Corrupt Leadership and the Transformational Church

Titus 1:10-16

Thesis: A transformational Church acts in the face of corrupt leadership for the sake of the sheep, to stand for the truth of the gospel, and for the reputation of Christ in the world.

Introduction

Names like...Ravi Zacharias, Bill Hybels, Mark Driscoll, and the names that the Southern Baptist Convention released in 2022 which included over 700 entries from cases involving sexual abuse are witnesses of the reality of sinful corruption harming God’s Church. Financial corruption, racial sins, false teaching, abuse, and more have been rightfully highlighted by our culture. Which makes passages like what we have today so critical to being a truly transformational Church.

How we handle the wolves says a lot about who we are as the sheep and who our God is as the Shepherd. (repeat)

Series Context: We have begun a series that we have titled “The Transformational” Church. Nate opened it by examining Paul’s call to install Pastors in Crete that will be influential leaders due to their upstanding character. That true leadership is found in godly influence and not grasping to position and authority.

Today’s Direction: In today’s passage we see the other side of the coin. After dealing with what good leadership is Paul confronts the corrupt leadership that is present in the Church. Today’s passage is just as critical to being a transformational Church as last weeks. It reminds us that we must guard ourselves carefully.

Today we will see that… SLIDE 1: “A transformational Church acts in the face of corrupt leadership for the sake of the sheep, to stand for the truth of the gospel, and for the reputation of Christ in the world”

Setting and Conflict Paul is Dealing with:

The New International Version Chapter 1

This saying is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith 14 and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the merely human commands of those who reject the truth. 15 To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted.

Teaching Falsehood — That is what Paul is dealing with and he addresses what they are saying that is harmful in the end of verse 10, and 13-15.

Circumcision as necessary for the experience of God’s grace

Following purity laws to add to the purity Christians have in Christ

Other unknown laws or rules that the leaders were saying

Hypocrisy — Paul also calls out their hypocrisy which is just as harmful to the Church as their false teaching. “They claim to know God, but by their actions...” - vs 16

Situational Qualifications: Paul instructs Titus to do some hard work in confronting these corrupt leaders. Now, in working through this passage there are some challenges. You and I are not necessarily Titus. Titus was sent by an Apostle to shut some things down. How you and I, the Elders and Pastors, apply this passage is not as simple as “Titus did this so you and I do that.”

“A transformational Church acts in the face of corrupt leadership...”

“For” good leadership must be appointed because empty leadership voids are often filled by people that will damage and harm the Church.

Defining corrupt leadership according to Paul:

“Rebellious people” (vs 10) — from within the ranks of Christians who at some point (seemingly) submitted to the gospel and are now, through their teaching and actions, are rebelling against God and His Gospel.

“Meaningless talk” (vs 10) — communicating ideas not informed by the truth of the gospel, sound doctrine, and the revelation of God’s Word. This word that is used would bring to mind pagans and idolaters for the Jewish audience. Strong words.

“deception” (vs 10) — falsehood deceives. Truth in opposition to the gospel fools God’s people and causes great harm.

False teachers look like the world and bring shame to the name of Christ (vs 12). The false teachers are acting like the poor reputation that the Cretans have. False teachers live up to the standards of a fallen world.

“for the sake of dishonest gain.” (vs 11) Their hearts are in it for wicked reasons.

Hypocrites in word and deed (vs 16). — The strongest words by Paul against the corrupt leadership. (Read vs. 16)

Defining a Christ-Honoring Response according to Paul:

Qualifications: This is a very specific call to action. We will see this in a minute. These are just as important as the calls to action.

“They must be silenced” (11a) The goal is to silence their destructive teaching and the words they speak in leadership. A transformed Church cannot tolerate corrupt leadership and must take action. The poison of falsehood must be silenced.

“Rebuke them sharply so that they will be sound in faith.” The word rebuke and the so that point to a restorative goal in this. Yes, we must act those spreading poisonous anti-gospel lies. But the goal is not to put them outside the fold but to bring them closer to the truth of the gospel and to restore truth-bound, loving UNITY.

SLIDE 2: Corrupt leaders sow disunity and harm through false teaching and hypocrisy.

“…for the sake of the sheep...”

Paul calls Titus and the Cretan Churches to silence, rebuke, and restore the false teachers for the sake of the spiritual health of God’s people. “because they are disrupting whole households”. This is not referring primarily families but to houses that Churches have been assembling in. The sheep are being disrupted. Conflict, falsehood, disunity, and false beliefs about God abound because of the leadership.

Paul focuses this kind of strong action around the truth of the gospel and the spiritual health of the sheep.

SLIDE 3: The action we take to rebuke corrupt leadership is always for the sake of the sheep. It is not about our personal vendetta. It is about protecting the sheep from a false gospel.

“…for the truth of the gospel...”

“circumcision group...so that they will be sound in faith…of those who reject the truth”. The falsehood is not a secondary disagreement. The falsehood being promoted strikes right at the gospel.

These strong words and Paul’s strong instruction to act is because the gospel (the central truths of our faith) is being corrupted and people are being led astray.

Things these verses cannot be used to justify:

Social media firestorms and condemnation against “them”.

Public shame and witch hunt for your personal soap box.

Personal satisfaction and personal agendas not related to.

“and for the reputation of Christ in the world.”

Read verses 12, 16.

Image-Bearing Leadership

Bearing Christ’s Image

Bearing the World’s Image

Both are connected to how God is reflected by His Church in our world.

People could say things like: “Christians are no different, they are just like any other Cretan.”

SLIDE 4: Paul asks Titus to do the hard work of confronting and restoring those leaders harming God’s Church because His own reputation in the world is at stake.

SLIDE 5: Application and Questions for Consideration

I have great confidence in our Elders and Pastoral staff. Their teaching and their lives demonstrate whole-hearted devotion to the Lord and a commitment to His Gospel.

How can we help care for the wounds of those who have been hurt in the name of Christ?

Do we contribute to the problem we see locally, nationally, and globally?

Are we mature enough to spot the problem?

Are we brave enough to address the problem well?

Are we wise enough to know when to either: step forward in godly rebuke, ask questions curiously, or when to live in unity because it just isn’t important enough?