Delighting in Sound Doctrine (2)

Introduction

Hello Family, Turn in your bibles to Titus chapter two. We will look at one verse today as we continue our study of the letter to Titus.

In January 2022, Lifeway, in partnership with Ligonier Ministries, conducted a survey in which they interviewed over 3000 people from different demographics, many of them professed Christians. The interview consisted of several theological statements in which the respondent would select whether they agreed, disagreed, or did not know. To introduce my message today, I would like to go through a few of these statements and share the results from those who identify as evangelical Christians. As I go through these statements, I would like you to think about how you would have responded. You may be surprised at the results.

One statement said, “God learns and adapts to different circumstances.” 47% of respondents agreed, while 42% disagreed. 11% were not sure.

“Everyone is born innocent in the eyes of God.” 65% agree versus 32% disagree. (Make a quick comment)

“Every Christian has an obligation to join the local church,” 51% agree, and 44% disagree. (Make a quick Comment)

Let’s look at one more “Jesus was a great teacher but not God.” 44% agree, 53% disagree, and 3% are unsure.

Do these results surprise you? How did you respond to those statements? Remember that the results I shared were from those who professed faith in Christ. If that was the response from Christians, then you could only imagine the response from unbelievers. The Christian responses were similar to the general US population. The same stats show that 51% of the general population agreed that God changes and adapts. Most similar to 47% of evangelicals. 70% of the general population agrees that everyone is born innocent in the eyes of God. Compared to 65% of evangelicals.

Again, these are just a few findings from the state of theology survey. I encourage you to google the state of theology and examine the results yourself. They have been conducting this survey every two years since 2014. And they noted that the survey results over the past eight years had shown some concerning trends.

There is an increasing rejection of the Bible’s divine origin and authorship.

That there is an increasing embracing of sexual behavior that is condemned by scripture.

Even among evangelicals, there is an increasing rise in unbiblical ideas, such as Jesus not being God or Gender being a choice.

What conclusion can we draw from this brief intro I shared this morning? That there is an ongoing need in our church and culture for true biblical discipleship. We constantly need to grow in an accurate understanding and knowledge of the Christian faith.

How do we defend what we believe?

How do we apply what we believe?

How do we understand what we believe?

This is part of what we mean when we say that we must make disciples and be discipled. And what it means to be a healthy church. This ongoing journey of sanctification. To grow in our belief, application, and understanding of Jesus Christ and His Word.

We will consider this today as we look at Titus 2:1. Let us read our passage for today, which is just one verse.

Titus 2:1NASB

But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine.

When the spiritual state of our country and many of our churches. We must conclude that many churches have failed to teach us to grow and delight in sound doctrine.

Paul knows that for the church to be healthy and do what it has been called to do in this world, it must delight in sound doctrine. This is why he writes to Titus here in verse 1 for him to speak or some version says proclaim or teach the things fitting with sound doctrine.

Let’s take a moment and draw a few observations from this verse. First, I want us to notice that this verse begins with the conjunction “but.” What does that mean? Well, this verse contrasts what we read at the end of the previous chapter. Let’s quickly look back at Titus 1:10-15

Titus 1:10–15NASB

There are many rebellious men, empty talkers, and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain. One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” This testimony is true. For this cause reprove them severely that they may be sound in the faith, not paying attention to Jewish myths and commandments of men who turn away from the truth. To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.

I will not expound much on this passage because we have already studied these verses; go check out the sermon on YouTube if you missed it. But we see here in Titus 1:10-15 that there were many false teachers in Crete teaching false doctrine to the churches. Teaching in a way that was upsetting whole families and turning people away from the truth, and they were doing it for money. They defile themselves with their teachings.

Paul is saying that these false teachers are teaching a different gospel.

They proclaimed a gospel that brought bondage rather than freedom.

They proclaimed a gospel of myths and the commandments of men rather than truth and the commandments of God.

So he says to Titus you be different. Don’t teach a false and damning message of the false teachers of the people but speak or proclaim the things fitting for sound doctrine. Titus 2:1

Titus 2:1 (NASB) But as for you, speakthe things which are fitting for sound doctrine.

Notice also that Paul tells Titus to speak the things fitting for sound doctrine. He says to speak the CSB uses the word proclaim. Notice what he does not say.

He does not say to live your life in a way fitting with sound doctrine.

