sustaining words

The Lord GOD has given me

the tongue of those who are taught,

that I may know how to sustain with a word

him who is weary.

Isaiah 50:4a

This is a prophetic description of the comforting power of the words of Jesus. Jesus knew the Word of God intimately as the very living Word. And His words are permeating, powerful, and sustaining. He breaks through all the worst that we experience in order to teach us what God is doing in His grace, comforting us in His presence. This is something only Jesus does.

When I read the gospels, it isn’t that the red letter words of Jesus are somehow magical, but rather, that they are ring with a certain compelling authority. They arrest my attention. They cause me to refocus. They have to power to uniquely change my thinking. They are the Word of God, the words of my Savior and are so very dear for that reason.

Jesus knew this. And that is why His invitation for all the weary to come to Him and find rest is so compelling. He offers truth that is easier than the lies all around us. He offers true relationship that is lighter than the burdens of this life that drag us down. This for me is especially seen in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7. When I read Jesus’ words there I am always captivated by how simple a series of messages can penetrate so deeply into my soul to change my thinking at the deepest levels in so many ways. Every portion of Jesus’ preaching is sustaining. It is amazing!

“Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know that You are the Holy One of God.”

John 6:68-69

Fool’s Provocation

A stone is heavy, and sand is weighty,

but a fool's provocation is heavier than both.

Proverbs 27:3

Heavy words fall

from lazy lips that

did not recall

better ways to say it

so trouble began

Heavy emotions wound

the soul is hurt

a life entombed

by hard feelings

for foolishness was unrestrained

Fools do not consider

Fools blurt it out

Fools confuse raw sinfulness

for honesty,

think saying immediately

is what is best

and heavy pain prevails

Wise words wait

for the right time

there is restraint

and better ways are found to say it

turning difficulties to solutions

Wise motivations heal

souls that hurt

grace will feel

better than sad feelings

for wisdom was allowed to reign

Wise people think it over

Wise people withhold judgment

they restrain selfishness

for God’s pure word

Discretion speaks sparingly

trusts God’s truth

and hearts now lifted can sail.

once for all

But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting from that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet.

Hebrews 10:12-13

Jesus gave Himself as the perfect sacrifice. This was the will of God for our salvation. “And by that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all” (Hebrews 10:10). In that single sacrifice all sin, of all people, for all time, has been satisfied before the Father. There is no greater sacrifice. There is no greater gift. And once for all even as Jesus said it, “It is finished.”

The enormous love of God in this offering of His Son cannot be missed. The wrath of God now satisfied in the completed work of His Son must be fearfully accepted. The grace of God in providing the complete atoning sacrifice of His Son is warmly received by repentant sinners. Once for all, Jesus has done it!

I just remembered an old Baptist hymnal standard I haven’t heard sung in church in decades:

Free from the law, O happy condition

Jesus has bled, and there is remission

Cursed by the law and bruised by the fall,

Grace has redeemed us, once for all

Now we are free, there’s no condemnation

Jesus provides a perfect salvation

“Come unto me”, O hear His sweet call

Come, for He saves us once for all

“Children of God”, O glorious calling

Surely His grace will keep us from falling

Passing from death to life at His call

Blessed salvation once for all

Once for all, O sinner, receive it

Once for all, O friend, now believe it;

Cling to the cross, the burden will fall

Christ has redeemed us, once for all.

The Servant Songs

Behold my servant, whom I uphold,

my chosen, in whom my soul delights;

I have put my Spirit upon him;

he will bring forth justice to the nations.

Isaiah 42:1

There are four “Servant Songs” in the book of Isaiah. All of them are Messianic. All of them are fulfilled in Jesus Christ. In this first one (Isaiah 42:1-9), Jesus is the One Who brings justice to all the peoples of the earth (Isaiah 42:1, 3, 4). He will faithfully support those battered and abused (Isaiah 42:3). He will bring sight to the blind and release prisoners bound in dark dungeons (Isaiah 42:7). This will release a totally new work of God’s grace upon humanity (Isaiah 42:9).

The first song shows the Servant in whom God delights (Isaiah 42:1). The Father is well-pleased with the work of His Servant Son, a fact testified to in several gospel accounts.

The second song shows the Servant in His success (Isaiah 49:1-13). This is Jesus in His redeeming work both for Israel and the Gentiles. In Christ, Israel and the Gentiles are brought together as one (Ephesians 2:11-18).

