place. They were “those exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried captive to Babylonia” (v1). Seventy years before, Nebuchadnezzar was the baddest man on the planet. Seventy years before, God’s people had taken His gift of the Promised Land and turned it into a dumpster fire. So as a result, Yahweh used the Babylonian king to, shall we say, get the Israelites attention. Nebuchadnezzar brutally attacked Jerusalem in one of the most bloody assaults ever recorded (1Ki 24:10-14). Just as God had promised, the brutal king’s troops destroyed the city and the temple, stole the temple treasure, and hauled 10,000 Jews back to Babylon. Seventy years later, God uses the Persians and King Cyrus to kick a little Babylonian booty. Not long after that, it’s time for Exodus 2.0.

As folks head home “to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town” (v1), we see a list of those leading the way. “They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reeliaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah” (v2). If you’re looking for extensive bios of these dudes, you have come to the wrong place. We just don’t know much about most of this crew. We do know that this is NOT the Nehemiah that we read about later in the book bearing his name. And we know that this is NOT the Mordecai we read about over in the story of Esther. 

However we DO know Zerubabbel and Jeshua. This dynamic duo play similar roles to Moses and Aaron in the prequel. One is the leader and the other is the prophet. The Z Man is the point man for this return and will take office as governor when they arrive. And check out Zerubbabel’s family tree. He’s a descendant of the one and only King David. And that’s not all! Both Matthew and Dr. Luke list him as one of Jesus’ ancestors (Mt 1:12-13; Lk 3:27)!! So he’s kind of a big deal. We’ll see that he’s also credited with playing a key role in the rebuilding of the temple (Zech 4:9). His tag team partner is Jeshua. He’s the high priest who’ll take the lead in the worship of God once the temple is back up and running. Jeshua’s family history is also pretty impressive. He’s a direct descendant of Levi and Aaron. And if that’s not enough, his name means “God saves” in Hebrew. Yeshua is not only the same name as Joshua in the original language but is also what people would have called Jesus. 

This Old Testament connection to Christ is huge. Our Savior said so Himself. Jesus told the Jewish leaders that they were missing the point in how they read the Bible. “You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about Me” (Jn 5:39). Later He goes so far as to say that when Moses wrote the first five books of the Bible “he wrote about Me” (Jn 5:46). After His resurrection, Jesus leads two dudes headed back to Emmaus in one of the most spectacular Bible studies in history. “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, He interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself” (Lk 24:27). The big idea is that it’s all about Jesus. The purpose of God’s Word is to point us to His Son and our Savior. Jesus is THE HERO of THE STORY. Every book of the Bible predicts or points to Christ in some manner. It’s all about Jesus. Period.

Meanwhile back in Ezra, we read the roster of the Jews headed back home from Babylon. First the author lists the families of Israelite citizens (v2-35). Next, the priests (v36-39), the Levites (v40-42), the temple servants (v43-54), and the descendants of King Solomon’s staff (v55-58). Next we see folks in the traveling party that couldn’t trace their ancestry back before the exile (v59-60) as well as folks who were pretty sure they were priests but couldn’t prove it (v61-62). Let’s call these people “undocumented.” I’m not making a political statement on immigration here, but they were allowed to be part of the second Exodus but had limited rights and privileges. Once everybody was back in the Promised Land, the high priest would try to sort everything out using something called the Urim and Thummim (v63). We’re not exactly sure what this was. Would it be sacrilegious for me to think of this as some sort of divine Magic 8 Ball? Whatever the case, they were part of posse that totals 49,697.

Once they hit the city of Jerusalem, it became obvious that they needed to raise funds in order to fix up the temple. Folks stepped up and “made freewill offerings for the house of God, to erect it on its site” (v68). I’m pretty sure Jewish leaders didn’t bring in consultants to run a capital campaign for the project. These people gave willingly as an act of worship of the One who brought them out of Babylon. They gave abundantly as an act of thanksgiving for all that God had given them. This isn’t duty. This isn’t obligation. This is love. This is worship. They give because He gave. Think back on all that Jesus has done for you and all that He’s given you. Shouldn’t we give because He gave?

So now God’s people are home. It’s the Exodus 2.0. Will there be another episode in the trilogy? Will there be an Exodus 3.0? Of course there is! Just as God freed His people from slavery in both Egypt and Babylon, He has something else up His supernatural sleeve. The first time He used Moses. The second time He used Zerubbabel. The third time He did it Himself. In the final and most thrilling episode, Jesus personally leads us from the slavery of our sin and self into the Promised Land of freedom and salvation. 

Call it Exodus 3.0.

It's Not Over Until God Says It's Over

Seventy years is a long time. I admit that that I get frustrated when things don’t change after seventy seconds. 

But seventy years? If something’s not fixed after being broken for seven decades, I tend to lose hope. 

Good thing God didn’t ship me off to Babylon in the divine exile of His people. 

As we pick up the story in the beginning of the book of Ezra, Yahweh has relocated His chosen people from the Promised Land to to get their attention after they gave Him a spiritual stiff arm despite His overwhelming goodness. 

He warned them through the prophets ahead of time this was about to go down. He reminded them over and over that He would not forget about Him. 

He promised them He would eventually bring them back home. But after 70 years, their hope gauge had to be hitting E. 

The children of Israel are 500 miles from home. They’re providing cheap labor for one of the most brutal dictators history has ever known (and by “cheap” I mean “free”). 

They’re held prisoner under the world’s dominant super power without so much as a Super Soaker to fight back. 

And it’s been 70 years. Seventy. Years. 

