Lesson 7: Doctrine

Review

Dominion: Watch & Protect

Four Domains: Flesh, Church, Home, Work

Gospel: Sin has enslaved you. God is pursuing you. Jesus came to redeem you. Salvation saves and restores you.

Identity: (Who Am I?) Servant, Son, Friend, Lover

Assignment: Identify, Prioritize, Embrace our God-given Assignment

be fully present, do what is in front of us, & embrace inadequacy

Authority: Passivity & It’s Subtle Assault

Kingdom Authority- Walking Under & In

Walking In Authority: Standing, Leading, & Protecting

The Right Weapons & Attitude

Character: Blamelessness, Self-Control, Courage

Group Discussion

Question: How important is it for you to have firm convictions about what you believe?

Titus gives us a vision of men who are deeply rooted in the Word of God and apply great effort in seeking knowledge of God. To be the men God has called us to be, we must be deeply immersed in God’s Word.

Question: How would you summarize this verse in your own words?

Titus 1:9 “holding to the faithful message as taught, so that he will be able both to encourage with sound teaching and to refute those who contradict it.”

Question: It seems rare to find men in the church who apply themselves to diligent study of the Word. Why do you think that is? What is the hindrance to your deep study of God’s Word?

Every man has been called to grow in the grace and knowledge of Jesus Christ. Being godly men is not just about who we are, it is also about what we know. Paul made it clear he wants every man in the church to be sound in the faith.

Titus 1:13 “This testimony is true. For this reason, rebuke them sharply, so that they may be sound in the faith”

Sound Doctrine and Fruitful Action: There is a clear connection between thinking right and doing right. Those who know God are better equipped to serve God. If God is of greatest value, He deserves our greatest thought.

Question: Why does right knowledge of God lead to more fruitful action for God? Why is a deep knowledge of God and His Word so important for men?

Question: Think back to your domains. How would you be further equipped to take dominion in those areas of life if you knew the Word of God better?

Deeply Rooted

Psalm 1 “How happy is the one who does not walk in the advice of the wicked or stand in the pathway with sinners or sit in the company of mockers! Instead, his delight is in the Lord’s instruction, and he meditates on it day and night. He is like a tree planted beside flowing streams that bears its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers. The wicked are not like this; instead, they are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand up in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to ruin.”

The idea of being “rooted” like an old oak tree is essential in the pursuit of godliness. One of Paul’s most frequent exhortations was to “stand firm in the faith.” It is impossible to stand firm if you are not deeply rooted.

Question: According to Psalm 1, how do we become deeply rooted?

Years of consistent meditation, memorization, reading, and study of God’s Word. A man who is unwilling to dedicate himself to consistent time in the Word of God will never be a godly man.

Every man should want to be “like a tree, planted by streams of water, that yields its fruit in season, and its leaf does not wither? In all that he does, he prospers” (v. 3). What could be better than that? What a joy to know you lived in a way that produced fruit and prospered in every area. That life is not just possible, it is promised. But only to those who will take God’s Word seriously. It is promised to those who don’t just read the Word but meditate on it and store it deep in our hearts.

Question: What does a man need to become the man described in Psalm 1? What must a man avoid to be the man described in Psalm 1?

Sound Doctrine

Titus 1:10–16 “For there are many rebellious people, full of empty talk and deception, especially those from the circumcision party. It is necessary to silence them; they are ruining entire households by teaching what they shouldn’t in order to get money dishonestly. One of their very own prophets said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” This testimony is true. For this reason, rebuke them sharply, so that they may be sound in the faith and may not pay attention to Jewish myths and the commands of people who reject the truth. To the pure, everything is pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; in fact, both their mind and conscience are defiled. They claim to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, and unfit for any good work.”

Question: Titus 1:10-16 shows the damaging effects of men who do not have sound doctrine? What were the effects on the church as Paul saw it?

Where “trustworthy word” might refer to God’s revelation in His Word, “doctrine” would refer to the specific truths contained in the Word. To have “sound doctrine” means you have doctrine that leads to life—doctrine that heals, nurtures, and feeds.

The vision for manhood here is that every man seeks not only to read and understand the Bible but to have a good working knowledge of the major truths of God’s Word. Not to settle for a surface understanding but like looking for gold and silver, we should mine God’s word and have a deep understanding of his words and how it can aid in our dominion.

Question: How have you seen a lack of sound doctrine affect families and churches? How have you seen it aid in the health of families and churches?

Four Reasons You Need Doctrine

Titus 2:11–15 “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts and to live in a sensible, righteous, and godly way in the present age, while we wait for the blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. He gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for himself a people for his own possession, eager to do good works. Proclaim these things; encourage and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.”

You need doctrine to understand the gospel.

God sent His Son into this world to save sinners. But there is so much beauty, glory, and life-forming truth in this summary of the gospel: seeing Jesus as the appearing of God’s grace; understanding how the gospel not only saves us but also trains us; knowing the hope that awaits us when Jesus returns; feeling the weight, cost, and joy of redemption; realizing God is gathering for Himself a distinct people who manifest His glory through their good works.

The gospel does not just save us; the gospel changes us, forms us, empowers us, and infuses us with hope for today.

You need doctrine to understand the Bible.

Most people do not know the basic storyline of the Bible. They do not see the Bible as one united story of God’s plan to save His people by the sacrifice of His Son. If you do not understand the basic storyline of the Bible, you will misunderstand, misinterpret, and often be confused by most of the Bible.

You need doctrine to be able to teach the Word.

Although God has not called every man to be a pastor, he has called every man, in some form or fashion, to teach the Word.

You teach the Word when you share the gospel with an unbeliever. You teach the Word when you get into a discussion about creation, sexuality, ethics, or marriage. You teach the Word when a coworker, classmate, or friend asks you any question about God. You teach the Word when you lead your family in devotions. This is certainly true for fathers. The primary place for theological instruction is in the home (Deuteronomy 6). This means every father must know how to teach the Word.

We need to know how to engage in conversations about sexual ethics, the sanctity of marriage and human life, and discerning truth from lies. Every man must seek to be a protector of the truth.

You need doctrine so you can guard the truth.

We need to know how to engage in conversations about sexual ethics, the sanctity of marriage and human life, and discerning truth from lies. Every man must seek to be a protector of the truth.

Proverbs 3:13–18 “Happy is a man who finds wisdom and who acquires understanding, for she is more profitable than silver, and her revenue is better than gold. She is more precious than jewels; nothing you desire can equal her. Long life is in her right hand; in her left, riches and honor. Her ways are pleasant, and all her paths, peaceful. She is a tree of life to those who embrace her, and those who hold on to her are happy.”

Growing in Doctrine requires Desire

nothing we desire compares in value to the knowledge of God. Some of you already feel that desire. If so, praise the Lord. If you do not, pray for it. Desire comes from God. God will give you this desire if you ask for it and seek it. Ask God to give you a passion and longing for truth.

Desire leads to Discipline

We discipline ourselves for godliness. There is no growth in any area of life without discipline. Desiring to lose weight has never made anyone skinny. 1

Timothy 4:7–8 “But have nothing to do with pointless and silly myths. Rather, train yourself in godliness. For the training of the body has limited benefit, but godliness is beneficial in every way, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”

Discipline requires Commitment

Run to the Bible. No area of our life will grow unless we are committed to regular time in God’s Word. Start with a chapter a day, but don’t stop there. Consume the Word. Treat it like the treasure it is. Go after it.