A Little Letter of Enormous Importance

In this opening message of the series on the book of Titus, Chuck Swindoll introduces this short, three-chapter epistle as a “miniature manual for ministers” that contains the quintessence of Christian doctrine. Swindoll compares the letter to an 18-word telegram from Abraham Lincoln to General Grant (“Let the thing be pressed”), illustrating that enormously important information often comes in small packages.

The message establishes the historical context of the letter, written by the seasoned and scarred Apostle Paul to his trusted associate, Titus. Unlike Timothy, who had a Jewish background, Titus was a Gentile convert—a “poster child for Grace”—whom Paul left on the island of Crete. Swindoll dispels the notion that this was an idyllic island assignment, describing Crete as a challenging environment filled with “liars, evil beasts, and lazy gluttons,” as well as rebellious men and false teachers [14–16].

Swindoll outlines the letter’s central theme: the necessary balance between Grace and Godliness. He breaks down the structure of the book into three parts: balancing grace and godliness in the church (Chapter 1), in the home (Chapter 2), and in the world (Chapter 3). The sermon concludes with a poignant warning from author Kent Hughes, illustrating that ministry attempted through “goodness and grit” leads to burnout, whereas ministry fueled by a dependence on God’s grace provides the strength to finish well [31–33].

Message Key Facts:

• The “Lincoln” Telegram: Swindoll opens with a historical anecdote about an 18-word telegram from Lincoln to Grant in 1865 that turned the tide of the Civil War. He uses this to illustrate how brief messages can hold immense weight, much like the 46 verses of Titus.
• A “Quick and Dirty” Map Analysis: Paul wrote this letter during a period of release between his Roman imprisonments. He had traveled from Rome to Ephesus (leaving Timothy), then to Crete (leaving Titus), and was likely writing from Nicopolis on the Adriatic Sea, where he planned to winter [8–11].
• Titus’s Profile: Titus is described as Paul’s “true child in a common faith.” He was a Gentile convert who accompanied Paul to Jerusalem (Galatians 2) as a living example that one did not need to keep the Mosaic law (circumcision) to be saved.
• The Reality of Island Ministry: Swindoll jokes that being left on Crete sounds like being left on Maui, but notes that island ministry is difficult due to transient populations and people “escaping” their pasts. He recounts a story of meeting an island resident in the Bahamas who had never walked to the other side of her small island, illustrating the myopic nature of isolated cultures [14, 20–21].
• The Reputation of Cretans: Paul quotes a Cretan prophet in Titus 1:12, describing the locals as “always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” Swindoll appreciates Paul’s candor, noting he didn’t sugarcoat the difficulty of the assignment.
• Grace and Godliness: The core doctrine of the book is that Grace (what God does for us) must lead to Godliness (how we live). Swindoll argues that this combination makes a church stable, a home “sane,” and the gospel magnetic to the outside world [23, 26–27].
• “Goodness and Grit”: Swindoll quotes a letter shared by Kent Hughes about young ministers who failed morally or burned out because they tried to “bow their necks” and serve God through personal resolve rather than relying on the pardoning and enabling grace of God [29–31].
• Magnetic Evangelism: Swindoll asserts that if a church truly balances sound doctrine with a lifestyle of goodness, the world will be “curious and attracted,” unable to stay away from such a wholesome community [27–28].

Message References:

• Titus 1:4: Paul’s greeting: “To Titus, my true child in a common faith…”.
• Titus 1:5: The assignment: “For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city”.
• Titus 1:12: The cultural description: “One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, ‘Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons'”.
• Titus 2:11–12: The theological core: “For the grace of God has appeared… instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires”.
• Titus 3:8: The call to action: “So that those who have believed God will be careful to engage in Good Deeds”.
• Titus 3:12: Paul’s location: “Make every effort to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there”.
• Galatians 2:3–5: Referenced regarding Titus accompanying Paul to Jerusalem as an uncircumcised Gentile believer.

Message Speaker:

Pastor Chuck Swindoll