But that’s when God gets involved. As a matter of fact, we know from Scripture that He was involved the entire time. 

The Israelites might think it’s a lost cause. They might think it’s over. But it’s not over until God says it’s over. 

We see through this amazing Old Testament book that absolutely nothing can stop the LORD when He decides to move. 

In the biblical epic motion picture “Animal House,” the great theologian Bluto Blutarsky boldly proclaimed, “It’s not over until we say it’s over!” (Okay, the folks at National Lampoon didn’t exactly produce “The Greatest Story Ever Told” but work with me here.) 

In the opening chapter of Ezra, we see God making it absolutely clear that it’s not over until He says it’s over!

Set the Flux Capacitor for 538 BC. That’s “the first year of Cyrus king of Persia” (v1). King Cy is NOT Uncle Si from “Duck Dynasty.” He’s the Persian dictator that has just knocked the Babylonians off as the toughest kid on the block. 

As part of kicking some Babylonian butt, King Cy inherits a ragtag bunch of Jewish slaves. Just when you might think things have gone from bad to worse for the Israelites, a funny thing happens. 

God rolls up His sleeves and gets busy. Seemingly out of nowhere, “the LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus king of Persia” (v1) and gets his attention. 

Through Isaiah, God made it clear “of Cyrus, ‘He is My shepherd, and he shall fulfill all my purpose’; saying of Jerusalem, ‘She shall be built,’ and of the temple, ‘Your foundation shall be laid’” (Is 44:28). 

So make sure you don’t miss Whose idea this was. It wasn’t King Cy. It wasn’t Ezra. It wasn’t the Israelites. It was God. That’s because it’s not over until He says it’s over!

And who would’ve believed that King Cy had a burning passion to make sure “that the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled” (v1)? 

We’re talking about Gentile dictator in pursuit of world domination who is suddenly overcome by the desire to make sure a Jewish prophecy comes through. 

Yeah, I know. That’s crazy talk. But that’s EXACTLY how this all went down. So just what did God say through Jeremiah anyway? 

Let’s take a look. As the prophet witnessed the bloody Babylonian invasion of Israel and Judah, he proclaimed “These nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years” (Jer 25:11). There you go. There’s your 70 years.

Later the LORD used Jerry the Prophet to drop one of the most quoted passages in the entire Bible. “When the seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will visit you, and I will fulfill to you My promise and bring you back to this place. 

"For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will hear you. 

"You will seek Me and find Me, when you seek Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the LORD, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the LORD, and I will bring you back to the place from I sent you into exile” (Jer 29:10-14). 

I think it’s really a good idea for you and me to remember that this divine promise of prosperity, hope, and a future were originally made to Israel as she was headed to Babylon. 

I’m not saying we shouldn’t lean on a similar promise. But let’s be VERY careful to not “claim this promise” for a Beamer in the garage and a six-figure income.

We see that our very good God is at work through very bad governments. Frustrated with that dumpster fire in DC? 

I don’t care if you’re democrat or republican. Doesn’t matter whether you’re a liberal or conservative. I’m NOT making a political statement here. What I am saying is that only God can unblock the gridlock. 

He not only has the whole world in His hands but the hearts of kings as well. “The king’s heart is a stream of water in the hand of the LORD; He turns it wherever He will” (Prov 21:1). 

That’s why they call Him the King of Kings. Never forget that. Ever. 

So stop ringing your hands over who’s in the White House. Stop freaking out about who controls Congress. 

Yes, we should pray, we should vote, and we should be active in the political process. But please remember that Jesus was not a registered member of any party. 

He loves both red states and blue states. If the LORD can motivate a bloodthirsty dictator like King Cyrus to ensure the fulfillment of biblical prophecy, He can certainly handle the few hundred knuckleheads that we’ve elected. 

That’s because it’s not over until God says it’s over.

©2014
Jay Jennings

It Starts and Ends with Grace

“All who are with me send greetings to you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all” (Titus 3:15).

We all blow past the blah-blah-blah. You know the stuff I’m talking about. The license agreement for new software. The fine print of the home owners association covenants. The itty bitty print of the side effects for your prescription. And I tend to do the same with certain parts of the Bible. Those verses where Paul introduces himself at the beginning of a letter as well as that whole “Sincerely, Paul” business at the end. When we come to these passages, we need to slow our roll. We need to pump our brakes. There’s great stuff here. Don’t blow past them. There are greetings. And there is grace. And you never blow past grace. Ever.

Before we drill down into the close of this little letter, let’s take a step back at what’s going on here. Jesus’ gracious invitation is washing across the Mediterranean rim like a Gospel tsunami. People of every race, culture, social strata, and demographic group are placing their trust in the resurrected Rabbi from Palestine as the one and only Son of God. One of the places the Good News turns upside down is the island Crete, just off the coast of Greece. There are new believers everywhere. The Apostle Paul led a team that ministered to these baby Christians but has now moved on to the Greek seaport of Nicopolis (Titus 3:12). He leaves behind a squad to finish the next phase of the mission, led by Titus (Titus 1:4) as well as Zenas the lawyer and Apollos (Titus 3:13). 

The apostle gives Titus and the boys a three-point plan. One, appoint qualified spiritual leaders for every church on the island to fill the leadership gap (Titus 1:5). Two, shut down and shut up a pesky pack of false teachers who are stirring up trouble among these baby believers (Titus 1:10-11). Three, establish a self-sustaining system of telling folks what it means to follow Jesus (Titus 2:1-10). Once those items are crossed off the to-do list and once reinforcements arrive, the Big T is to pack his gear and spend the winter with Paul in Nicopolis (Titus 3:12).