The third song (Isaiah 50:4-11) contrasts an obedient Servant with a sinful people. It sees both a persecuted and a vindicated Messiah. Jesus is this suffering Servant, obedient to death on a cross (Philippians 2:8).

The final servant song is the most dramatic, epically describing Jesus in all His suffering and eventual triumph (Isaiah 52:13-53:12). The violent descriptions fit perfectly with the gospel narratives of Jesus’ scourging and crucifixion. And the victory of this song is known forever in the resurrection of our Lord. There are at least eight specific fulfillments of the final Servant Song shown in the New Testament as literally known in Jesus.

The Servant is our Savior, our suffering Servant, our victorious Servant, our conquering King, and the only hope for God’s rule over all the people of all the earth!

Kindness Paradox

If your enemy is hungry, give him bread to eat,

and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink,

for you will heap burning coals on his head,

and the LORD will reward you.

Proverbs 25:21-22

When wronged

I want to strike back

when hurt

I want to attack

when I see the chance

to humiliate

I automatically want

to retaliate

But hungry enemies

are to be fed

thirsty foes

given water instead

for in so doing

they may feel shame

and in regret

may call on God’s name

The hope

in doing this good

even to enemies

if I would

is that Jesus is known

in actions I take

and repentance grows

for their sake

Trust what you know about God.

And Hezekiah prayed to the LORD: “O LORD of hosts, God of Israel, enthroned above the cherubim, you are the God, you alone, of all the kingdoms of the earth; you have made heaven and earth.” 

Isaiah 37:15-16

Hezekiah believed God was greater than the most powerful threat that Jerusalem faced. The empire of Assyria was brutal. The reputation of Assyria was efficient warfare, brutal treatment of all captive enemies, capture of leaders and public torture and execution, destruction of a conquered foe’s religion and culture, and complete assimilation of the territories and people of their conquest. And the king of Assyria himself had made the threat to destroy Judah.

Hezekiah’s first instinct as king was to take Sennacherib’s letter that threatened God’s people with total destruction and sought the surrender of Jerusalem, and to head to God’s temple, there to literally lay it all out before the Lord in worshipful prayer. Hezekiah trusted what he knew about God more than what he knew about Assyria. And his prayer of faith was honored because of this.

Hezekiah prayed to the mighty warrior God… the LORD of angel armies Who commanded the hosts of heaven. This was Israel’s God… in covenant with His people. This was the God enthroned above all heaven and earth. This was THE God over not only Israel, but over all the kingdoms of the earth. This was the Creator God Who made everything there is by His own powerful word. One king of one nation was nothing in comparison to the God that Hezekiah knew!

Faith asked God to keep true to Himself. Faith trusted God to be all that was in keeping with His character. Faith knew God would be faithful to His Word. Faith believed the Word of God. Faith prayed in confidence, knowing Who God is. And that same faith should guide my prayers even now, for God is still all these things. He is the Creator, Jesus is Lord over all the earth, and my King rules the nations! That is true right now, in what sometimes feels like upheaval culturally and politically, and it is true always.

ransomed and redeemed

And the ransomed of the LORD shall return

and come to Zion with singing;

everlasting joy shall be upon their heads;

they shall obtain gladness and joy,

and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

Isaiah 35:10

These are the people God has redeemed (Isaiah 35:9) and ransomed. They are led back to Zion, the holy mountain of God’s temple, in a parade of worship along a highway in the desert named “The Way of Holiness” (Isaiah 35:8). The picture is like a second exodus for Israel, coming this time from exile to return forever to the Promised Land and to worship Yahweh after being scattered among the gentiles. The promise of being a people redeemed (bought back by their true Master from a land of slavery) by God should not be overlooked. It is the same language God used to describe Israel when He promised them deliverance from Egypt in Exodus 6:6. This is a loving prophecy of salvation, restoration, and joyful recovery rooted in God’s covenant with Israel.

And when God does the saving, those He has redeemed rejoice. Worship erupts! Even as those delivered saints return up a highway built be God, they sing and shout with joy. Past sorrows are dismissed as a new joy fills their redeemed lives. This is a picture of a people feeling the joy and security of their God-given salvation. And the statement that it is an everlasting joy is prophetic. There is a time still coming for this promise to be fully complete. God has promised a joy that can never be taken away… in a certain future yet to come where sorrow and sighing no longer exist.

