2 Corinthians 8:16-24

                                                                     2 Corinthians 8:16-24

But thanks be to God, who put into the heart of Titus the same earnest care I have for you.  For he not only accepted our appeal, but being himself very earnest he is going to you of his own accord.  With him we are sending the brother who is famous among all the churches for his preaching of the gospel.  And not only that, but he has been appointed by the churches to travel with us as we carry out this act of grace that is being ministered by us, for the glory of the Lord himself and to show our good will.  We take this course so that no one should blame us about this generous gift that is being administered by us, for we aim at what is honorable not only in the Lord's sight but also in the sight of man.  And with them we are sending our brother whom we have often tested and found earnest in many matters, but who is now more earnest than ever because of his great confidence in you.  As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker for your benefit. And as for our brothers, they are messengers of the churches, the glory of Christ.  So give proof before the churches of your love and of our boasting about you to these men.

 

Titus was a man of great conviction and dedication to the cause of Christ and the ministry of Paul.  He is described as being very earnest in his efforts to serve the Lord and the church in Corinth.  As we seek to serve the Lord, there is much we can learn from his example.  There are at least three examples we would do well to follow.

 

COMMUNICATION OF THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST: Paul describes Titus as a man who was famous in all the churches for the preaching of the Gospel.  It is no wonder that Paul entrusted to him the task of going to key places for ministry such as Corinth and the island of Crete.  He was a man who had a passion for the Gospel and the church and was faithful to do what needed to be done even at great personal expense.  The Gospel truly is the answer to the problem of sin.  This is true for both salvation and sanctification.  

 

CONSECRATION TO THE GLORY OF CHRIST: Titus had the respect and support of multiple churches because they all recognized that he was, together with Paul dedicated to the glory of the Lord.  These men did what they did because they wanted to please the Lord with their lives and minister in the lives of men.  Sometimes it is impossible to please both God and men, but too often people site a desire to please God as an excuse to be rude and uncaring about people.  These two positions are not compatible.  In order to love God effectively we must love others.  Christ died for people, and we honor Him by loving them and striving to bring them closer to Him.  

 

COOPERATION WITH THE BODY OF CHRIST: Paul points to Titus and his other brothers as his partners and fellow workers for the benefit of others.  His expectation is that the church receive them and love them.  We are all coworkers together for the benefit of the body of Christ.  We are to love each other, respect each other and help each other to grow and bless one another.  It is natural for us to be focused on our lives and ministries.  God wants us to demonstrate a Spirit led level of cooperation between brothers and sisters that depends upon one another in the process of growing into the likeness of Christ.

 

APPLICATION: The Gospel must be the focus of our teaching and preaching as it is the only hope for mankind to be saved and conformed to the image of Christ.  We need to be dedicated to pleasing the Lord but in such a way that is also edifying of others.  Recognize our mutual need of one another and be devoted to loving each other faithfully.  

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