The apostle wraps up his letter with greetings to Titus and all the believers on Crete. It’s easy to simply read these unimportant and meaningless sentences. You know, we see this as basically, “Everybody here says ‘hello’ to you, Titus. Please say ‘hey’ to all the folks following Jesus on your end.” Don’t make that mistake. This is SO much more than a shout out from the Nicopolis posse. Remember that the Holy Spirit inspires every single word on the pages of Scripture (2Tim 3:16-17). This verse is there for a reason. Second, you didn’t waste paper (actually parchment or papyrus) back in the first century. It was EXTREMELY valuable. You wouldn’t waste it with worthless words.

So what does Paul really mean when he sends along all of these “greetings” (v15)? He uses the Greek verb aspazomai. It means SO much more than giving somebody a shout out. For those of us who love the old “Andy Griffith Show, this isn’t “tell’ em Goober says ‘hey!’” This word means to salute, honor, express good wishes, and pay one’s respects. And the apostle doesn’t use just once, but twice! So it’s kind of a big deal. So what’s the meat behind the greet? Let’s see how this term is used a few other spots in the NT. Jesus sends out His dozen disciples and instructs them, “As you enter the house, greet (Gr. aspazomai) it” (Mt 10:12). Make sure to introduce yourself to you host. Salute their commitment to God’s kingdom. Make a personal connection. Encourage them as they serve Jesus. When the Son of God rolls into one town, the people are stoked to see Him. “And immediately all the crowd, when they saw Him, were greatly amazed and ran up to Him and greeted (Gr. aspazomai) Him” (Mk 9:14). They pay Him honor and treat Him with respect. When Paul wraps up mission number two, he pays his respects to the home church in Jerusalem. “When he landed at Caesarea, he went up and greeted (Gr. aspazomai) the church” (Acts 18:22). 

While it is important to greet people, introduce yourself, and say “hello,” but this is beyond a handshake or a howdy. This is saluting what God is doing in the lives of those we meet. This is paying tribute to someone’s sacrifice for Christ’s kingdom. This is acknowledging a person’s worth as one made in the very image of God. Paul is personally honoring Titus’ service to Jesus and the people of Crete. He’s also passing along the encouragement and thanks of the rest of Nicopolis crew. In the same way that we should always remember to thank members of the military for their service to our country, we should salute those who serve our Savior. 

The apostle lands the plane by writing, “Grace be with you all” (v15). Again, this isn’t just Paul’s way of saying, “I’m out. (Drops mic.)” These final words are closely related to how this letter started. “Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior” (Titus 1:4). He starts with grace. He ends with grace. That’s how the man from Tarsus begins and ends every single letter he writes. Don’t believe me? Check for yourself. I’ll wait. Okay, you’re back! This is a not-so-subtle reminder that our entire relationship with Jesus starts with grace and it ends with grace. We’ve done absolutely nothing to deserve it. We’re done nothing to earn it. Christ saved us because of His goodness, not ours. He lived the perfect life that I failed to live. He died the death on the cross for my sin that I should have died. He rose to new life that I don’t deserve. Just like Paul’s letters, my salvation starts with grace and ends with grace.

Whatever you do, don’t blow past what you think is the blah-blah-blah. You never blow past grace. Ever.

Spiritual First Responders

“And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help in cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful” (Titus 3:14).

When the call comes in, they go out. That’s the role of the first responder. Firefighters, police officers, and paramedics are ready to roll and come to the rescue. Lights flashing!  Sirens screaming! When there’s an urgent need, first responders learn to run toward trouble, not away from it. It’s a necessary part of their training. Paul tells his protege Titus that this is a critical part of what it means to follow Jesus. When the call comes in, we need to go out. We must be ready to roll. When there’s an urgent need, we need to run toward trouble, not away from it. Christ calls us to be spiritual first responders.

A huge part of Titus’ to-do list is teaching new believers on the island of Crete what it means to follow Jesus (Titus 2:1-10). The apostle wants to make sure his go-to guy understands exactly what that means. “Let our people learn to devote themselves to good works” (v14). Not everybody else. “Our people.” If you’re a member of a local church, this means you! If you’re not, relax. For those of us who have placed our trust in the resurrected Rabbi from Nazareth, we’re exactly who Paul’s talking about. 

Before we can roll as spiritual first responders, we need training. We need to learn what to do in order to make good works top priority. The apostle uses the Greek verb manthano, which means to be taught through experience, discover, and find out. We’re talking formal training and learning by doing. People in Jerusalem couldn’t figure out how Jesus could pull off all He did since He had never been to seminary. “How is it that this Man has learning, when He has never studied (Gr. manthano)?” (Jn 7:15). Paul had been there and done that and had “learned (Gr. manthano) in whatever situation I am to be content” (Phil 4:11). The writer of Hebrews says that even Jesus “learned (Gr. manthano) obedience through what He suffered” (Heb 5:8). Learning by doing. Learning through experience. 

Actually, the grammar here is important to what Paul is writing. The verb is in the present active imperative form. Before you ask “what in the world does THAT have to do with anything?” pump your brakes and let me explain. It simply means that this is NOT a one-time lesson. We can easily translate this as “let our people be continually learning” (v14). Our training never stops. Think of this as continuing education. First responders must keep their training up to date. As spiritual first responders, let’s be lifelong learners of doing good things and God things for others. 