Jesus,

You redeemed us. You are our ancient Redeemer. You delivered us from sin’s slavery. You lead us along the Way of Holiness to everlasting joy as we worship You. And one day as Messiah, King of Kings, You will rule Your outrageously joyous kingdom. You will banish death, pain, and sorrow. You are our gladness and all our joy!

Amen

wisdom in community

A wise man is full of strength,

and a man of knowledge enhances his might,

for by wise guidance you can wage your war,

and in abundance of counselors there is victory.

Proverbs 24:5-6

It is not good to live life in seclusion. A wise God wisely calls us to seek community with those who wish to know God’s wisdom. And that is what makes truly wise people. A wise man never goes it alone. Nobody is smart enough to figure out life by themselves. We need God’s wisdom. We need a community of counselors committed with us to seeking God’s leadership and wisdom.

As I reflect upon this proverb, I see that God has blessed me with that experience all my life. Through the ministry of the church, God has given me wise friends and mentors that have carried me through life and given my victory in many of my battles. Various teachers, church leaders, and good friends have been used by God to give me strength, knowledge, and guidance. Some were there for just a short season. Some have gone on to heaven. I have many still who have been available most of my life. And in that truth I am blessed.

Now I am in a life stage where for a couple of decades God has asked me to also counsel others. And as a person whose only life successes are because of the way that a wise God provided wise counselors, I recognize with seriousness the privilege of that calling and relationship with people. A wise God wisely lets me speak His wisdom (never really my own) into the lives of others. This strengthens Christians, instructs God’s people, gives guidance to fellow warriors, and allows us to experience life victories together. And I am grateful for God’s gracious provision of an abundance of counselors along life’s road.

You Decree

Now therefore do not scoff,

lest your bonds be made strong;

for I have heard a decree of destruction

from the Lord GOD of hosts against the whole land.

Isaiah 28:22

You decree destruction

and You have the power

to do all in that hour

for Your instruction

is both

     pleasant

     and frightening

You call for repentance

for only You can save

in mercy You can waive

those deserving consequence

for their

     sin

     and rebellion

You decree judgment

on those who scoff at Your Word

because You are Almighty Lord

all will happen as You meant

disbelief is both

     sinful

     and selfish

You decree salvation

for all who will believe Your Son

accepting His grace through what He’s done

in eternal celebration

finding both

     merciful Savior

     and mighty Lord

on that day

It will be said on that day,

“Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us.

This is the LORD; we have waited for him;

let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”

Isaiah 25:9

One of the features of the prophet Isaiah is the way in which the book delivers both powerful words of judgment and stirring pictures of hope. This section is obviously a hope portion. It comes after a lengthy and descriptive discourse on the Day of the Lord… a time of future final judgment on planet earth in which the globe is engulfed in the complete judgment of God on sinful people. Chapter 24 is the fiery, smoking, charred portrait of complete justice destroying what sin has done to the world. Yet in chapter 25 we see hope among righteous people who are also kept by God. After this judgment comes rejoicing. Following disaster comes delight in God.

This description of this delight is eternal. They are plans God has had all along for the world (Isaiah 25:1). All the survivors of the Day of the Lord are a righteous remnant who upon God’s mountain enjoy a rich feast of celebration (Isaiah 25:6). Death has ended forever, as has all sorrow and all tears (Isaiah 25:8) as a new heavens and earth remade perfectly are enjoyed. It is the world as it should be… a world humanity has always longed for… and it is God’s ultimate goal for all His creation. First must come the dreadful Day of the Lord in judgment, then will come the beautiful time of forever enjoying God’s salvation in a world that knows death and sorrow no more!

Lord God,

You give hope for all days yet to come. You will rule in judgment over sin. You will rule in joyous eternal life over Your people. And even though these current days are still looking to Your Day, I will wait, with both healthy fear for Your judgment, and cause for joy in Your salvation. For You, Lord Jesus, have been given all judgment and have suffered all God’s wrath for my sin. And You, Lord Jesus will rule as the Prince of Peace with Your people!

Amen

The Servant’s Leadership

For who is the greater, one who reclines at table or one who serves? Is it not the one who reclines at table? But I am among you as the one who serves.

Luke 22:27

Jesus gave this instruction in the Last Supper. He had just instituted His own memorial meal emphasizing His upcoming death on the cross. The Lord’s Table was created to keep all disciples well aware of what Jesus has done for us. At the end of this sharing and bread and wine in awareness of Jesus’ death for sin, Jesus also informed His disciples that one of them would betray Him. They disciples immediately defensively question each other over who that might be (Luke 22:23). Simultaneously they also began to argue about who among them was the greatest. I imagine each of them saying something like: “I won’t betray Jesus! I’m His greatest disciple!” It was pretty childish and totally insensitive to everything that had just happened. Jesus pauses to teach them once again.

