Titus 02: "Be-ist" Thou Awesome

Could your life alone speak volumes about your faith? This episode challenges you to embody Christian values so clearly that no words are needed. Join us as we discuss Paul's advice to Titus on fostering a wholesome, God-honoring life. With a playful nod to "Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure," we explore the profound simplicity of being good to one another. Discover practical wisdom as Paul instructs Titus on guiding older men and women to exercise self-control, live wisely, and mentor the younger generation. We emphasize the importance of integrity and seriousness in teaching for an empowered life in Christ.

In the second part of our conversation, we reflect on the timeless words of Sir Francis Assisi and explore what it means to live for Christ without words. We take a moment for gratitude and prayer, seeking God's guidance to live in a manner that honors Him daily. Drawing inspiration from Titus 3:5-6, we are reminded of the transformative power of the Holy Spirit, which washes us clean and grants us new life. Get ready to be inspired and challenged to live your faith boldly through your actions, knowing that God is always for you.

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Chapters

• 0:00 Be Awesome
• 9:37 Live for Christ Without Words

Transcript

Speaker 1: 0:24

Well, hello everybody. Welcome back to the Bible Breakdown Podcast with your host, pastor Brandon, today. Titus, chapter 2, and today's title is Beest Thou Awesome, beest Thou Awesome. The only way you can properly tell someone to be awesome is with the King's English from back in the King James Version, with the these and the thou so, beest Thou Awesomest. We're going to get into why that's important in just a moment and why Paul would say that in just a moment, but at first, as always, if you like what we're doing here, make sure you like, share and subscribe to the podcast and the YouTube channel.

Speaker 1: 0:57

I want to say really quickly, thank you to all of our podcast listeners. I have been seeing how you've been spreading the word. We've been having more and more people listening to the podcast. We're breaking records all the time and I just want to say thank you so much for doing that. Also, thank you so much to all of our YouTube listeners for also doing the same. Make sure, if you are a podcast listener, that you go over to the YouTube channel, like and share and subscribe and all that, but also comment down below. I love communicating with all of you and yes, by the way, that is me that is posting comments on those different questions and videos and things, so make sure we're communicating that way. And then, of course, as always, our rallying point is on Facebook at the Bible Breakdown Discussion, where we just gather together. There's an amazing team there that is writing devotions every day and, man, the more we dig, the more we find, and we're just building an amazing community of people that are rallying around knowing God more by knowing his word, and I just love that so much.

Speaker 1: 1:54

And so, speaking of that, if you have your Bibles, I want to open up with me to Titus, chapter two, which, by the way, I know there are so many different people who listen to this podcast in various different situations. Some people listen to it on their way to work, some people as they're having their morning coffee. All of that is wonderful If you're on your way to work and all of that I love it. I love that we get to do this on the way to work. However, if you're in a place where you can, I would love for you to consider finding a time when you can listen to this podcast with your Bible open, because, as we're reading along together, it's amazing what happens as we actually use as many of our five senses as possible. So you're listening to me, but then when you're looking at it and then you can follow along and I even sometimes will use my finger to kind of keep going it. Just you're incorporating as many of the five senses as possible and it helps get it into your mind more and more.

Speaker 1: 2:44

So give that a shot and see what happens, okay, well, as we're in Titus, chapter 2, don't forget the overall idea of Titus is how to live a God-honoring life. The Apostle Paul is writing to another young pastor who is a fellow missionary, who was then sent to Crete, at the church that had been formed there, to kind of set it up and set the leaders in place and all that good stuff. And Paul is encouraging Timothy on how to not only live a God-honoring life himself but also to teach that to the people. And one of the things he's going to say in this particular verse is be an example of what it is to do good works, to be a good Christ follower so that other people can follow. And what it reminds me of is I watched this movie one time and I've mentioned it before on the podcast called Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure.

Speaker 1: 3:34

It is a stupid, such a dumb movie, which is what makes it so funny, right. And there is this moment where they go into the future. It's a time movie and they go into the future. And there's this moment where they're expected to say something profound and the two main characters, bill and Ted, they're just like these 1990s rockers. And so this one of them looks and he puts his hand out and he says be awesome to each other. And the other one says party on dudes, it's the dumbest thing ever. But what an actual great thing to say. And that is be awesome to each other. Well, paul is saying that for the most part in this particular passage Be good, just be the good person. You know how to be, especially because you have Christ empowering you to do so through the power of the Holy Spirit. And watch what happens. What a simple thing, but not simplistic at all. Right, it's very difficult sometimes to try to be the best version of ourselves. So let's read this together and see what God's word would maybe encourage us and maybe also convict us a little bit. Today, you ready. 2 Timothy excuse me, timothy.