As followers of Jesus, we should take the lead when it comes to helping others. The apostle drops the term “devote” (Gr. proistemi). It literally means “to stand above” something. In various places in the Bible, it describes putting oneself at the head (1Tim 5:17), taking the lead (Rom 12:8), as well as providing protective care and aid (1Tim 3:4, 5, 12), and engaging in something with great intensity (Titus 3:8). When it comes to responding to trouble, believers must learn to be the first ones there. We need to take the lead when providing aid. Are you and I devoted to help others in trouble? Are we willing to take the lead? Are we willing to be the first ones there? Be a leader as a good deeder. (Too much? Yeah, I thought so too.)

This is the sixth and final time that Paul uses the phrase “good works” in this little letter. So I’m guessing it’s kind of a big deal. People who give God a spiritual stiff arm are “unfit for any good work” (Titus 1:16). We should be a supermodel of “good works” to those around us (Titus 2:7). Jesus has come to our rescue so that we could be “zealous for good works” (Titus 2:14). As good citizens, believers should be locked and loaded and “ready for every good work” (Titus 3:1). Priority one for believers must be to “devote themselves to good works” (Titus 3:8). 

Let’s be VERY clear about these “good works.” We don’t save ourselves by doing them. We do them because Someone Else has done the ultimate good work for us. Jesus has done for us what we could never, ever dream of doing for ourselves. He lived the perfect life of which I was an epic fail. He died in my place on the cross for my sin. He rose to a jaw-dropping new life that I don’t deserve. Dudes who tuck their shirts in use terms like “penal substitutionary atonement” and “imputed righteousness.” The bottom line is that Jesus did good works to save you and me. Let’s trust in what He did. We’re not saved BY our good works. But we are saved TO good works (Eph 2:8-10). Think of it this way. God doesn’t need your good works, but your neighbor does. So when the call comes in, let’s roll as spiritual first responders.

Paul instructs Titus that we must be trained in what to do “to help in cases of urgent need” (v14). There are certain extreme situations that require top priority. They are critical. They need immediate attention. Maybe it’s a cancer diagnosis. Runaway child. Overdose. Trip to the ER. Fired from work. Divorce. When you can be there in person, BE THERE IN PERSON! Texts are okay. Phone calls can be important. But when I can show up and dive into the situation with the one in trouble, I REALLY need to make that happen. Let’s face it, that’s exactly what Jesus did for us. He rolled. He responded. He came to our rescue in Person. As spiritual first responders we need to be in constant training to know what to do. We don’t have to heal or fix or restore anything. But we can make sure that we point to the One who can. 

When the call comes in, let’s roll as spiritual first responders.

Jesus and Lawyer Jokes

“Do your best to speed Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way; see that they lack nothing” (Titus 3:13).

“Did you hear the one about the lawyer who..?” Everybody knows a lawyer joke. There’s one about Satan complaining to God about people throwing him under the bus even when he had nothing to do with their problems. “People argue, fight, cheat, swindle, yet I get blamed. Isn’t there something You could do?” asked the devil. And so God created lawyers. Okay, that’s nowhere in the Bible (I don’t it’s in there, but we probably ought to check). Lawyers have a terrible reputation. Ambulance chasers. Most folks don’t trust them until they need them. They’re the butt of a million jokes. But Jesus died for them too. Don’t believe me? A friend of Paul and key member of Titus’ team is Zenas the attorney. 

We’re in the final lines of Paul’s letter to his protege Titus. The apostle has left Big T on the island of Crete to appoint leaders (Titus 1:5), shut down false teachers (Titus 1:10-11), and establish a system of educating folks about what it means to follow Jesus (Titus 2:1-10). There’s a lot to get done after the Gospel turns a place upside down. But Titus isn’t flying solo. Zenas and Apollos have his back. There’s also a pretty chance that this dynamic duo of discipleship also delivered this letter to the Big T. As this phase of the mission wraps up, reinforcements are on the way. Artemas and Tychicus will be there before you know it (Titus 3:12). At that point, Titus will pack up and hit the road to hang out with Paul in Nicopolis for the winter. But before he does, there’s something very important left to do. “Do your best to speed Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way; see that they lack nothing” (v13). Make sure that the Z-man and the A Bomb are locked and loaded for their launch. 

The apostle tells Titus to do his dead level best and give these guys everything they need for their next mission. The phrase “do your best” is the Greek adverb spoudiaos, which is closely related to the verb in the previous verse. It means urgently, as quickly as possible, earnestly. The term emphasizes the urgency of a request. He’s to do everything he can “to speed” them on the next leg of their journey for Jesus. Paul uses the verb propempo, which means to send forward, to move someone in the direction they had already been headed while providing help. The term literally means thrust forward. Give them a boost. Give them a proper launch and liftoff. 

Before they roll out, Titus is to serve them by making sure “that they lack nothing” (v13). They need supplies for their journey. You know what it means to travel. When you have friends getting ready for the road, what do they need? Zenas and Apollos weren’t exactly loading up the minivan for a trip to DisneyWorld. They were hopping aboard a ship to sail to their next mission on the Mediterranean rim. They need food. They need money. They need prayer. They need encouragement. They need to know how God used them in a critical way during their time on Crete. When our friends and family walk out the door, let’s make sure “they lack nothing” (v13). 

So just who are these two dudes? The first is “Zenas the lawyer” (v13). This is the only time he’s mentioned in the New Testament. It’s a Greek name, so chances are the Z-man isn’t Jewish. That helps us understand just what kind of an attorney he is. Come on, be honest. When you first read his job description here, did a shiver go up your spine? A lawyer? A CHRISTIAN lawyer?!? The word “lawyer” (Gr. nomikos) literally means “of the law.” It describes one who is an expert in legal matters. If he is Jewish, this could mean Zenas is somebody who who teaches and interprets the Mosaic law. But as a non-Jew, it’s a pretty good bet he’s a civil attorney. This is a reminder that Jesus invites anybody and everybody to be a part of God’s kingdom. There are plenty of poor and disenfranchised people who’ve placed their faith in Christ. There are working stiffs and middle class folks who follow Jesus. And there are also white collar professionals like Dr. Luke and Zenas the lawyer. Remember, the ground is level at the foot of the cross. God saves lawyers too. And that’s no joke. 