He does not say to do good works in a way that is fitting with sound doctrine.

He says to speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine. As Christians, we should live Christ-honoring lives and do good works. But we tend to shrink back when we are presented with the opportunity to speak God’s Word. Because of the fear of man and wanting to fit in.

A famous quote is often attributed to a catholic preacher named St. Francis of Assisi. You may have heard it. It says, “Preach the gospel always; use words when necessary.” Have you heard that quote before? I get the sentiment behind the quote, and I believe there is some truth in it. But I think fully embracing that quote can give us an excuse to reject personal evangelism. And it tends to create a false dichotomy in our minds that gospel living is separate from gospel proclaiming.

You see, we cannot truly preach the gospel or live the gospel without speaking the gospel. The gospel is expressed in both deeds and words. It is necessary to live and proclaim the gospel.

I maintain that ultimately the only valid basis for personal work unless it is to degenerate into purely psychological treatment, is the true and sound preaching of the gospel, Preaching and Preachers, 40 David Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Paul writes in Romans 10:14-17

Romans 10:14–17NASB

How then shall they call upon Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? Just as it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring glad tidings of good things!” However, they did not all heed the glad tidings; for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our report? “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.

Faith comes by hearing, and we can’t listen to what is not spoken. God calls us to speak, not just live His Word.

Paul tells Titus to speak what is fitting with Sound Doctrine. Last observation, notice Paul isn’t just saying to speak anything. He says to speak what is fitting with sound doctrine. Titus 2:1

Titus 2:1NASB

But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine.

Paul is saying to Titus. Titus don’t just go to Crete and proclaim anything.

Don’t go there and proclaim your opinion.

Don’t go and proclaim the latest cultural trend.

Don’t go and proclaim politics.

Don’t go to Crete proclaiming a motivational message.

Don’t go to Crete proclaiming health and wealth.

Don’t go to Crete proclaiming a social cause.

No, Paul says to speak, proclaim, and teach what is fitting with sound doctrine.

The word sound in this verse means healthy, and doctrine means teaching. So, he is telling Titus to teach what is fitting, consistent, or in line with healthy teaching. Remember, Paul, contrasts what the false teachers were teaching at the end of chapter 1.

They were proclaiming an impure doctrine.

They were proclaiming a deceptive doctrine.

They proclaimed a doctrine of error with just enough truth to appear believable.

But you, Titus, proclaim what is fitting with sound doctrine, with healthy teaching. That is a teaching that is free from error or fallacy. Teaching that aligns with the gospel’s message aligns with the Word of God.

That means that when we think of Sound Doctrine, we must think along the line of what God said and what God meant. We strive to accurately and clearly teach God through His Word.

You know why there is a growing trend in Christians accepting unbiblical ideas, lack of evangelism, and biblical illiteracy. We have lost our delight in sound and healthy doctrine in our churches. This is why we see a rise in Godlessness in our culture and churches. We have rejected God's sound, healthy and biblical teachings and embrace Satan's unsound, unhealthy, unbiblical teaching.

1 Timothy 4:1

1 Timothy 4:1NASB

But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons,

If you are not embracing and delighting in sound doctrine, then you are adopting or paying attention to doctrines of demons. You are embracing teaching designed to keep you from God, designed to keep you from understanding and believing His truth, And have you doubt God’s Word.

That is Satan’s MO; he has been spreading his demonic teaching since the garden. He told Eve that she could be like God if she rejected His Word. It proved detrimental to them when she and Adam embraced Satan’s teaching. Satan is the father of lies. He desires to kill, steal and destroy.

When we reject sound doctrine and embrace unhealthy doctrine, we cause harm to our souls. One person said the wrong doctrine is bad for your soul.

Imagine if all you ate was a steady diet of chips, donuts, and ice cream. Just imagine that your diet consists of junk food. Imagine what kind of effect that would have on your physical health. It would be detrimental to your physical health.

In the same way, when you consume and pay attention to or embrace the bad doctrine. When you neglect the sound teaching from God’s Word will be detrimental to your spiritual health. Jesus said in Matthew 4:4

Matthew 4:4NASB

But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’”

Our very life stems from every Word that proceeds out of the mouth of God. When you read God’s Word and rightly understand and believe His Word. You will have life.

Your life consists of more than your physical flesh. You are body and spirit. To only feed your physical body but to neglect feed your spiritual man through God’s Word. Then you may be alive physically but spiritually you are dead or dying. You can’t live off of bread alone.

