Titus Our Brother

2 Corinthians 12:13-18 - How were you inferior to the other churches, except that I was never a burden to you? Forgive me this wrong! Now I am ready to visit you for the third time, and I will not be a burden to you, because what I want is not your possessions but you. After all, children should not have to save up for their parents, but parents for their children. So I will very gladly spend for you everything I have and expend myself as well. If I love you more, will you love me less? Be that as it may, I have not been a burden to you. Yet, crafty fellow that I am, I caught you by trickery! Did I exploit you through any of the men I sent to you? I urged Titus to go to you and I sent our brother with him. Titus did not exploit you, did he? Did we not walk in the same footsteps by the same Spirit?


1 Corinthians 9:12 - If others have this right of support from you, shouldn’t we have it all the more? But we did not use this right. On the contrary, we put up with anything rather than hinder the gospel of Christ.

Philippians 2:17 - But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.

2 Corinthians 8:19-20 - What is more, he was chosen by the churches to accompany us as we carry the offering, which we administer in order to honor the Lord himself and to show our eagerness to help. We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift.

Application:

· Am I ready to surrender my rights because of love for others?
· Is my service to God joyful?
· Do I provide a good example in handling money?
· Am I carrying out the Lord’s work in a proper, ethical and honest manner?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV

We Urged Titus

2 Corinthians 8:1,5-7 - And now, brothers and sisters, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches…And they exceeded our expectations: They gave themselves first of all to the Lord, and then by the will of God also to us. So we urged Titus, just as he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. But since you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in the love we have kindled in you—see that you also excel in this grace of giving.


1 Corinthians 12:8-10 - To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues.

1 Corinthians 13:1 - If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.

1 Corinthians 1:7 - Therefore you do not lack any spiritual gift as you eagerly wait for our Lord Jesus Christ to be revealed.

Application:

· Contributing to the needs of others is made possible by God’s undeserved gifts in my life
· Giving myself to the Lord is the true principle of my giving. Am I giving myself to the Lord?
· Do I have the ability to speak wisely or with knowledge into a situation?
· Do I have a will to love in obedience to God’s command?
· Has God enriched my skills (gifts) as a result of being a follower of Jesus Christ?

All Scripture verses taken from NIV