This legal eagle doesn’t fly alone. His traveling partner is none other than the one and only Apollos. He’s a Jewish Christian from Alexandria in Egypt. He first became follower of Jesus after first being a disciple of John the Dunker (Acts 18:24-28). The A Bomb is an outstanding speaker and Bible teacher who “taught accurately the things concerning Jesus” (Acts 18:25). Luke recalls the time Apollos “powerfully refuted the Jews in public, showing by the Scriptures that the Christ was Jesus” (Acts 18:28). He eventually became somewhat of a celebrity and even had his own cult following in Corinth (1Cor 1:11-12; 3:4). You can imagine that this a pretty formidable pair when teamed up for the cause of Christ.

A couple of thoughts about this seemingly insignificant little verse. We’re to look out for folks who lay it all on the line to tell others about Jesus. Look for ways to give them what they need. Look for ways to give them a boost. Whether that means food, supplies, transportation, money, or whatever the situation, we need to do our best to see that they lack nothing. It’s a great reminder that we don’t serve in a vacuum. We’re part of a bigger team that’s telling the world the Good News. There are no High Plains Drifters for Jesus. There are no lone gunmen. We’re members of the Body of Christ. No one flies solo. And finally, there’s no one beyond Jesus’ ability to save. Not you. Not me. Not even Zenas the lawyer. We can’t out-sin Christ’s saving power. Jesus is a much better Savior than I am a sinner. 

Did you hear the one about Jesus and the lawyer? It’s no joke.

Help on the Way

“When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there” (Titus 3:12).

Deadlines are important. Knowing you have limited time on the clock to wrap up your assignment is a huge motivator. Without a date is circled on the calendar, there’s no urgency. Once the target date is established, stuff gets real. Paul writes to Titus that he has a limited amount of time left to wrap things up on Crete. Reinforcements are coming. Help is on the way. 

This the perfect time to review Titus’ to-do list. The Apostle Paul has left his protege on the Mediterranean island with a very specific three-point plan in the wake of the Gospel’s impact on the people there. One, put elders in all of the churches to fill the leadership vacuum (Titus 1:5). Two, put a stop to a posse of false teachers that are stirring up trouble for these new believers (Titus 1:10-11). Three, put in place a self-sustaining system to teach people what it means to follow Jesus (Titus 2:1-10). That’s some serious stuff to get done. And that’s only going to get done because God is behind it all. Now we see that Titus doesn’t have the next few years to get things done. He needs to wrap up his assignment by the time Artemas or Tychicus hit town. Help is on the way.

Paul promises to send one of two dudes to Crete for the next phase of this operation. Either Artemas or Tychicus will be there before you know it. So just who are these guys? We really don’t much about Art. This is the only time his name shows up in the New Testament. Some folks think he might have become the bishop of Lystra in modern day Turkey. But we really can’t be sure. What we do know is that the man from Tarsus had tremendous confidence in Art to take the baton from Titus and keep running. 

We’ve got a much more complete scouting report on Tychicus. This guy is a biblical beast (in a good way!). Paul gives him props as “the beloved brother and faithful minister in the Lord” (Eph 6:21), as well as a “fellow servant” (Col 4:7). Dr. Luke lets us know that Mr. T is from Asia (modern day Turkey) and was buddies with another believer named Trophimus (Acts 20:4). Paul handpicked him to be part of the team responsible for delivering the relief money from various churches back to Jesus’ followers under persecution in Jerusalem. Tychicus clearly proved himself to be somebody the apostle could count on to deliver. As matter of fact, he was the courier for at least three of Paul’s letters to Ephesus, Colossae, and his buddy Philemon. Just before Paul died, the apostle sent Tychicus on at least one other important mission to Dalmatia, which is a region in Croatia (2Tim 4:12). Let’s call him the Mail Man. Tychicus always delivers. 

This is a HUGE reminder that we don’t serve Jesus in a vacuum. There are no Lone Rangers in His kingdom. I don’t have to do it all by myself. Ministry is a team sport. Everybody plays a part. Everybody has a role. Even the Apostle Paul was no solo artist. His team included such studs as Titus, Artemas, and Tychicus. Who’s on your team? Who can you count on? Who can count on you? When we’re part of a team, we can count on others to have our back. We can count on others to come alongside. When we’re not flying solo, we can be sure that help is on the way.

Once reinforcements hit the beach on Crete, Titus is hit the road. Paul encourages the Big T to “do your best to come to me in Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there” (v12). Titus isn’t to waste a moment once help arrives. The apostle commands him using the Greek verb spoudazo. It means to make every effort and hurry to do something. It’s the idea of doing something in a hurry and giving it everything you’ve got. For you fans of the classic Star Trek, think of Captain Kirk begging Scotty for every ounce of power from the Enterprise’s engines right now. The chief of engineering would respond, “I’m giving her all she’s got, Captain!” Paul tells Titus to give it all he’s got and get to Nicopolis. Spare no effort. Put the pedal to the metal. Make it priority one. Apparently Paul needs reinforcements. He knows that help is on the way.