Greatness comes not in authority, power, or ability, but in humility and service. In Jesus’ topsy-turkey kingdom, the servants are great. The irony is not lost on the disciples. All of them have reclined at this Passover table. Jesus has already been serving them when He washed their feet. Peter and John prepared this Passover (Luke 22:8-0), but it was Jesus Who was the servant all night already. He had just told them minutes earlier He would die and that communion was to be the means in which they centered regularly to humbly admit their need of salvation and remember His ultimate act of service. His example must motivate servant leadership among His people.

Lord Jesus,

To serve You and to serve others is to worship You. Help me keep my eyes on this truth. You have blessed me with a lifetime of learning to serve Your church. I’ve been blessed to serve a quarter century now this year at my current church home. Forgive me when I want acclaim. Forgive my selfish attitudes of being great. May I never claim to be entitled to any recognition or applause. You are the big deal in my life and I am content to be Your servant. Keep me humble. Keep me content in serving joyfully, busily, with humility for Your glory! You are the One Who serves Your church. I will serve You.

Amen

nations are nothing

The nations roar like the roaring of many waters,

but he will rebuke them, and they will flee far away,

chased like chaff on the mountains before the wind

and whirling dust before the storm.

Isaiah 17:13

The world of humanity puts its power and hope in the nations of the world. Geopolitical landscapes shift over time. Uprisings, wars, plagues, and disasters change the nations in the slow grind of history. The human nations that were the power players just decades ago have changed drastically. Over centuries nations rise and fall. World powers clash, briefly dominate, and then dwindle. Even those once heralded as bastions of liberty have fallen from their zenith, just like every other empire that has ebbed and flowed on the surface of the earth like some human ocean in humanity’s brief history. In God’s scale all nations are nothing.

In fact, no nation is truly a power when God is the controller of all human history! The waters may roar, but He controls their flow. He orders the destinies of all people. And even the most threatening of empires crumbles to whirling dust in God’s relentless storm. He blows away the chaff of mighty empires as He winnows His way through history. He chases away false pretentious civilizations showing that even the mightiest of human power is vulnerable and truly nothing compares to His rule. Not even the most threatening of militaries or impressive of economies can overcome God’s rule of His world.

As the nations rage, the King in heaven laughs (see Psalm 2). His rebuke silences the weak pipsqueak rulers of empires. He sends His wind to blow them away, even using other peoples to do so. His storm grinds monuments to dust. Only His rule as King of kings and Lord of lords will last forever.

Keeper of kings/King of Kings

Steadfast love and faithfulness preserve the king,

and by steadfast love his throne is upheld.

Proverbs 20:28

This proverb is meant to be a reminder to every king who ever sat upon Jerusalem’s throne that it was only the grace of God and faithfulness of the covenant that led him there. God was the true King over Israel. God faithfully kept covenant with His people, provided graciously all they needed, and established thrones and rulers. And kings who acknowledged this, worshiped Yahweh, and were faithful to God’s covenant were preserved by God. Their rule prospered. Their kingship thrived. Israel was kept in peace, not by human politics, but by divine decree.

And grace and faithfulness are now found in the kingdom of Christ where the true King now rules this world as Son of David and Son of God. Jesus showers us with steadfast love. Jesus is faithful in all things. We are called to receive His grace, find mercy, thrive in His faithful love, and in faith to follow Him submitting to His lordship. His throne is unfailing, His rule is best, His love is everlasting, and His hand provides all we now need. Jesus is the true and faithful King of grace!

Lord Jesus,

I bow to You. I yield to Your rule. I acknowledge Your kingship. I have pled Your mercy and receive Your grace. I know Your forgiveness and seek Your wisdom. I have followed You and will follow You. And You have kept me. You have led me. You have saved me. And all the earth will one day bow the knee to You and confess You are Lord to the glory of God the Father.

Amen

complete grace and justice

What will you do on the day of punishment,

in the ruin that will come from afar?

To whom will you flee for help,

and where will you leave your wealth?

Nothing remains but to crouch among the prisoners

or fall among the slain.

For all this his anger has not turned away,

and his hand is stretched out still.