God desires that you have life. Jesus said that He came so that you may have life and life more abundantly. That’s eternal life. But remember we learned a few weeks ago that eternal life for the Christian begins the moment God through His grace saves us. God gives us eternal life. And Jesus reminds us what eternal life is in John 17:3.

John 17:3NASB

“And this is eternal life, that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent.

When we talk about sound doctrine and delighting in sound doctrine. It is more than just seeking to understand doctrines like soteriology, pneumatology or eschatology, or some big grand theological concept, which are good and glorious biblical doctrines to study. Sound doctrine is about knowing the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom He sent.

You see it is not enough to know about God. Some people know all the major theological doctrines of the bible. They have a doctor’s degree in biblical studies. But they don’t know God. The one true God and Jesus Christ whom He sent. Sound doctrine is about studying God’s Word. Growing in an accurate understanding of God’s Word. So that we can grow in our affection for the God of the Word. Amen.

He said, Titus 2:1

Titus 2:1NASB

But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine.

As we are talking about becoming a healthy church, note that a healthy church is made up of healthy Christians. One of our greatest desires for you as church leaders is that you delight in sound doctrine. But we are not naive. I understand that there is a lot of doctrine and teaching that you engage in daily. There are a lot of messages and teachers that you listen to week after week. Every day we are exposed to doctrine or teaching and some of it is sound and healthy and some are unsound and unhealthy. Some teachers and teaching have a pattern of good doctrine and some bad doctrine.

So, the question is how do I know when I am listening to good doctrine vs bad doctrine? How can I discern what teachers I should be listening to and which I should avoid? Because remember what you consume and embrace has a direct effect on your Christian life, growth, and maturity.

Rather than trying to specifically Identify teachers and teachings to avoid I’d want to spend the remainder of this message giving you four questions you should ask anytime you listen to a sermon, anytime you engage in a bible study, anytime you read a book or article.

Four questions you should consider even as you hear messages from this pulpit. We must be discerning Christians.

Question 1: Does the message you hear, or read promote a high view of scripture?

What do I mean? The Bible is God revealed Word. It is the source of all we need to live a life of godliness. Paul said in 2 Timothy 3:16-17

2 Timothy 3:16–17 NASB

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

When are you hearing message, you need to be asking yourself is what I’m hearing coming from the Word of God? The Bible. When Paul says that all scripture is inspired by God that means that it is God breathe. Meaning it is from God Himself to us. God used men and inspired them to communicate His Word. The Bible is literally God’s Word to us and is revealed the truth on how a man can become right with God and live a life of godliness.

So, when you hear a message, you need to ask yourself if this message promotes a high view of the bible. Does the message have the bible as its ultimate authority? Or does what you hear appeal to worldly authority and philosophies?

I know of many Christian counselors that appeals to the methods of Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung before they would the reveal Word of God.

I know of many preachers and pastors whose messages rely on worldly philosophy and wisdom that sound good but are not based on scripture. And watch this sometimes they will use scripture but it’s often out of context and used as a proof text to confirm the worldly philosophy.

I remember I saw a Christian calendar devotion from a so-called Christian ministry not sure of the ministry but probably a Word of Faith. This ministry was selling this calendar to Christians as a daily encouragement each day had a bible verse for Christians to read. One day a verse that came from Luke 4:7was written in the King James Version. I’ll read to you what it said in the KJV, “If thou wilt only worship me, all shall be thine.” Sound inspirational, that if you worship God all will be yours. The only problem is that when you go back to that verse and read it in its context. You will discover that that verse was Satan talking to Jesus in the desert. But it was used as a proof text, that if you would obey God and worship Him all things will be yours.

There are many teachers, preachers, and messages that promote worldly ideas and philosophy that hold a low view of God’s Word and often take God’s word out of context and twist it to promote a false unbiblical message. Paul said to be like the Berean Christians who always went back to the scriptures to test all that they heard. They had a high view of God’s Word.

When you hear a message, you should ask does the message promote a high view of scripture.

Question 2: Does the message encourage Spirit enabled God glorifying obedience to God’s Word?

One Christian author said that “Truth never stands on its own, but always has implications in life.” Tim Challies. The messages that you listen to should not end at the message but should always encourage God glorifying Spirit enable obedience.