The apostle is settling in to ride out the winter in Nicopolis. This is a port city on the west coast of Achaia, what we now call Greece. It’s about 450 miles northwest of Crete. This isn’t like grandma and grandpa packing up to spend a few months in Florida. Paul knows that this is a very strategic location for upcoming missions to telling the world about Jesus. From Nicopolis, several European locations are within easy reach, including the Dalmatian coast. That’s where we later will find Tychicus in Paul’s final days (2Tim 4:7). But that will happen once Titus meets up with the apostle again. That’s what will happen once help arrives.

Self-Inflicted Wounds

“knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned” (Titus 3:11)

My biggest enemy is the dude in the mirror. Oh sure, the devil and his demonic toadies are doing their satanic thing. The fallen world always seems to be tapping my shoulder and inviting to forget this “Jesus thing” and come out to play. But my toughest opponent stares back at me every morning when I shave. That’s why it’s so frustrating to know that my sin and rebellion is nobody’s fault but my own. I do it to myself. Sin is a self-inflicted wound. Here in his instructions to Titus, the Apostle Paul says that false teachers are actually their own worst enemy. The Big T shouldn’t blame himself when he gives them the boot from the church. These troublemakers have been warned, not once, but twice (Titus 3:10). They knew the consequences. They threw themselves out. Getting kicked tossed for stirring up trouble is a self-inflicted wound.

One of the front burner issues on the island of Crete is a posse of pesky false teachers (Titus 1:10-11). They are causing a ton of trouble for all the new believers. They’re spiritual con artists that use all sorts of smoke and mirrors to twist Jesus’ message and stir up trouble. After warning the followers of Christ to not get drawn into ridiculous theological fights over things that just don’t matter (Titus 3:9), Paul tells Titus that it’s “three strikes and you’re out.” He’s to make it absolutely clear to these knuckleheads that they need to shut it down and shut it down NOW. He’ll warn them once. He’ll warn them twice. But if they do it a third time, they are gone, goodbye. Once they know it’s wrong, they’re making their own choice. See what I mean about a self-inflicted wound?

We see that these troublemakers are “warped” (v11). The man from Tarsus uses the Greek verb ekstrepho, which means to be turned inside out, perverted, corrupted, turned and twisted. They’ve flipped and then flopped. And they’re “sinful” (v11). Let’s do a quick refresher course on the definition of sin. It’s our deliberate disobedience of God. We don’t just sin by commission. We sin by omission. We don’t do what we know is right. And we even sin when we do the right thing for the wrong reasons. 

We’re all sinners from the very beginning (Rom 3:10-11, 23). That’s not who Paul is talking about. He’s warning Titus about folks who have seemingly repented from their sin and then spun back around putting Jesus in their rearview mirror. They haven’t done a 180 but a 360. They are back where they started from. So the question is: Did they lose their salvation? I thought “once saved, always saved.” A better way of understanding the situation is that they never really repented in the first place. Think “IF saved, always saved.” This rebel has spun all the back around. Now THAT’S twisted! THAT’S warped! The big dance number in “The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is “The Time Warp.” It’s just a jump to the left and a step to the right. To do the Sin Warp, you spin all the way around. You’re headed the same way you always were. Toward self. Toward sin. Away from Jesus. That’s the dance these troublemaking false teachers are doing.

As a result doing the Sin Warp, these spiritual con artists are “self-condemned” (v11). Paul digs deep into his bag of vocabulary tricks and pulls out autokatakritos. This is a triple compound word that only shows up in the New Testament. The apostle combines not one, not two, but three words. A sort of Triple Lindy of Koine Greek. It means to pass judgment (-krino-) against (kata-) yourself (auto-). It paints a picture of a person who demonstrates by his own actions that he is wrong or guilty. They are self-doomed. They are self-damned. They have nobody to blame but themselves. When we know what to do, have been given a clear warning and correction, and still do it, we’re autokatakritos. We’ve made our own bed and now have to sleep in it. We’ve done it to ourselves. And in the case of the false teachers, they’ve done it to themselves. They’ve gotten themselves kicked out.

This is a self-inflicted wound.

Three Strikes and You're Out!

“As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once then twice, have nothing more to do with him” (Titus 3:10).

Some baseball players are great two-strike hitters. Just when it seems like the pitcher has them right where he wants them, these dudes are at their best. There’s something about being down to their last strike that gets them going. Instead of walking back to the dugout with a K on the scorecard, these guys are standing on second after scorching a double to the gap. This is not the kind of two-strike hitters Paul is talking about to his protege Titus. When it comes to dealing with folks clearly stirring up trouble and division within the local church, they get two warnings. If it happens a third time, you’re outta here. It’s three strikes and you’re out! 

You might remember that one of the items on Titus’ checklist is shutting down a pesky posse of false teachers (Titus 1:10-11). These knuckleheads aren’t just instigating problems for new believers, they’re padding their bank accounts in the process. They’re using all sorts of spiritual slight of hand to confuse and frustrate folks from following Jesus. And it sure looks like these con artists are using “foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law” (Titus 3:9) to keep people from the main idea of a relationship with Christ. After teaching believers not to get drawn into their smoke and mirrors, Titus is to turn his attention to the troublemakers. Warn them once. Warn them twice. If they do it again, kick ’em to the curb.

The apostle describes one of these knuckleheads as a “person who stirs up division” (v10). The Greek word here is hairetikos, which paints an ugly portrait of one loyal to a separatist group, or a person who causes factions. It’s the schemer who’s looking to tear apart and divide. This is actually where we get our term heretic. These false teachers are using every trick in their heretical bag of tricks to tear churches and believers apart. These goobers are still pulling the same crap 2,000 years later. False teachers and troublemakers are stirring the pot today. They divide small groups. They separate ministries. They split churches. They look for areas of weakness and use it tear us apart. They encourage folks to take sides. They attempt to divide and in order to conquer.

