To the Elders ...

Text: Titus 1:5-9

Central Idea of the Text: As Paul has won people to Christ, he leaves Titus to organize the leadership of the church through the shepherding of elders.

Proposition: Every church, properly put in order, must have Godly elders.

Purpose: All followers of Christ should connect to a church with appointed & respected elders, praying for their leadership, submitting to their wisdom, and seeking a new generation of leaders that would be raised up.

Not every church that claims to be a church is a church.

Now I know that probably hits with some of you today like that is a judgmental, critical or competitive statement. But it really is not. It is simply an statement that is based on both the scripture and experience.

If you grabbed the local newspaper, you would note that our own community has the appearance of being super holy and Christian. I mean, we have 20 churches in our county, for crying out loud. Gotta be pretty holy and churched up in Nemaha county, right? A lot of bricks of old buildings and pews. A bunch of stained glass. Many square feet devoted to classrooms and education. Tons of hymnals. Several organs and pianos. 7000 people in the county, divided by 20 churches, figures to be about 350 in every church, right? I mean we are supposed to be living in a Christian country, and this county must be a Christian county.

But a realistic look at the religious landscape of the county gives as a more realistic and bleaker picture of the state of the church. Of the 20 churches in the county, only 7 have a full-time pastor (with 2 at this church). The bulk of the churches of the county have less than 50 in attendance on a Sunday. Many of the churches are very old and quite traditional, with aging memberships and long-standing traditions that must be clung to rather than adopting a growth mindset. The bulk also stick with the bare minimum of getting in a Sunday Worship, and (perhaps) a Sunday School hour. And they can hang on and languish in this state for DECADES. But those churches are on life support and will not last without God’s clarity, blessing and intervention.

Some who claim the title of church would claim to love God and his word, but their churches and the denominations that they are attached to seem to tell a different story. They have embraced progressive (devolutionary) views on the factuality of scripture, the purpose of pastors and preaching, the definitions of sexuality, gender and sin definitions of all kinds. And though all of these churches would differ in some smaller details of belief, there is a significant segment of these churches that have completely left the reservation with regard to practicing that resembles biblical Christianity.

Yes, there are a lot of churchy looking things here in Nemaha County and SE Nebraska. But there’s not near as much holiness, and faithful proclamation of the Word, and joyful songs from the people of God as we like to think there are. Yes, you are sitting in the church that has the most people sitting in the building for worship each week that exists in our county. But that is only by God’s grace and blessing, not our own work. I’m grateful, but it is not something that I wear as a badge of honor. It is a reminder as I look at the community surrounding us: we have more work to do. Establishing, growing and keeping healthy churches around us.

But you may ask: “Ok, Nate, what does a healthy church look like? And what separates a healthy church from a sickly, languishing and dying church?” Well, there are markers, and we have had to evaluate and continue to press ourselves forward in several areas:

There’s the obvious marker: attendance. Living and thriving things grow, and numbers do tell a story.

There’s the giving marker: As those who attend believe in the work and mission of the church, they freely give to support it.

There’s growth markers like baptism and membership. We desire to see people come to salvation and to grow in our number, and those are numbers by which we measure that movement.

There’s the service markers. Healthy churches see people connected and serving, using their gifts to bring glory to God and serve their church and community.

And there are the faithfulness markers. Healthy churches preach the Word. Their worship gatherings are centered on Christ and his cross in song and communing together.

But there’s one other thing that is quite crucial, that sets the true church apart from the pretenders, and Paul addresses it in today’s text. A healthy & thriving church must have shepherding leaders. Let’s see how Paul addresses that in today’s text: Titus 1:5-9:

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.

This is the Word of the Lord for us this morning.

Please pray with me: Dear Lord, we thank you for these words, and we thank you for the Spirit who inspired them to be written. We thank you for Jesus, who died to purchase his church, and we thank you for the provision and appointment of leaders to guide your church. Lord, we thank you for the godly men who help to shepherd us. We pray that you would be their help and strength, give them wisdom, guide them in their decision making, their teaching, and their example. Thank you Lord, for expressing your love and care through our leaders. We pray all this in Jesus’ name, amen.

We started last week to discuss the writer Paul, and his “child in the faith”, Titus. We noted that Paul is sending a personal letter to Titus that will be of benefit to ALL of the church. So as we said, the Grace and Peace of this letter are BOTH personal and corporate. We can expect to be personally guided and challenged, and we can expect that our church collectively will be pressed forward.

Now as we note this week, Paul says in verse 5 that he “left [Titus] in Crete.” Now that doesn’t mean that he abandoned him there. Titus is not stranded on this lsland of Crete. Some of you remember in Acts when Paul first visited this Island of Crete, ahead of a significant storm and shipwreck while he was on his way to Rome. When I made this sermon graphic for our series in Titus, I wasn’t simply thinking of Summer at the beach, but of this Island of Crete that Titus was left on to do the work assigned by Paul. This island of Crete is no small place. It was part of the Roman empire, sitting in the Mediterranean to the South of Greece and Asia Minor. The island overall is 160 miles long and 36 miles wide. It has a large 9000 ft mountain (Mt. Ida) in the middle of it. Because of the elevations, the majority of the population has lived on the north side of the island.

