The Loving Kindness of the Church

Order of Service

• Call to Worship — Psalm 96:1-9
• Hymn — Bless the Lord, O My Soul
• Prayer of Invocation
• Confession of Sin
• Assurance of Pardon — Psalm 103:11-13
• Scripture Reading — 2 Samuel 6:1-15
• Pastoral Prayer
• Hymn — Holy, Holy, Holy
• Sermon
• Hymn — May the Mind of Christ My Savior
• Benediction — 2 Corinthians 13:14

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Sermon Title: The Loving Kindness of the Church

Scripture: Titus 3:1-3

I. The Goodness and Loving Kindness of the Church Involves Remembering

A. Titus is to continuously remind the church of their calling, drawing on the gospel framed in Titus 2:11-15 and Titus 3:4-7

1. Goodness and kindness toward others flows out of knowledge of God's goodness and kindness toward us
2. These gospel truths must be continually set before the congregation by duly ordained leaders

B. The three opening verbs of verse 3 describe failures of the mind — foolish (without understanding), disobedient (tied to false knowledge of God, cf. Titus 1:16), and led astray (deceived by false teachers)

1. False teachers in Crete were overturning households; the regenerate are to turn from that false teaching
2. 1 Timothy 4:1-2 warns that this present age will be filled with deceitful spirits and the teaching of demons

C. The church serves as a memorial center — a safe haven of sound doctrine — in an over-mediatized, over-politicized world

1. False guides flood our homes 24/7 through technology, hardening hearts and overturning households
2. Sabbath worship is where hearts are softened and we are reminded of the grace, mercy, and loving kindness of Christ

II. The Goodness and Loving Kindness of the Church Involves Rulers

A. Throughout the Pastoral Epistles, Paul consistently emphasizes submission to governing authorities

1. 1 Timothy 2:1-2 — pray for kings and those in high positions
2. Romans 13 — governing authorities are providentially established by God for our good
3. 1 Peter 2:17 — fear God, honor the king

B. The apostolic witness does not envision a theocratic civic order in this present age; rather, the church submits even to pagan authorities

1. The purpose given in verse 1: submission makes us ready for every good work
2. 1 Corinthians 9:20-23 — Paul became all things to all people that by all means he might win some to the gospel

C. Church history confirms this pattern of the orthodox church honoring ruling authorities

1. Justin Martyr's First Apology argued to Emperor Antoninus that Christians are the best of citizens
2. John Calvin wrote his Institutes partly to show the King of France that the Reformed were not revolutionaries
3. Martin Luther vehemently opposed the Peasants' Revolt and modeled proper disagreement through lawful channels — the 95 Theses were a formal appeal, not an insurrection

D. The dominant spirit in American evangelicalism today — submitting only to authorities that mirror one's own views — is a failure of true submission

1. The Greek word for submissiveness means to arrange oneself under; autonomous self-rule negates the need for authority
2. The word for disobedient in verse 3 carries the nuance of refusing to be persuaded by an argument and therefore refusing to obey
3. We are to voice disagreement through proper lawful channels, conducting ourselves as honorable citizens so that we might win all people to the gospel

III. The Goodness and Loving Kindness of the Church Involves Relationships

A. Verse 2 calls the church to speak evil of no one, avoid quarreling, be gentle, and show perfect courtesy toward all people — not merely fellow believers

1. This stands in stark contrast to verse 3: malice (getting back at people), envy (getting even), and mutual hatred

B. Paul is not forbidding confrontation, debate, or church discipline; he is forbidding the casting of aspersions on a person's character

1. Speaking evil of someone is not disagreeing with their position but soiling their name and ascribing unspoken motives to them
2. We naturally concoct mental narratives of others' evil intentions — this is easy because it safeguards our pride and avoids the harder work of direct, honest conversation

C. Biblical love, summarized from 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, is fundamentally about giving people the benefit of the doubt — presuming innocence, being long-suffering and patient

1. Church discipline proceeds slowly precisely because we cannot read hearts or motives
2. Hate comes naturally to fallen humanity; love is unnatural and must be learned in the school of Christ
3. We were once verse 3 people — recipients of God's goodness and loving kindness while still in sin — and so we extend that same goodness and loving kindness to all people