Let me be very clear about who I’m NOT talking about. I’m not talking about people who have honest questions and legitimate doubts about following Jesus. Can we all admit that every last one of us scratches our head about some part of our faith? Nobody has it all in one bag with a twist tie. Nobody has it down pat. We all have questions. We all have doubts. At some point, we all need to take our questions and lack of faith to Jesus, just like the father of the sick boy in the Book of Mark. “I believe; help my unbelief!” (Mk 9:24). We should let our questions drive us closer to the truth and closer to Jesus. 

Take a look around. Are their folks tearing others apart in your church? In your community group? In your area of service? Now let me ask an even harder question. Is that you? Is it me? Am I part of the problem? Am I a divider? Am I a troublemaker? Solomon made it clear that God’s Most Hated list includes seven things, including “one who sows discord among brothers” (Prov 6:16-19). I don’t know about you, but that’s one list I don’t want my name anywhere near. 

That’s exactly the opposite of what Jesus wants for His church. Instead of division, He wants unity. On the night before His execution, Christ pleaded with His Dad “that they may be one, even as we are one” (Jn 17:11). Our Savior didn’t just pray for His personal posse of disciples, but for you and me. He prayed that believers “may all be one, just as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You have sent Me” (Jn 17:20-21). In other words, our unity will be key in convincing the watching world that Jesus is EXACTLY who He said He is. So instead of division, our unity leads to multiplication. 

Paul tells Titus that once troublemakers are identified, they must be cautioned firmly and strongly. He’s to go to any agitator, “warning him once and then twice” (v10). The apostle drops the word nouthesia here. He’s talking about corrective teaching, an admonition, instruction in regard to belief or behavior, or advise given concerning dangerous consequences. When people are causing division among God’s people, friends need to step up. Leaders need to step in. Someone in authority under the authority of Scripture has to speak the truth in love. They need to know what they’re doing. Hey, maybe they have no clue the damage they’re causing. To keep silent is incredibly unloving to all involved, including the one causing trouble. Think of this as a yellow card in soccer. Think umpires warning both benches after a bean ball. The Big T is put a stop to it their shenanigans right here and right now. Be VERY clear about the consequences if they continue. These rabble rousers have the chance to stop and repent. Strike one. They even get a second chance just in case they slip up. Strike two.

But what happens the third time? What happens when they mess up just once more? Simple, says Paul, “have nothing more to do with him” (v10). After they’ve been warned not once, but twice, there’s really no choice. The troublemakers made the decision for leaders at this point. They know what they’re doing wrong and they know the consequences. Once they swing and miss for strike three, they are gone. Now my first response to such action is probably “good riddance to bad rubbish.” That’s exactly how I should NOT react. This is an absolutely heartbreaking situation. No doubt, people will be hurt. No doubt, some people will not understand. Leaders must do everything they can during the first two strikes to both convince these troublemakers to stop and explain to the church exactly what’s going on. Pray that it never comes to this. But when it does, the Bible is clear. They’ve gotta go.

Three strikes and you’re out!

Spiritual Smoke and Mirrors

“But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless” (Titus 3:9).

I can be such a sucker. I’m an easy mark for folks looking to fool others. Movies. Books. Magic. I’m a puppet when people pull out the smoke and mirrors. Before I realize what’s going on, they’ve sucked me in like a patsy. Here in his instructions to Titus, the Apostle Paul tells us not to be a sap when it comes to arguments that don’t really matter in the long run. “But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissension, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless” (v9). Don’t be a sucker. Don’t be a sap. Don’t get distracted with foolish disputes. 

Don’t fall for spiritual smoke and mirrors.

Paul has left our boy Titus on the island of Crete with three very specific things to do. First, put leaders in place in all the new churches (Titus 1:5). Second, pull the plug on a posse of false teachers who are distracting folks from following Jesus (Titus 1:10-11). Third, establish a self-replicating system of discipleship to encourage new believers to dive into the deep end of the pool in their relationship with Christ (Titus 2:1-10). And here as he lands the plane of his little letter, the apostle takes another bombing run at those spiritual hucksters. He gives us a little glimpse of what they have in their bag of tricks. 

Before we get to their specific tactics, we’re warned to stay away from these con artists and their schemes altogether. We must “avoid” them. This is the Greek verb peri’istemi. It describes how to stay clear of something, keep aloof from what’s going down, stand back, and even shun. These arguments are like hand grenades rolling around with the pin pulled out. They’re going to go off and somebody’s going to get hurt. Paul uses the very same word when he tells his buddy Timothy, “Avoid (Gr. peri’istemi) irreverent babble, for it will lead people into more and more ungodliness” (2Tim 2:16). This bomb is gonna blow! Avoid it. Get back. Get WAY back! We need to walk away.

Paul tells us not to take the bait of the false teachers (Titus 1:10-11). These dudes are like those athletes that talk smack and play dirty. They try to get your head. They try to get you to lose your cool. They try to get you off your game. They never stop yapping. They’re always looking for a cheap shot when the ref is not looking. The false teachers use all sorts of dirty tricks to get followers of Jesus off their game. “Foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law” (v9). We’re not exactly sure what these specific controversies might be. We don’t really know which black sheep of the family are being put on display (I mean, have you seen some of the knuckleheads in Jesus’ family?!?). And spiritual snake oil salesmen are still up to their same old crap today. They’re still trying to get you and me off our game. They’re still trying to distract us from following Jesus. They’re still trying to fool us into not helping others. Don’t let them get in your head.