Isaiah 10:3-4

God will judge sin on His timetable, in His way, with exactness and with perfect holiness. And it usually does not look as we imperfectly imagine. Longfellow’s poetry is quite observant: “Though the mills of God grind slowly, yet they grind exceeding small; Though with patience He stands waiting, with exactness grinds He all.” God is very patient in His mercy. He is also holy and has appointed His day and His means to bring His justice and judgment to bear.

The warning to errant Israel in Isaiah 10 is that when God does indeed bring Jerusalem down, it will be definitive. No sin will escape. No sinner will go unpunished. There will be two outcomes for all of the people: captivity as prisoners, or death. That is indeed a wheel grinding small and grinding all. God is as complete in judgment as He is in holiness. His justice goes to all just as His grace does. He is perfect in righteousness and perfect in punishment. We do well to remember both truths for a complete theology and a proper attitude of worship of God.

God is a God to be both loved and feared. He is to be respected, obeyed, worshiped, and adored. He is great in mercy and grace, forgiving all sin, providing redemption in Christ, and revealing His tender care for us. He is also holy and just and will not let us treat sin with less wrath than He does. And God will discipline His people who might slip into a diminished concept of Him with light views on the evil of sin. A relationship of balance believes and lives according to God grace and God’s justice.

Enthroned

In the year that King Uzziah died I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up; and the train of his robe filled the temple.

Isaiah 6:1

Enthroned sits the Lord

God over all

filling His temple

with awesome glory

On His throne, King of His world

God Almighty

Holy in His temple

adored

Above the throne, seraphim fly

worshiping God

shouting in His temple

“He is holy!”

Enthroned, sits my God

majestic and alone

smoke filling His home

shaking thresholds

On His throne a God to be feared

feeling unworthy

sinners shiver at the sight

shaking over iniquity

Enthroned a holy God

dispatches angels

with burning coal

to purge guilt

On His throne Almighty God

is bigger

more fearful than we know

yet atoning our sin

Enthroned and in control

God most Holy

purges sin and forgives

speaks to sinners in grace

On His throne sits the King

God over all

calling all to His temple

redeeming them for His glory

humbled by the Holy God

Man is humbled, and each one is brought low,

and the eyes of the haughty are brought low.

But the LORD of hosts is exalted in justice,

and the Holy God shows himself holy in righteousness.

Isaiah 5:15-16

God’s justice is perfect. And even though we may see earthly situations where proud humans seem to be able to defy God’s holiness now, rest assured that this will not stand. God will show Himself holy and righteous. God will judge sin, particularly those in defiance of Him. And when He does, people are clearly humbled. The proud are brought low. God is exalted. His perfect righteousness prevails. He will not let sin go unpunished.

Isaiah’s perspective prophesies to a rebellious people. Jerusalem will soon fall. The Jews will suffer for decades of defying God. The generations who have turned from God’s Law to worship idols will fall. The leaders who perpetuated this national rebellion will be disgraced. The structure built on idolatry, pride, and rejection of the covenant will collapse with nothing left. History shows this to be exactly what happened. God judged sin. God’s justice was exalted. God showed Himself holy and righteous in the destruction of sinful, societal structures and ending an idolatrous, selfish culture.

Man is humbled. We either humble ourselves in worship of God, accepting His means of salvation and trusting His Word, or we are humbled by His complete, grinding, relentless justice. The first humility leads to a pleasant experience of grace and glory. The humility of judgment leads to loss, regret, and ultimately a dark eternity of torment away from God.

Lord Jesus,

I thank You that You humbled Yourself and obeyed to death on a cross. And I, a humbled sinner, plead Your gracious gift to believe God’s judgment fell on You for me. And in my place condemned You stood… sealed my pardon with Your blood. May that gospel truth, the story of every Christian’s new life in You, be saving many even today who believe!

Amen

humbly hear it out

The one who states his case first seems right,

until the other comes and examines him.

Proverbs 18:17

Good friends and wise counselors will seek to hear all sides of a dispute before forming an opinion. I have experienced the truth of this proverb in every family counseling and marriage counseling situation I have ever faced as a pastor. And in 34 years of ministry there have been a LOT of them. It is crucial to hear things out and to not quickly form conclusive opinions. There are at least two sides to every conflict. And EVERY dispute is a dispute between sinners with unique personal twists, turns, and corruptions. It is impossible for one party to be completely without some fault in any matter for this simple reason: even when we are sinned against we tend to respond sinfully. The result is that change is needed on each side to some degree.

