Sermon Tone Analysis

*Looking for a Few Godly Men in the Home (Titus 1:6)*

/Preached by Pastor Phil Layton at Gold Country Baptist Church on May 25, 2008/

www.goldcountrybaptist.org

Last weekend, America recognized Armed Forces Day (5~/17~/2008).

Tomorrow marks Memorial Day here in the US.

Formerly known as Decoration Day, this holiday commemorates U.S. men and women who have died in military service to their country.

It began first to honor Union soldiers who died during the American Civil War.

After World War I, it was expanded for wars in general and after WWII its name and current place on our calendar became official (last Monday of May).

As I stand here, Greg Ross, one of our deacons and a faithful godly man is travelling across the US as a chaplain for a group of bikers driving across the country supporting veterans and increasing veterans awareness and they are meeting with many thousands of men like them in our nation’s capitol.

You can pray for Greg as he has opportunities there and back to minister to fellow veterans and to share the gospel with grace and clarity if and when he can.

This evening, Tim Thompson, a chaplain we support in our community, will be giving the message in our evening service.

Tim is himself a veteran of multiple wars and a good man of God who ministers to men in uniform who fight to keep us safe.

We are very blessed here at this church to have so many among us who are veterans in the US Armed Forces, brave soldiers who served our country so sacrificially for these freedoms we enjoy today who are also men of God.

We have young people from our church family either in the process of training or already serving our country in similar ways, and to all of you, we express our deepest admiration and appreciation and affection.

Many of the motto’s and slogans of the Armed Forces are familiar to us – one in particular that I want to borrow for the title of our message today “Wanted: Looking for a Few Good Men.”

The US Marine Corps are not perfect men, but recruits must be men pursuing all the requirements and doing whatever it would take to make them one of those few good men that are wanted and needed.

Marines have to learn self discipline, self-denial, allegiance to the Commander, submission to authority, following orders whether they feel like it or not, commitment, endurance, loyalty, integrity.

Each of those are qualities that should be in all, not just Marines, but in the end there are few, not many, that meet the standard.

Have you ever wondered just where and when that familiar phrase, "A Few Good Men," came into being?

Maybe World War I or II, Korea, the Cold War? Was it from Madison Avenue, or a media advertising campaign or modern public relations ploy?

Actually it was very early in US history in the 1700s, according to BGen Edwin H. Simmons' book, /The United States Marines, A History /(Naval Institute Press, 1998), p. 17:

"William Jones, captain of Marines in Providence, Rhode Island (the 28-gun frigate) then at Boston, advertised in the 20 March 1779 Providence Gazette the need for ‘a few good Men’ to engage … [this] gave the Marine Corps a recruiting slogan it would be using two hundred [plus] years later.

"

This Sunday before Memorial Day is fitting in God’s Providence that the next verse in our study in Titus – Titus 1:6 – is a passage that begins to discuss the few good men God is looking for in His army.

To be more precise, God is “looking for a few godly men.”

And Titus 1 gives us the character of a godly soldier leading others in the Lord’s Army.

This text gives us the orders from our heavenly Commander-in-Chief as to what type of men He wants in His army, which has a place for all of us.

Some are on the front-lines, some are at home, and while there’s equality in Christ, there are different roles.

All of us should be seeking to live up to the standards we will be looking at in God’s Word, but to have a leadership role, these are requirements for the few good men God’s looking for to be leading each local division in the Lord’s Army.

The Apostle Paul is writing this letter to his able delegate, a young corporal or lieutenant, if you will, named Titus.

Titus is serving as a soldier, an apostolic ambassador on the island.

Titus has been left in Crete, really in the trenches of spiritual warfare, on an island that was famous for its deception and immoral sinful living.

HIS MISSION: Be faithful to the Commander-in-Chief and be finding faithful men who live up to the code of conduct he’s been given here.

Each local regiment (church) needs a few /godly/ men

 

Titus 1:5-9 (/NKJV/) \\ *5 **For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you—** \\ 6 **if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination.**

\\ 7 **For a bishop [overseer] must be blameless, as a steward of God, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money,** \\ 8 **but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober-minded, just, holy, self-controlled,** \\ 9 **holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict.* \\ \\

These are the marching orders for these men.

Verse 5 says this is what is commanded – a strong word in the language – these are not suggestions or tips or ideas or man’s opinions.

This is the inspired Word from our Living God, our Commander-in-Chief.

/ /

*/VERSE 6 GIVES US 3 QUALITIES OF THE “FEW GODLY MEN” GOD IS LOOKING FOR TO LEAD HIS TROOPS:/*

* *

*1.

FAULTLESS CHARACTER*

*2.

FIDELITY IN MARRIAGE*

*3.

FAITHFUL CHILDREN*

 

These principles are not just for elders, in fact elders are to be an example of these qualities because that’s what God wants all of us to be like.

Basically every quality listed in these verses is also God’s will for every believer according to other passages that use the same phrases, so you can’t relax here or think this isn’t for you.

These character qualities are not just for men, either, so you ladies can’t relax either.