It was on Crete then that Paul leaves Titus, not to hang at the beach resort, but with tasks at hand, the first priority of which this week’s text covers: “to put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town.” Now what could Paul mean by this: “put what remained into order.” Well, when Paul would arrive, what did he do? He would preach. He would teach. He would call for responses of faith. He would baptize and would equip other disciples to baptize. In other words, he was doing the initial ground work of making disciples. But as we know, making disciples isn’t just a one time thing. Jesus said it was baptizing, and teaching them to obey everything he commanded. The Christians then who remained were supposed to keep meeting, growing and making disciples. It’s as if Paul has made a trip along the whole of the island to make converts, initial disciples. But the work of Titus (and of those he appoints) will be a work of taking the building materials Paul has left behind (new Christians) and building them TOGETHER as a church in each town. And that is what he means here by “each town.” Each place where there is a population of Christians is intended to have a church.

So the first order of business for those believers is for them to meet as we see the regular pattern in Acts 2:42. And as they meet, Titus is to walk alongside them as they appoint “elders” in each town. There are two words here in the text that are used generally for same thing. One is presbyteros, translated elder. The other is episkopos, translated Overseer. We should not let these terms throw us for a loop here, as Paul is not talking about two kinds of people, but one. These are, what we refer to as elders in our church. And elders are synonymous with Overseers, Shepherd, even pastors. And they are a high priority of the church, which is why Paul says here to Titus: do this first.

I would argue that having elders is so important to a church, that it is something that truly sets apart the contenders from the pretenders when it comes to recognizing where God is moving and working. A healthy and a growing church MUST have elders. That is a necessity. A church without biblical elders will ALWAYS flounder. And you currently are sitting in the pews among a people where we have sought to have an eldership for the bulk of this church’s (nearly) 150 years of existence. I would argue that the church has survived for this long because of God’s provision and blessing. But at the top of that pile of blessings? We have an eldership. It sets us apart and makes a much stronger congregation.

So who are these elders, and what are the marks of their resume that Paul outlines here? This morning we examine the elder’s resume in four realms:

His Household

One thing that we must discuss of front. Elders, as Paul instructs the church, are to be male. We know that because everything that Paul describes here is very specific to men. There is a longer discussion to be had here in this regard, which we do not have much time for. But Paul is clear that this office that he has in mind for the lead elders, they are to be men of God. When Paul speaks at other points to the role of women in the church, such as 1 Timothy 2:12, where he says that he does not permit a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man, or in 1 Cor 14:34, where he says that women should keep silent in the churches, these are not degrading things toward women, treating them as lesser than. Paul is not sexist, nor is he out of line with the heart of Jesus. Rather, it is Paul calling for the men of the church to STEP UP and not be passive. They must have faith in Christ, speak up about that faith, and lead their household well.

When it comes to this issue, I am often discussing it in premarital counseling as I work with couples that I am marrying, such as I did a couple times this past week. As we meet, we go back and examine the first marriage of Adam and Eve in Genesis 2, and the first sin and the fall of man in Genesis 3. There we see the issue in the created order and what responsibility God places on man and woman. Sometimes, when people go back and look at the fall, they think it is simply about a woman who was gullible and listened to a serpent. It was all her fault, and so her submitting to a man’s leadership is her getting put in the penalty box. But that is not the truth of the matter. Adam sinned against his wife. It could be argued that he committed the first sin. God gave him a command, and he did not properly communicate the command to his wife. When his wife misquoted God, he did not correct her. When she took the fruit and ate it, he did not defend her. And when she handed the fruit to Adam, he passively joined in. As God has saved us from our sin, and he shows us a new way to live and love like Jesus, he then causes us as both men and women to learn from these examples, to be transformed to look more like Jesus, and to submit to HIS will. And his will is this: there must be godly men, “above reproach” Paul says, found to shepherd. Does that mean perfect? No. But it does mean that when people who know this person are generally questioned, there are not glaring character issues, flaws or sinful details. It’s what we mean when we say: he’s reputable, honorable or trustworthy.

How to we see this “above reproach” quality in his life then? We see it in the order that God has placed over his household. He is “the “husband of one wife.” So, he is married. Is this some kind of bashing on the single people? No. But it is to say that unless you are some kind of eunuch, the desire of the vast majority of men ought to be to find a mate, make vows to her in marriage, and seek to establish a household together. This is the proper and godly channel for our sexual appetites, and it is what God’s intention for mankind shows for sexuality. Because of his marriage, he sets the example for other men as well. What does this mean then, “husband of one wife”? The more literal meaning here is a “one-woman man”. Now there is some discussion as to what is meant here. Certainly, it means that he is monogamously married. Certainly, it also means that he is very faithful to that one wife and there is no infidelity. What is less clearly defined is whether or not divorce is ever in that individual’s background (especially if that happened before he followed Christ). What should be noted at the core of the command is the desire for a displayed marital faithfulness. It does not mean they are perfect husbands, but that they keep returning, keep growing, keep forgiving and keep loving their wives. And their wives reflect the results of being loved by a faithful husband.