One of their tactics is to use “quarrels about the law” (v9). How many times have you heard folks tempting you into a discussion about following God’s rules? Which laws should we follow? The Ten Commandments? The Law of Moses (I mean, have you REALLY read Leviticus?)? The teaching of Jesus? The Sermon the Mount (am I REALLy supposed to saw off my own arm if it causes me to sin)? Here’s what we need to remember. Jesus kept the law so we don’t have to. He said Himself that He didn’t come to abolish the law but to keep it for us (Mt 5:17). Over and over again, Paul made it clear that when we love God and love others, we’re keeping ALL of the law (Rom 13:8, 10; Gal 5:14)! Be a lover, not a fighter. 

Don’t fall for their spiritual smoke and mirrors.

In the end, these arguments and debates are a total waste of time. They’re “unprofitable and worthless” (v9). This is exactly the opposite of being a blessing to others which Paul has just told us is “excellent and profitable” (Titus 3:8). These arguments are futile, useless, and ultimately harmful. If we’re spending all of our time tangled up with these knuckleheads, we’re not able to do the stuff that really benefits others in the name of Christ. Are we going to stand around and squabble or roll up our sleeves and get busy helping people? Are we just going to lock horns over meaningless garbage or shine the light of Jesus’ love to those around us? The apostle has already told us to stop trolling for a fight and play nice (Titus 3:2). Remember to keep the main thing the main thing. Don’t let the false teachers distract you off your game. Don’t be a sucker. 

Don’t fall for their spiritual smoke and mirrors.

God Doesn't Need My Good Works

“The saying is trustworthy, and I want you to insist on these things, so that those who have believed in God may be careful to devote themselves to good works. These things are excellent and profitable for people” (Titus 3:8).

I have the attention span of a gnat. I’m one of those brightest-light-in-the-room kinda guys. My mind jumps from one thing to the next so fast that it gets whiplash. It’s frustrating when my prayers go something like this. “Oh, Lord Jesus…Look! A Bird!” Here in his letter to Titus, our man Paul tells the Big T to cut out the distractions and focus on being God’s blessing to the people around them. I’m to rein in my brain and think of ways to shine His light and spread His salt. Good works. They’re good for you, good for me, and good for them. Tullian Tchividjian is absolutely right. God may not need my good works, but my neighbors do.

The apostle has spent the past few verses trying to explain the mind-bending mystery of salvation. God rescues us when we could never even think of rescuing ourselves. Before Jesus pulled us out of the dumpster fire that we ignited, we were fools, rebels, dupes, addicts, bullies, and haters (Titus 3:3). I’m glad it wasn’t up to me. If I took one look at that hot mess of humanity, we really weren’t worth the trouble of saving. But that’s when Jesus did His divine swan dive from the palace of heaven into cesspool of sin to save us. Chew on that for just a minute.

We don’t do good works to build up our resume to get saved. Paul has already pounded the table over that point. “He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness” (Titus 3:5). Instead of doing good works to get saved, we do good works once we’re saved. Our good works are an act of worship for what Jesus has done for us. They are not the price of admission into His kingdom. They are not the means that we stay there either. The only good works involved with our rescue is what Christ did for us that we could never do for ourselves. That’s why He screamed “It is finished!” (Jn 20:30). There’s nothing left to play. There’s nothing more to do. As the old hymn goes, “Jesus paid it all.” While we don’t work our way into being saved and staying saved, we do good works as a way of saying “thank You” to our Savior. God’s Word goes on to say that we’re all masterpieces of Jesus “for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Eph 2:10). That’s because God may not need my good works, but my neighbors do.

Back in his letter to Titus, Paul makes his point by writing, “The saying is trustworthy” (v8). Paul loved using this little phrase to put his apostolic stamp of approval on something. He drops it four other times in letters to his buddy Timothy (1Tim 1:15; 3:1; 4:9; 2Tim 1:11). The man from Tarsus talking here about what he’s just written in verses 4 through 7. A quick recap. Our good God stepped into the spotlight when Jesus took center stage during His incarnation. He came to our rescue, not because we deserved it, but because His heart broke for you and me. All three members of the Trinity teamed up to save us: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit. Jesus drenched us in His Spirit to regenerate and renew us. Despite our obvious guilt, He declares us to be completely obedient as an act of overwhelming and undeserved goodness. We go from defendant to an heir of eternal life. THAT’S something you can trust! THAT’S something you can take to the bank!

So now that He’s rescued us, what do we do now? To paraphrase the great theologian Hulk Hogan, “Whatcha gonna do when God’s grace runs wild on you?!?!?” Well, listen up, all you little Hulkamaniacs. Paul pumps up the Big T to make a big point to God’s people about doing good stuff. Once we place their trust in the good work Jesus has done for us, we’re to preoccupy ourselves with doing good deeds for others. The apostle says believers should “devote themselves to good works” (v8). He uses the Greek verb phrontizo, which means to be concerned about something, fixate, and let your mind dwell on a topic. It literally means to rein in your brain and force it to focus on particular idea. After following Jesus, let’s focus like a laser on reaching out and helping others. We should always be thinking up ways to spread His salt and shine His light. Let’s be creative in what we can do. 

I need the reminder to focus. I need the encouragement to keep my head in the game. Good deeds are very important. While they certainly don't have any impact on my salvation. But God may use them to reach others around me. 

God may not need my good works, but my neighbors do.