True sound biblical doctrine does not stop with just a knowledge of the things of God. But it should affect your lifestyle. It should cause you to desire to obey God. How? By teaching you who God is. You see the more you know God the more you love Him. 1 John 4:8

1 John 4:8NASB

The one who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

Your love of God is directly related to your knowledge of Him. In the same way, your obedience to God is directly related to your knowledge of who He is.

You see when you learn how good God is. How Holy, Righteous, Merciful, and Gracious He is. When you study the attributes of God. When God by the power of His Spirit opens your eyes so that you can get a glimpse of who He is. It will cause you to worship Him. To love Him and to obey Him. Even though you can never in this life perfectly obey Him. When God quickens your spirit. When He illuminates your heart to who He is. You begin to see that you must obey God.

But here is the thing. You can’t do it. You can’t rightly obey God! Not in your own strength. That is why it must be Spirit Enable.

Often you will hear messages that tell us to obey God. Without teaching you who God is. You will hear messages to keep God’s commandments and do good works without God. It is really messages that encourage you to earn God’s favor by pulling yourself up by your bootstraps and keeping His commandment.

It like the pharisee, who laid heavy burden on people by teaching them that they must obey God and keep His commandments to earn His favor. This message leads to self-righteousness because it causes you to believe that you are somehow deserving of God’s grace because you are keeping His commandment.

Then you begin to look at others with judgement and as if you are better. That thinking is fuel by messages that teach works righteousness. That is that you earn you salvation by obeying God and you keep your salvation by continuing to obey God. That is not sound doctrine. You don’t earn your salvation it is a gift given to you freely. Ephesians 2:8-9

Ephesians 2:8–9NASB

For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast.

It is by grace we are saved not of works. If you didn’t work to earn your salvation. Then you do not work to keep your salvation. You see God does not want you to boast or brag that you did anything to earn your salvation. When you get to heaven, and someone asks you how did you get in? The only thing you can say is by God’s grace. You didn’t do anything to earn it and you don’t do anything to keep it.

When you understand that fact it should cause you to want to obey God not to be saved by because you are saved. Not for your glory but for God’s glory. All other religions without exception teach that you must do something to earn favor from God. Only biblical Christianity teaches Christ has done it all. That is the essence of the gospel.

Tim Keller explains the difference between these views in this way:

Religion says, “I obey – therefore I’m accepted.” The Gospel says, “I’m accepted – therefore I obey.”

God enables us by His Spirit to obey Him for His Glory. Ask your self does the message you are listening to encourage this truth.

Question 3: Does the message you hear promote a right understanding of sin and God’s Holiness?

When you listen to a message you need to ask yourself how is God being presented in what I am hearing? How is sin being presented?

Many of the messages that we hear in our pulpits today are void of a biblical teaching on human sinfulness, God’s Holiness. Many preachers simply avoid teaching messages on that subject. Or when the subject is taught. It is taught in such a way than minimizes sin. Or we will hear messages that present God as a personal coach. Or a sugar daddy that is made to grant all your desires. Rather than a Holy and righteous Judge of the whole universe.

When we talk about God’s Holiness, we are talking about the fact that God is separate and that he is completely set apart from sin. He is not like us. His Ways are not our ways. If there is one attribute of God that the bible seems to emphasize more than any other attribute in the whole bible is that God is Holy.

When you read the word holy in the bible as it relates to God it is often repeated 3 times. You often hear the phrase “Holy, Holy, Holy”

Isaiah 6:3 NASB

And one called out to another and said, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory.”

When the angel stand before the throne of they are not say, “Love, Love, Love.”

They are not saying, “Merciful, Merciful, Merciful.” They are not saying, "Powerful, Powerful, Powerful.” God is all those thing but the attribute that is emphasized by the angel before the throne is, “Holy, Holy, Holy.”

All scipture is about Jesus it all point to Him. It is centerned around Him. He is the main point of the bible. Yet often times you hear message that fail to mention Him. Or they place him as a footnote.

This means that the basis for joy is sound doctrine. James Montgomery Boice

Sound doctrine is not only true, you see, but also healthy or health-giving, and so it stands in contrast to doctrine that is toxic or noxious, to that which is inimical to the community’s well-being. Kevin J. Vanhoozer

Sound doctrine always has been, is today, and ever will be the foremost mark of the true church. Geoff Thomas