This is not only a true principle when dealing with others, but is is most true of my very own heart. My own conflicts are distorted by my own selfish sin nature. I have no doubt of this. It is why I need to be quick to examine my own motives in the light of God’s truth and the convicting power of the Holy Spirit. It is why I need the gospel applied most in my conflicts. It is why I must seek counsel and accountability with maturing Christians who will wisely apply Proverbs 18:17 to my own situation. It is why humility surrenders to peacemaking, not self-administered forms of incomplete warped justice.

Jesus,

You are the Great Mediator between God and humanity. And You give wisdom to help us, by the gospel, in repentance, confession, and forgiveness resolve our sins before God and our conflicts and wrongs with one another. Help me both to seek godly counsel in my own broken relationships, and to seek Your wisdom to listen well and point to Your mediating work when helping brothers and sisters find Your great peace.

Amen

pursuit of wisdom

The discerning sets his face toward wisdom,

but the eyes of a fool are on the ends of the earth.

Proverbs 17:24

Setting goals with a sense of driving purposes is an important life skill. And even the laziest person does it. The unambitious have a goal (personal comfort) and a drive to attain it (do as little as possible). The opposite end of the ambition spectrum also have a goal (many things can plug in here, among them are… success, fame, money, power) and a motivation (applause, material things, social media attention, pleasure), But this proverb gives us the best goal and the clearest motivation: The goal is wisdom led by discernment. Everything else will be foolishness.

As a Christian I am convinced that Jesus is the wisest person Who has ever lived. And pursuing a life committed to follow Him is a wise thing to do because in Him “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 1:26). If I am discerning (loving the right, rejecting the wrong, led by God’s Word) I will set my face toward Jesus and His wisdom and not look away. This is the best way to live. This is the great adventure of joyful wisdom, knowledge, understanding, and fulfillment. I will pour all this life, to the last drop, in that passionate pursuit.

caring like the Creator

Whoever mocks the poor insults his Maker;

he who is glad at calamity will not go unpunished.

Proverbs 17:5

It isn’t cool from heaven’s perspective to make fun of hurting people. It is a kind of arrogant bullying and it ultimately directs its insults at God. God’s Word says that such mockery will be punished by God. Why? Because God is Creator. God is in control. God is caring for the needs of the impoverished, the hurting, and the suffering, even when many in society might turn away. He is looking to use people like us to help them. To ridicule people made in God’s image is to insult the God of heaven. It will not be tolerated by God!

It follows then that God wants us to care as He does. He sees when we are concerned and reach out to help. Generosity with physical needs and sympathy with the suffering are the call to action here. If God punishes mockery and ridicule, it would follow that He will reward engagement, love, generosity, and advocacy for the neediest among us. We will care like God cares for His creation. We will incarnate the gospel by sharing Jesus as we help meet real needs. We will preach the redemptive love of Christ while simultaneously caring like Christ. We will thus honor our Creator. And God is pleased when we reflect His mercy and grace in our care.

generous gospel good works

And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful.

Titus 3:14

Something was going on for Paul in Nicopolis. This strategic port was a Roman capital and a bustling place for activity. It also had NO gospel witness and there was an urgent need for the gospel to advance. Paul was planning ministry there for a season. He wanted Titus to join him after receiving this letter (Titus 3:12). He was planning on spending the winter there rather than attempting further travel. There on the west coast of Greece, ministry was being strategized to continue advancing the gospel. Zenas the lawyer and the gifted speaker Apollos were apparently going to join with Titus and Paul (Titus 3:13). And effort would require commitment from the church for this dream team to form and do good work.

Paul enlists Titus to remind the church at Crete to join them with this effort. The devotion to “good works” spoken of here is probably a call for Christians to be generous in providing funds for Titus, Zenas, and Apollos to make the journey. It was also more than likely a request for the church to continue to join in the gospel expansion in Greece. It was Great Commission thinking for the congregation.

The gospel is commanded to go wide and deep. We must, as Christians, in very generation, preach the gospel to the ends of the earth. We must do good works along with this proclamation. We must invest our lives in the giving of time, abilities, resources, and money to make Jesus known. This is always the call. There is always need… because often the most difficult of circumstances (disasters, spiritual impoverishment, war zones, physical poverty, drought, or plague) call for the most Christlike compassion. And in those needs the gospel can thrive. In urgent need, we must be willing to do good works, sow generously, and cultivate kingdom fruitfulness.