The general principles here of these godly men are for all God’s people – men or woman, young or old, all of us need to be pursuing a faultless character.

All of us need to be pursuing faithfulness in marriage and being a faithful parent, if we’re married and blessed with kids.

If we’re not married, we still need to be faithful and pure as well, and single men need to be developing this character of a godly man in this passage.

Young ladies should be looking for this type of man for a relationship.

Not a perfect man, but a man pursuing and evidencing these developing qualities.

If I could summarize the message of verse 6 in one sentence: /Be Faultless in your character, and be Faithful in your home./

And as we’ll see in Titus 1:6, when God comes looking for a “few good men” to lead in the church, He looks first not at the outward appearance or ability, God looks at the heart, the character.

Verse 6 says “*if any man is blameless*” or “*above reproach*”

Or some have “unquestionable integrity.”

I like “unimpeachable”

* *

*1.

FAULTLESS CHARACTER*

The term emphasizes a character without observable obvious faults that would disgrace the Lord and disqualify from public ministry.

This word literally means “nothing to take hold upon” and has the idea of an accusation that can indict him of grevious sin.

“Any man” speaks of the /gender requirement /for elders; this next phrase is the /general requirement/: “above reproach” ~/ “blameless”

 

This is the over-arching requirement.

In fact, the rest of the phrases in this passage explain what this means in specific areas of life.

v. 7 says it again and more emphatically "he MUST"

v. 6 verb “is” occurs in the Greek present tense

The grammar indicates current and continual character, not distant past blamelessness, especially not before Christ.

But as a Christian and church servant he has demonstrated a pattern of godly character, there is no glaring blame that could lead to impeachment (contrast US presidents whose character did not match this verse)

 

The word’s definition signifies that which cannot be called to account.

It means having no blot on one's life for which one could be accused, arraigned, and disqualified.

It means there is nothing laid to one’s charge (as the result of public investigation).

It is not simply an acquittal but the absence of even a valid accusation.

Martin Luther wrote on this phrase: ‘According to the list Paul makes, [the elder] should not have public guilt which causes people to stumble.

Paul is referring to public vices which can be made the subject of an accusation.

But this does not mean, does it, that they should be without any guilt at all, without any flesh and blood?’ [i.e., Elders must still be human beings][1]

John Calvin wrote: ‘When he says … must be /blameless, /he does not mean one who is exempt from every vice, (for no such person could at any time be found,) but one who is marked by no disgrace that would lessen his authority.

He means, therefore, that he shall be a man of unblemished reputation.’[2]

This is a leader you cannot impeach.

In the words of another modern writer: "As such, a man would not be open to attack or criticism in terms of Christian life in general or in terms of the characteristics that Paul goes on to name.

This does not mean that an elder must be perfect, but it may be fairly said that each named characteristic marks his life."[3]

All men have faults, but this means no fatal fault in his character or integrity, no blame or reproach that disqualifies him from effective leadership.

It does not mean he’s /sinless/, which no man is, but a godly man should /sin less/ in these areas listed in these verses.

And where and when he does fail and fall short, his reputation and character is such that he repents and is known for turning from evil rather than having evil mark his life.

Thus he avoids reproach.

The patriarch Job was known as a godly elder in his society, and the opening verse of the book of Job makes this clear.

Job 1:1 (NASB95) “There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job; and that man was *blameless*, upright, fearing God and *turning away from evil*.” \\ \\

Can God say the same of you or me?

 

GOD IS LOOKING FOR A FEW GOOD MEN, A FEW BLAMELESS /GODLY/ MEN.

WHERE DOES HE LOOK FIRST?

The message of Titus 1:6 tells us it starts in the HOME …

 

*2.

FIDELITY IN MARRIAGE*

*“blameless, the husband of one wife”*

 

I believe fidelity as a husband is what this phrase emphasizes, but there has been much controversy through the centuries about what exactly this phrase means (forbidding polygamy, singleness as bachelor ~/ widower, 2nd wife in life, divorce, remarriage, adultery, infidelity?)

/ /

/TURN TO 1 TIMOTHY 3 TO SEE WHERE ELSE IT OCCURS/

 

1 Timothy 3:2 “A bishop, then [word for overseer ~/ elder], must be *blameless*, the *husband of one wife* …

 

He must be blameless or pure in his marriage first and foremost.

It’s no coincidence that this order is consistent in both Timothy and Titus, because:

- if a man’s character and integrity can’t sustain a faithful commitment to his bride he loves no matter what, he’s the type of man who will also do the same with a commitment to the church

- if a Christian man does not keep his marital vows before God, how can we be confident this man will keep ministerial vows before men?

- if a man cannot be faithful to his bride, why would Christ entrust His beloved bride the church to such a man’s care?

 

~*Notice in both passages dealing with elder qualifications, it begins with “above reproach” (general overall summary statement) and then the first specific requirement or example or elaboration in both lists has to do with his marital life, his relation to women

 

1 Timothy 3:10-12 (NKJV) \\ 10 But let these also first be *tested*; then let them serve as deacons, being found *blameless.*

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