Each year Highland holds an event we call “the best week of the year.” It’s Camp Highland. And each summer at Camp Highland many decide to be baptized. Last summer there was one baptism which stood out because of the enthusiasm of the one being baptized. It was the immersion of Jackson Cobb into Christ. Let’s watch this sacred celebration again:
Some of you have never taken the step of being baptized as a believer. I want to strongly encourage you to take that step.
Some of you have been baptized. How did you feel at that moment? On the count of three, shout out one word that describes how you felt the moment after your baptism. One, two, three…
Paul writes a powerful description of baptism in Titus 3. First, Paul reminds his readers on the island of Crete and us what we once were: 3 For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. (Titus 3:3 ESV) Paul’s not saying that every person reading his letter suffered from every one of these problems. But he is saying that every one of us has suffered from things like these. This is what we once were.
But God responded in an astounding way: 4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior. (Titus 3:4-6)
God, Paul writes, saved us “not because of works done by us in righteousness.” In other words, God saved us from lives that were not right before we ever got them right. Before we could get all the broken pieces back together, God saved us.
But what does that mean: God saved us? Paul spells it out this way: by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior.
First, “God saved us” means that he washed us. This is undoubtedly a reference to baptism. God washed us when we were baptized. He cleansed us from everything that was unclean in our lives.
But he did more than this. He also brought “regeneration” and “renewal.” In some ways these two words mean the same thing. But the first word, “regeneration” is particularly meaningful. This word is a combination of two Greek words. And those two words are these: “Genesis” + “again.” We could put it this way: re-genesis. There was a moment early in Genesis when everything was right. When nothing was wrong. And Paul says that what God did for us in our baptism is to enact a re-genesis project. God rebooted us. He restored us.
And Paul writes that God did this through the Holy Spirit whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior. That’s what happened when we were baptized. That’s what can happen to you when you are baptized.
CONNECTION AND LIFE CENTER ONLY
We want to celebrate that this morning as we take communion. As you eat this bread and drink this cup, I want you to think of one thing that Jesus has washed you from. If you’ve not been baptized, think of one thing Jesus could wash you from. And I want you to celebrate that this morning.
LIFE CENTER ONLY
To help you do that, we’re going to do communion in a slightly different way. Often we’ll have one person say a prayer, and then we’ll pass the bread. Then someone will say another prayer, and we’ll pass the juice. This morning, I’ll say a prayer. Then we will pray together through song. In these songs we’ll all pray together with joy for how Jesus has washed us. And as we are praying in song, the trays will be passed around without interruption between the bread and juice. First, I’ll pray:
CONNECTION ONLY
As you make your way to one of the communion stations this morning, you’ll see a white board with this sentence on it: “Jesus washed me of ___.” If you’re willing, write one word anywhere on that board that describes what Jesus washed you from. Then take the bread and the juice. First, I’ll pray:
CONNECTION AND LIFE CENTER ONLY
We give thanks today God, for your goodness and loving kindness symbolized in this bread and this juice. We give thanks today because you saved us, not because of works done by us, but according to your own mercy. We give thanks today because you washed us and did a re-genesis project within us. Thank you for pouring out your Spirit and salvation so richly through Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
That’s what we’ve been saved from. But what are we saved for? What are we supposed to do with the rest of our life until Jesus comes back?
In this same chapter where Paul writes about our baptism, he also writes about two contrasting ways that we can spend the rest of our lives; two ways of considering what we are saved for.
First, Paul points to one thing that is all-too-common among Christians yet which is not what God has saved us for: 9 But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. 10 As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, 11 knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned. (Titus 3:9-11 ESV)
We don’t know everything that’s going on behind these verses. What we do know is that some Christians have risen up within the churches. The words “law” and “genealogies” indicate that they have some kind of strict and perhaps legalistic Jewish background. And now they are dragging these churches into arguments and debates about fringe issues. They are demanding that people adhere to obscure rules and regulations that have nothing to do with the gospel. These Christians are labeling others and dividing the churches into camps.
And Paul writes passionately against this. He tells Titus to avoid these things. He tells Titus to warn these divisive Christians and then to cut them off.
Why? Because as Paul writes in v. 9, these things are “unprofitable and worthless.” This labeling and debating fringe issues doesn’t result in anything good.
We don’t have anything happening today that is exactly what was happening in the churches on the island of Crete. But we do have something related happening. We still have Christians and churches labeling others and dividing them into camps. We still have Christians and churches demanding that others adhere to obscure rules and regulations that have little to do with the gospel. We still have Christians and churches dragging others into debates about fringe issues.
For example, I recently surveyed some of my friends. I asked them to share one thing that they had witnessed churches arguing about or dividing over. Here’s what they shared:
A church where Christians fought over whether to put one cross or three crosses on their church sign.
A church that nearly split because communion was moved from before the sermon to after the sermon.
A church where Christians were up in arms over clapping in a worship service.
A church that feuded over whether to sing out of the red hymnal or the blue hymnal.
A church that demanded people only read from the King James Version of the Bible.
