A Healthy Church is a Well-Ordered Church

Introduction

Last week, we learned that a healthy church is Jesus’ Church. Sean led us through the opening verses of chapter 1 and we discovered Paul’s reasons for writing to Titus.

It was for the sake of the elect.

One theologian said, Truth must have definitive content and distinctive boarders. (John Kitchens)

Another way of putting it: If unbelievers hear us SAY we are saved by Jesus alone; they should also SEE we live as Jesus’ calls us to live. You can not SAY one thing… and yet DO another.

If we grow in our knowledge of the Savior, our lifestyle should reflect the power of that knowledge. The two should be in accord!

2. Paul wrote Titus because each believer should hold fast in the hope of eternal life.

It was a very helpful statement to hear “Why avoid presently someone with whom you will share eternity?”

Followers of Jesus have grown in the knowledge of His truth and live in a way consistent with the life of Christ… Therefore, they cling to a promise from him for an eternal life that flows from their common faith. One they will share in!

3. A healthy church is Christ’s church because it is through the preaching of salvation in Jesus that believers live a transformed life. The Apostle Paul (one of the “sent ones”) best served his master, Jesus by proclaiming that message and building Jesus’ church through it.

That brings us to the “how” of establishing a healthy church family. Today’s portion of this letter revolves around primary step. Let’s read together what Paul wrote to his co-laborer, Titus, and see how it accords with the opening of the letter.

If I can, I’d like to propose that you use this little phrase to help capture the breadth and depth of this letter and it’s central meaning… “Knowledge of the Truth leads to godliness, and godliness is our visible testimony that we are who we say we are.”

Keep this in mind for the entirety of the letter. Paul is writing to a culture that assumed deceit was a normal way of life. What is deceit at it’s core? For the people of Crete, it was acceptance of a notion. Who you were… had nothing to do with how you treated people! That is a LIE! Who we say we are HAS EVERYTHING TO DO WITH HOW WE TREAT PEOPLE!

Throughout this letter, Paul is writing so that the faith and knowledge of the truth grows the elect in godliness! He’s writing so that the church would live AMONG the Cretans… BUT LIVE DRASTICALLY DIFFERENT FROM THE CRETANS!

Let’s read the text and then bring it’s teaching to light.

Titus 1:5–9 ESV

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.

It’s nice to be given instruction. The whole of seminary, medical, or military training is to impart instruction for knowledge that surpasses that of a population with a general understanding of your specialty.

For instance, look at verse 5… Paul states right up front, “This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order...” J.J. Peterson, an author and CEO of marketing once said, “In leadership, clarity is compassion.” I couldn’t agree more. In the midst of the Cretan culture - that was vastly different from a life acculturated by Jesus - meaning a lifestyle that is dramatically different because of prolonged and intimate time in the teachings of Jesus and in fellowship with solid believers… Paul’s first encouragement is to “put what remained into order”.

At this point, you might ask yourself, “Hmmm… put what into order?”

Paul has actually started to give instruction BUT HAS NOT NAMED the exact things left out of order. Fascinatingly, he uses a term that may have medical inference. epidiorthoō - meaning “to set right”. It could also have been used of business acumen. It is likely that Paul had established the church in Crete following a missionary trip that isn’t recorded but after release from prison in Acts 28.

Either way, here is the idea… something was begun… and left unfinished. Hippocrates used the root of this Greek word to say something was “out of joint.”

Let me quickly illustrate both possibilities. If you’re a track and field fan, the first may resonate, offering you a more Hippocratic perspective. The other may speak to those who cringe at “unfinished” business or disarray.

Ashley Parsons breaking her femur at the 2002 State Track meet.

The young couple with toddlers - as Tim Hawkins put it, “sharpening their Legos to cripple the old man for a month!

Either way you see the term… it communicates a similar deficiency. The young congregation was left out of sorts, disjointed, and needing “set right.” Otherwise, the fledgling churches would forever struggle.

Paul then issues the first order of business to remedy this disjointedness and rescue the Cretan congregations.

… “appoint elders in every town.”

This section deserves a couple moments of explanation. Paul refers to 17 requirements or qualifications of elders. The most important observation is the kind of requirements verses the number of requirements.

The word for elder is “presbuteros”. Presently, Paul will use another word to describe the function of this man, “episkopos”. One is translated “elder” the other “overseer”. However, the terms are used interchangeably throughout the New Testament. That Paul requires Titus to “appoint” them may catch your attention.

Some denominations, to this day, “appoint” their leaders from a hierarchical structure. The inference is that there is an elite class of priest or presbyter or bishop among whom a selected group can fulfill such a position. The direction of the text however, shows that this person is selected from among the congregation of believers. In other words, Paul is encouraging Titus to look among his flock and appoint or assign from - one person to another - rather than a divine assignment mandated by God or divine inauguration - elders from among the congregation.

Then come 17 criteria. Now, we don’t have time this morning to distinguish all 17 qualifications. Therefore, I’m going to use some of the summary designations Pastor Sean and I noted.

The first manner of classification or categorization is that of an elder’s private life; the second manner of classification is that of an elder’s public life.

They are to be -

above reproach

husband of one wife

and their children are believers - not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination.

Keep this in mind when observing the last one mentioned. There’s no way for a pastor or anyone else in the family of God to guarantee the salvation of their child. Therefore, the inference in this passage cannot mean that the elder’s kids be believers. However, the caveat (the not be open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination) develops an explanation. The elders children readily follow the examples given by their father. Rather than bucking or begrudgingly obeying, they respond to their father’s authority willingly and no one can offer a dissenting perspective.

Those are the “internal” or personal or private character traits defining an elder.

The next traits are public. Beginning at verse 6, we see that the elder is by nature a “steward” or manager. But not in the sense of business management. Rather, the idea is providing for a master’s servants. Giving their daily needs. Serving them in a manner that allows necessary functions. In the context of Titus’ letter, this will most closely be connected to their “management” or “stewardship” of the teachings of the Word.

They are to be -

(2nd time) above reproach… followed by 3 negatives or indicting qualities that must be avoided

They are NOT to be

arrogant

a drunkard

greedy

These were traits CONSISTENT with the Cretan culture. BUT COMPLETELY INCONSISTENT WITH CHRISTIAN conduct and godliness!

Conversely, the positive, approving qualities are in direct opposition to the previous 3...

The are to be

Hospitable

a lover of good

self-controlled

upright

holy

and disciplined

Each of these character qualities would stand out among the Cretan people. They would give a vivid description of who Jesus is compared to the godless deities of Crete.

The final 2 qualities or qualifications of the elder are the only ones that have a “defensive” nature.

Hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught so that you may be able to give instruction

and rebuke those who contradict it

If you would return to my friend’s incident in the state competition track meet.

Who among the crowd could distinguish that something was wrong with her after she broke her leg?! EVERYONE!

However… who among the people could definitively “fix” or “set right” and make healthy what was “out of joint”… only the surgeon!

A healthy church is a well-ordered church. Among the things that needed set in order, nothing was more important than establishing men of character and integrity who could hold firm the trustworthy word as taught, give instruction in it, and rebuke those who contradict it!

But make note of this… WHO THEY ARE, OUTMATCHED WHAT THEY COULD DO! And who they are as men qualified them to do the work of teaching, correcting, rebuking and stewarding the people of God.