Speaker 1: 4:45

Chapter 2, verse 1, says this as for you, titus, promote the kind of living that reflects wholesome teaching. Teach the older men to exercise self-control, to be worthy of respect and to live wisely. They must have sound faith and be filled with love and patience. Similarly, teach the older women to live in a way that honors God. They must not slander others or be heavy drinkers. Instead, they should teach others what is good. These older women must train the younger to love their husbands and their children and to live wisely and be pure and to work in their homes to do good and be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the word of God. In the same way, encourage young men to live wisely, and you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and seriousness of your teaching. Teach the truth so that your teaching can't be criticized. Then those who oppose us will be ashamed and have nothing bad to say about us. Now pause. Now once again.

Speaker 1: 5:54

What he's saying is is make sure you're not just living with words, but you're living with your life. I heard this quote one time is from a guy named Sir Francis Assisi, and he said and then, if necessary, use words. And obviously he's not saying that we shouldn't proclaim the gospel with our words, but he's saying long before they hear our message, let them see our life. And that's what Paul is telling Titus. He's saying make sure that you are living what you're professing right.

Speaker 1: 6:24

Verse 9 says this slaves must obey their masters and do their best to please them. They must not tall back or steal, but must show themselves to be entirely trustworthy and good. Then they will make the teaching about God, our Savior, attractive in every way. Now pause again. Now remember we've said this a lot, but we need to say it Our culture is very, very different than first century Roman culture, and there were obviously situations where you have a slave master environment. That was all the horrible things we can think of. But for many of them, slave master environment was more of like having a job where you work for someone else to either get paid or to pay off a debt, and so this would look a little bit more closely to saying employees obey your employers, rather than what we think of as the pre-Civil War South when all the atrocities there. Obviously, some of that would have been going on during this time frame, but more commonly it would be an employer-employee relationship, and so what Paul is saying is is make sure that you work for your employer in such a way that you make Christianity attractive. And what a convicting thing. If you ask yourself the question is does your employer want to be a Christ follower because of your pursuit of God, do they look and go? You know what I want to serve the God they serve because of how they live their life. Wow, that's very, very, very profound if you think about it. All right, let's keep going.

Speaker 1: 7:47

Verse 11, for the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people, and we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to the wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, jesus Christ, will be revealed. He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin and to cleanse us and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds. You must teach these things and encourage the believers to do them. You have the authority to correct them when necessary, so don't let anyone disregard what you do say. So there are so many takeaways from this chapter, but the one that I really want us to focus in on is this idea of make sure you are being awesome, in other words, make sure we're living in a way that honors God.

Speaker 1: 8:48

I think the thing that hit me the most and I'm curious, let me know in the comments below in YouTube video, or let us know on the Bible breakdown discussion, which one of these things hit you the most. Because at the very beginning it's talking about within the context of the Christian community make sure that we're leading and teaching and living with others in a way that honors God. But then he also goes and says now, in your workplace environment, make sure you're living in such a way that you make Christ attractive to others living, make Christ attractive to others, living for Christ attractive to others. Well, that's easy to say. It's very difficult to do, especially when you get into situations where you feel like you're very within your rights to not feel so attractive that day. But in all of it he says Beest thou awesome. Make sure you're living in such a way that it brings honor to Christ.

Speaker 1: 9:37

Remember what I told you, that Sir Francis Assisi said preach the gospel at all times and then, if necessary, use words. I want to ask you this question Are you living for Christ in such a way that, without even telling people you're a Christian, they automatically know? Let's pray together today. God, thank you so much for today. Thank you that you're with us and you're for us in every way.

Speaker 1: 10:00

God, in today's chapter there's so many challenges that we could look at, but the thing I love the most is that you're with us, that you are for us in every way, and though you help us to grow a little bit more every day, I pray that as we do that, lord, you'll continue to help us to live a life that brings honor to you. In Jesus' name, we pray Amen, amen, don't forget. God's word says in Titus 3, verse 5 and 6, he washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and a new life through the Holy Spirit. He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ, our Savior. We have such an amazing reality of knowing that we can live a God-honoring life and that God is for us more than we can imagine. I love you. I'll see you tomorrow for the finale of this small New Testament book, titus, chapter 3.