(Titus 006) The Church Needs Shepherds. People Need Shepherds. (Part 2)
Church 101 | A Study Through the Book of Titus • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 50:13
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5 This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you—
6 if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination.
7 For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain,
8 but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined.
9 He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.
1. The church needs shepherds to fulfill God’s design for the church. (vs. 5)
1. The church needs shepherds to fulfill God’s design for the church. (vs. 5)
5 This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you—
(1) A. Shepherds are needed to fill up what is lacking.
(1) A. Shepherds are needed to fill up what is lacking.
(1) B. Shepherds are needed but they are not mysterious and are not different.
(1) B. Shepherds are needed but they are not mysterious and are not different.
2. The church needs shepherds who reflect the character God intended for the church. (vs. 6-8)
2. The church needs shepherds who reflect the character God intended for the church. (vs. 6-8)
6 if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination.
7 For an overseer, as God’s steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain,
8 but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined.
(2) A. Shepherds must model blamelessness for the church.
(2) A. Shepherds must model blamelessness for the church.
Also, later on… above reproach.
Living your life in such a way that nobody can accurately bring a charge against you.
Accurately is the key word.
Pastors often have charges brought against them, but they are preference based rather than biblically based.
4 Then the high officials and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him.
(2) A. Shepherds must model blamelessness for the church.
(2) A. Shepherds must model blamelessness for the church.
This is about the pastor’s reputation. Especially in the community, but also in the church.
Christians cannot compartmentalize their lives.
(2) B. Shepherds must model faithfulness and purity for the church.
(2) B. Shepherds must model faithfulness and purity for the church.
The husband of one wife… a one woman man.
In Crete it was not uncommon for a man to have three women in his life.
He would have a housekeeper - slave girl.
His wife.
Women of the temple.
The emphasis here is that a shepherd does not partake in this immoral life-style.
This lifestyle would stick out in the culture of Crete.... and probably made no sense to them.
(2) C. Shepherds must model disciple-making in the home for the church.
(2) C. Shepherds must model disciple-making in the home for the church.
a man who’s children believe and are not wild and disobedient.
The bible is clear where the responsibility lies for discipling our kids.
1 Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth!
2 I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old,
3 things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us.
4 We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done.
(2) C. Shepherds must model disciple-making in the home for the church.
(2) C. Shepherds must model disciple-making in the home for the church.
We see parents first.
Grandparents.
The church.
Shepherds need to model this for the church.
We also need to better equip our parents to do this.
I have unsaved children in my home.
But my goal is to have order and obedience.
We have constant conversations.
We are building a home and atmosphere of faith and love of God.
(2) D. Shepherds must model humility for the church.
(2) D. Shepherds must model humility for the church.
Not arrogant.
Not harsh.
Not unaccommodating to others.
We cannot think that we are better than others.
We need a teachable attitude.
Not pleasing himself.
This can be seen in selfish ministry.
An understanding of who’s the church ultimately is.
25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her,
(2) E. Shepherds must model patience for the church.
(2) E. Shepherds must model patience for the church.
Not easily angered.
5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful;
(2) E. Shepherds must model patience for the church.
(2) E. Shepherds must model patience for the church.
Patience and grace with people.
This key when shepherding sheep.
Patience to let God do His work in their lives.
(2) F. Shepherds must model self-control for the church.
(2) F. Shepherds must model self-control for the church.
Not a drunkard or violent. The word self-control is also used.
Self control over our body and even emotions.
Self-control in criticism
Self-control in living.
(2) G. Shepherds must model contentment for the church.
(2) G. Shepherds must model contentment for the church.
Not greedy for gain.
The Cretans were known for justifying whatever it took to get ahead.
Plutarch said: “Cretans stick to money like bees to honey.”
Living out a contentment and honesty that would be drastically different from culture.
(2) I. Shepherds must model uprightness for the church.
(2) I. Shepherds must model uprightness for the church.
Righteous living.
Honesty and morality.
Having a good testimony.
(2) J. Shepherds must model holiness for the church.
(2) J. Shepherds must model holiness for the church.
Becoming less and less like the world and more and more like Christ.
16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.”
(2) K. Shepherds must model discipline for the church.
(2) K. Shepherds must model discipline for the church.
The christian life takes discipline.
We don’t grow on accident.
We don’t make the right choices on accident.
Do we have discipline in our lives.
The discipline to study and grow.
The discipline to read
The discipline to be faithful
The discipline to pray
The Practice of Godliness
It takes discipline to live a godly life.
(2) L. Shepherds must model a love for others for the church.
(2) L. Shepherds must model a love for others for the church.
Hospitable means “loves strangers”.
The idea is being able to look outside of your own life and invest in others.
We live our lives for the sake of the elect.
For the faith of the unsaved elect.
For the spiritual growth of the saved elect.
(2) M. Shepherds must model a love for what is good for the church.
(2) M. Shepherds must model a love for what is good for the church.
Becoming less like the world and more like God.
Despising sin and embracing good.
9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.
(2) M. Shepherds must model a love for what is good for the church.
(2) M. Shepherds must model a love for what is good for the church.
Do we get caught up in evil things or do we pursue what is good.
This is tied closely with holiness and righteous living.
3. The church needs shepherds who will uphold the truth God revealed to the church. (vs. 9)
3. The church needs shepherds who will uphold the truth God revealed to the church. (vs. 9)
9 He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.
3. The church needs shepherds who will uphold the truth God revealed to the church. (vs. 9)
3. The church needs shepherds who will uphold the truth God revealed to the church. (vs. 9)
Shepherds must be committed to studying and knowing God’s Word
They also must defend it.
Without protection and teaching people wander from the truth.
Really what we see in the qualifications is that a shepherd needs to practice what he preaches.
Shepherds are to protect the flock.
28 Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.
An important note, especially thinking of last week’s sermon.
These do not make the shepherd different.
These are simply marks of a mature christian.
Titus was looking for men who were mature believers.
Where was Titus to find these men?
Where was Titus to find these men?
In the culture of Crete, where would Titus find these men?
Where would these men come from?
Titus could’t go to the seminary in Jerusalem and recruit some guys with a pastoral major to come to Crete when they graduated.
He couldn’t put it on a church association website to see what pastors were looking for a new job.
These were local guys.
Already in the church.
Already beginning to live out their gifts in a way that Titus would notice.
Would he find already spiritually mature men, or would have have to disciple them?
As young as the church was, he would most likely need to disciple them.
To put what remained into order meant, appoint elders and do what you need to do to fill up what was lacking even to the point of training these guys.
This was not a foreign concept to Titus.
He lived it with Paul
Paul discipled and trained him.
Two more practical applications...
What makes more sense… calling a pastor that you have only met a couple times, or someone you have watched grow and develop in your church?
This shows us that God does not change the rules for culture.
God’s standards did not change.
He will build His church and He will do it His way.