Church Planting (Titus #1)

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Church Planting

(Joe Hons)

Text: Titus 1:1-5

Titus is a New Testament version of Exodus. It is an instruction to a New Testament leader like Titus like Exodus contained direction to Moses. The purpose is to preserve and multiply participants in the covenant God now has with man in Jesus Christ. In other words, to spread Christianity.

Titus is a letter written to an individual about decisions he must make as a pastor. Note Titus 1:5. Titus sets in order by putting the right people in the right positions. 

The apostle’s doctrine

• Following the footsteps of Jesus Christ
  • John 12:26, 13:16-17
  • Luke 16:13-15
• Galatians 1:10 can’t please men and God. The chief motivation is to please God.
• Apostle is a specific title given to 12 who were verified by works of God
  • Matthew 10:2
  • Luke 22:14
  • Signs of the Apostles (Acts 4:33, 5:12, 2 Corinthians 12:12)
  • Paul is an apostle

A call to kingdom work in the new testament

• By faith common among all the elect
• According to the acceptance of the truth
• Motivated by hope of eternal life

The message is manifested through preaching

• To preach is the public proclamation of religious ideas. The key ingredient is a proclamation in a public forum according to Webster’s 1828.
• This is what was going on in the synagogues in Jewish culture for centuries even before Jesus. Preaching was always the method of teaching truth.
• The idea of what preaching is was hijacked from the biblical meaning by Congregationalists and Revivalists to mean a certain style of conveying information. He meant conveying truth in a public forum, which is exactly what his ministry was.

Titus is…

• 2 Corinthians 2:12-13 Titus is a burden bearer in the ministry.
• 2 Corinthians 7:5-7, 13-14 Titus brings good news instrumental in correcting the Corinthian church and bringing word back to Paul.
• 2 Corinthians 8:6-9 Titus ensured the monetary gift the Corinthians promised made it to the Philippian churches (Macedonian churches)
• 2 Corinthians 8:16-21 Titus’ care of the churches and trust with the money
• 2 Corinthians 8:23 Titus has Paul’s full endorsement
• Galatians 2:1-3 Titus was a Greek, so he was a Gentile. Paul uses Titus as a testimony to the Jews in Jerusalem.
• 2 Timothy 4:10 Titus went to Dalmatia like Dalmatian dogs.  It’s in modern-day Croatia. Titus works the countries along the Adriatic Sea church planting. Moving from north to south along the Adriatic Sea Dalmatia (Croatia), Macedonia, Corinth, and Crete, an island off of Macedonia.