We see some of this in the Mid South. For example, a few years ago a local church printed a lengthy booklet identifying 10 characteristics which readers could use to tell which churches in the Mid South were no longer “true” churches. Included among the characteristics that identified false churches were “contemporary music,” “casual dress,” and “praise teams.” The booklet warned that Memphis was being permeated by false churches. Who was to blame? The booklet stated, “The presence of [these churches] is directly attributable to two institutions: The Harding Graduate School of Religion and the Highland Street Church of Christ.”[1]
In my years at Highland, we’ve even seen such things here. Some people attending our worship services or our events have felt it was their duty to write cards or emails and complain that our use of multiple services is unscriptural, that the use of videos is unbiblical, or that women making announcements violates Scripture. Some people have felt it necessary to call the elders when they didn’t think the order of service was scriptural, when someone showed too much emotion in worship, or when the sermon had too little Bible.
And here’s what Paul is saying about this in Titus 3: God does not save us for fighting to get the tradition right. God has not sent his son as a sacrifice, washed us with his blood, enacted a re-genesis through his Spirit, so that we can demand adherence to things that are peripheral, critique others who don’t, and divide over things that are not fundamental. God did not save us for the purpose of fighting to get the tradition right.
And if you are a member here or a guest here, I want to make this as plain as I can. We are a Bible-believing church. And we believe things like what Paul writes in Titus 3. We believe it is unprofitable and worthless to entertain people who want to argue about some issue not addressed in Scripture or some perceived violation of tradition. That’s not what we’ve been saved for. And if you’re looking for that kind of church, you won’t find it here. And if you want to make a mountain out of any of these molehills, don’t do it here. That’s not what we’ve been saved for.
What are we saved for? Here’s how Paul puts it in the rest of Titus 3: 3 Remind them to be submissive to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good work, 2 to speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people…8 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…12 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. 13 Do your best to speed Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way; see that they lack nothing. 14 And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful. (Titus 3:1-2, 8, 12-14 ESV).
Paul’s focus here is on the world outside these walls. For example, he mentions “rulers and authorities” meaning all of those who serve in positions of leadership in the world. He mentions “all people” in vs. 2, meaning all of those who live outside the church walls. Paul’s focus is on the world around us.
He hinted at this focus earlier when he was writing about our baptism. Paul used this phrase: “whom he poured out on us.” That’s an echo of language which Peter used on the Day of Pentecost—recorded in Acts 2: But Peter, standing with the eleven, lifted up his voice and addressed them: “Men of Judea and all who dwell in Jerusalem, let this be known to you, and give ear to my words. 15 For these people are not drunk, as you suppose, since it is only the third hour of the day. 16 But this is what was uttered through the prophet Joel: 17 “‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh (Acts 2:14-17 ESV). Paul uses that same language when writing about our baptism in Titus 3.
Why? I think it’s because he wants to remind us of the connection our baptism has to God’s global work. Peter says God wants to pour out his Spirit on all flesh, meaning all the world. In fact, Peter is speaking these words to all the world. [PP map] This map shows all the provinces and cities from which people have come to listen to Peter in Acts 2. There’s even some there from the island of Crete. And Peter’s telling this world-wide crowd that God wants to pour out his Spirit on them. Thus when Paul describes our baptism in the same language, he’s saying we’re part of that global work. Paul wants to avert our eyes from any in-fighting and focus on what God’s doing in the world.
Why? Because that’s what we were saved for. God saves us for participating with him in making the world right. In Titus 3 Paul points our eyes to the world around us. He says in v. 14 that it’s a world of “urgent need.” And three-times he gives us our marching orders. In v. 1 he urges us to “be ready for every good work.” In v. 8 he urges Christians to “devote themselves to good works.” And in v. 14 he urges Christians to “devote themselves to good work.” Because, he says, these things are “profitable for people.” What people? The people of the world. Rather than getting caught up in nitpicking a worship service or judging some Christian event—which is unprofitable and worthless—Paul calls us to get out there, in the world, and do good work. Because that is profitable—for the people of the world. We’ve been saved for the purpose of joining God and doing good in the world.
Do you hear what Paul is saying? The church is the only organization in the world that exists to benefit those who do not belong to it. In the church, mission trumps tradition. In the church it’s the needs of those outside the church that outweigh the pettiness of those inside the church. What we’ve been saved for is a global partnership with God of doing as much good work in the world as we’ve got time to do it.
And as you prayerfully nominate men to serve as additional elders, that’s the kind of person you should be looking for. Nominate men who will have nothing to do with nitpicking and over issues that are not part of the gospel. Nominate men who have a vision for the good work that God has called us to do in the world and who are engaged in that good work themselves.
Highlanders Betsy Pettus and Erin Butler have caught this vision. They’ve started a new ministry called MOMents that provides support for mothers of young children in our community. Paul’s saying, “That’s what baptism leads to. That’s what we’ve been saved for.”
Highlanders Richard and Louise Machen have caught this vision. For years they’ve traveled to Trujillo, Honduras to assist schools and neighborhoods in that area that are deep in poverty. Paul’s saying, “That’s what baptism leads to. That’s what we’ve been saved for.”
As I close, I want to speak to those of you who have never been baptized. If you want to be part of what God’s doing in the world, baptism is an important step. You need to be washed. You need to experience a re-genesis. And that takes place through baptism. We are prepared to help you take that step today. You can either come to the front in just a moment, or see an elder or staff member to set up a time to do it later this week.
And for those of you who are baptized, I want to ask this: have you found what you were saved for? Are you spending time engaged in good work in the world? If not, stop by the Welcome Center today, pick up one of the Ministry flyers, and take it home. Begin to pray over that and see if one of those ministries is the way in which God has called you to do good work in the world.
