goes on from there to nth dimension reverence the need for reverence this work could also meet mean dignity or gravity and refers to the manner in which Titus preaches and teaches the word Philip towner comments this quality is meant to provide Titus as teaching with the accent of respectability that will distance it from the opponent's rambling arguments chapter one verses 10 and 11 and then chapter 3 verse 9 and disarm any critics outside the church before they get started so I think that's a great emphasis not only in Titus day but also in our own day in doctrine showing integrity but as well showing reverence gravity dignity now I think I've shared with you before that a woman once approached Charles Spurgeon and said pastor Spurgeon I find that you use way too much humor in your sermons and Spurgeon says my good madam if you knew how much I kept back you would be proud of me I do not think that Paul is barring a judicious use of humor especially in light of our Lord's ministry when he said or condemned the Pharisees as the sorts of persons that would strain out gnats and swallow camels that my brothers and sisters was funny when Elijah the prophet challenges no.not challenges mocks the prophets of bale on Mount Carmel he suggests that Bale is relieving himself in the latrine again that was funny a subsequent Israelite reflecting on that interchange would have had a bit of a laugh concerning it a judicious use of humor at certain points and times in a sermon helps the mind it helps the brain it helps us go from trying to process very serious data to lightening things up a bit and at times you'll see that the knowledge then seeps in in a way that it wouldn't have before illustration is good for that as well Spurgeon described illustration as knows you throw open the window and some light comes in and you're able to ascertain or determine a specific thing but when Paul enjoins upon Titus this gravity or this dignity relative to the proclamation of the word there is peculiar application in our own day some of these celebrity preachers use coarse language they use crass language they like to put themselves on the cutting edge and while doing so they compromise this imperative that Titus was to manifest in his own preaching if you have never seen Perry Noble if you have never seen Mark Driscoll they would be very excellent examples of what a lack of dignity and a lack of gravity means in the proclamation of God's holy word not everything they said to be sure that there were some things that they themselves said were calculated for shock value
