Sermon by Pastor Ben-Israël
Bible passage: Titus 3

It is eleven o’clock, beloved in the Lord. I am Pastor Ben-Israël, and I want to speak briefly about Titus 3 in five points.

Titus is one of Paul’s sons to whom he entrusted a ministry responsibility.

1. Understanding our heavenly citizenship and its implications for our earthly citizenship

My first point today is to understand our heavenly citizenship and how it affects our earthly citizenship.

We live in countries, under governments, and these countries have leaders. Here is what Paul tells Titus: a Christian in a country must not stir up uprisings, rebellions, or movements. A good citizen must submit to the authorities and obey them. Instead, they must do good works so that these people can see that we truly are citizens of heaven.

What am I saying to someone? Your Christian life does not separate you from life on earth or from life in a community. On the contrary, it should show people: “Wait, this person is not like us, and they know how to obey the authorities.”

Jesus lived at a time when they were ruled by another government, the Roman government. But Jesus knew how to submit to the authorities. In short, let us do the same.

2. Why did God save us?

My second point is a question: why did God save us? This is a question concerning our conduct and our past life.

He wanted to reveal His love, His goodness, His patience, and His mercy.

Salvation came for these purposes:

  • To reveal God’s love to us.
  • To reveal to us how good God is.
  • To reveal to us how patient God is with sinners, so that everyone may be saved.
  • To reveal to us how merciful God is as well.

Before giving my third point, I want to return to the first, concerning heavenly citizenship.

Let me remind you that all authority comes from God. Here in Goma, we know what is happening. But remember that all authority comes from God. People may say what they wish, but even their presence here—God knows why they are here.

That is why, even when the children of Israel were in Babylon, Jeremiah told them to pray for the country where they were living, because their future depended on it.

Beloved in the Lord, pray for the city of Goma. It is our responsibility, because our future depends on it. If this city is at war, if people are being killed here, and if all sorts of things are happening here, we are not spared, even though we are Christians.

3. The results of our new birth

I return briefly to my third point: what results has the new birth produced?

It pours out the Spirit of God abundantly upon us through Jesus Christ. When you are born again, the Holy Spirit automatically comes to dwell in you and makes you His temple.

Next, we are declared righteous by the grace of God.

Finally, we become heirs of eternal life.

Eternal life is an inheritance, and no one can take it away from you. Jesus says: “Mary has chosen the good portion, which cannot be taken away from her.”

Choosing Christ, your new birth, has produced an eternal inheritance that no one can take away from you.

4. How can we discern those who are going astray?

How can we discern those who are beginning to stray, those who are on the path to destruction? How can we discern them within the Church?

I have seen Paul himself discern a woman who had a spirit of Python. Here, we will also understand how to discern these people.

They occupy themselves with useless things

You see this woman getting up one morning and walking behind Paul. She was doing useless things. Useless, because she was being exploited by men whose aim was to destroy her.

Their words are empty of meaning

Their words and their speeches are empty of meaning. The apostle Paul understood that the speech of this woman who had a spirit of Python was empty of meaning.

It gave glory to people rather than to God. It gave glory to what people were doing rather than to what God was doing in people’s lives.

Listen: someone who is already lost speaks words that are empty of meaning. Their words are empty of meaning.

They create divisions

How can we discern people who have already gone astray? They create divisions in the Church.

We recognize someone who is in the Lord as someone who unites, who turns the hearts of the sons toward the father, and not as someone who divides.

They speak words of condemnation

Finally, someone who has gone astray begins to speak words of condemnation, and their own words will eventually condemn them.

Even Judas’s attitude showed that he was already going to condemn himself. He returns the money, but then he goes and hangs himself. Why? In what he was doing, he had already gone astray. Satan had already entered him.

I pray that you may come out of every form of condemnation, for there is no longer any condemnation for the one who is in Christ Jesus.

5. The purpose of prosperity in our lives

My final point for today: why does God cause us to prosper? This is very important.

The purpose of prosperity is to provide for the needs of others. God does not make us prosperous primarily for ourselves.

No spring drinks its own water. I repeat: no spring drinks or consumes its own water. Every spring sends water flowing for others to use.

You are blessed, but not primarily to be the first consumer.

No tree eats its own fruit. You bear fruit. God blesses you because you must give; you must distribute. You are a distributor.

So may God bless you so that you may truly be a distributor: helping people in need, doing works of charity, and remembering the needs of those who have faith in Christ.

That is the purpose of prosperity in your life.

May grace abound in your lives, in the name of Jesus. Amen.