As well, their children “are believers, not open to charges of debauchery or insubordination.” Technically, this is not the best translation, as the word believers in the Greek is an adjective. A better way to say the meaning is that their children are faithful. When you look at the children that are being raised in his household, or have been raised, do you see a bunch of drunks and hooligans that hate their father and all authority? Do they constantly disobey and run from God? Or do they display the traits of children who are being trained and lovingly disciplined? As I have said before, we are the stewards of our children. Our homes are our first ministry. The outcomes in their lives are something that we have a bearing on and have contributed to. The Shepherds identified and appointed should display the traits of a well loved and stewarded home under Christ.

All in all, the elder must be first witnessed as someone who loves and has stewarded his family well for the Lord.

His Temperance

We will spend a bit less time on these next two traits of this leaders resume. That is not to say that they are less important. Verses 7 describe the temperance of the elder/overseer. Verse 7 says this overseer is God’s steward. Their role is to be entrusted for a time with leading that which is intended for him. Namely, his church. The people, NOT the buildings. The people, NOT the money. The people, NOT the staff. God is placing the sheep of his flock under their care for a time of his choosing. When church leadership becomes about everything but people, we have lost the plot. The buildings help give people places to meet. The finances help give the resources for people to meet. The staff helps provide key communcation and planning for the church to meet. BUT, this stewarding is about the people. And if the elder/overseer is to provide proper care in that stewardship, they must show it in the fact that they can lead THEMSELVES.

If you are going to be an effective and equitable leader in anything, then you MUST lead yourself well. And so Paul give a few characteristics of the proper temperance of the self-led/self-controlled leader. ...

Not arrogant. This is a learning to say no to pride, and to say yes to humility. They can look out for the needs of others over the needs of themselves. They aren’t constantly promoting their book or steering you to their website. This is more important than you may think. Over the years, I am sad to say that this is one of the biggest “disqualifiers” I have seen for those who desired to be an elder or a pastor. They desired it because of perceived status, because of notoriety, because they had a grandpa or dad that was an elder, or because they had come to view their status as a follower of Jesus as dependent on them holding the title/office of elder or pastor. But understand this, friends. I did not desire the office of pastor. It found me because of my service and faithfulness over time. It ought to be the same with all of our elders. They are not there because they desire it. Others desire to see them there. That is why Titus is to do the appointing and they are not self appointed.

Not quick tempered. This is to say that attitude and words display a recklessness of anger. If that is an attitude you struggle with, then you need others to lead you in their example and to learn how to NOT Get angry as a response to difficult issues or conflict.

Not drunk. The Bible is very clear that to be drunk is to be controlled by a substance, rather than to be controlled by the Spirit. Self-control leads us to say no to substance (even beyond alcohol) that would cloud our actions and judgment. It is a lack of control in this regard that leads us to many other sins.

No violent: Beyond the quick temper, this is the tendency to hurt people and break stuff. Physical violence is a good outward indicator that there is a certain lack of self-leadership going on the mind and heart of a man.

Not greedy for gain: In other words, he is a good steward of his money. He takes care of his family, is generous and not a hoarder of wealth. Because he will in some fashion be helping oversee the offerings of the flock, not one of these men should display a greed that benefits the self.

In each of these qualities, the elder/overseer is to display good leadership of himself, along with his household.

His Example

The third quality category, found in verse 8 gives several traits, but they all pertain to the example that the elder/overseer sets. As he is appointed over the church, the church will be looking to him for an example of how THEY ought to be living. If your shepherds are not walking in the example of Jesus, the good Shepherd, then they will be ineffective and unproductive, and they will lead God’s sheep astray. But this man of God ought to be showing an example to God’s people in several ways:

Hospitable: Now this can communicate both actions and attitudes. As we know hospitality can be something like inviting a bunch of strangers into your home, and treating them well. But it can also be an attitude that they have in the places they inhabit or share. Do they generally act standoffish and sour toward people? Or are they willing to shake a hand, say hello, learn your name, or get to know you better. We need hospitable leaders.

Lover of Good: To be the opposite of a lover of good would be to be a lover of evil. Which of those do you think our God desires for us. Paul tells us in Philippians 4:8 to think on such things that are: “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Those who lead us ought to be well informed and taught by good books, good songs, good media, and they ought to lead us to celebrate what is good.

Self-Controlled: We’ve already discussed this one to some degree, but it is again reiterated that the self-control of an elder/overseer is to be the model of self control for the congregation. As they do it, so will we follow.

Upright/Holy/Disciplined: The example of an elder/overseer ought to show what following Jesus Christ results in. We grow in doing what is right. We grow and increase in Holiness. We grow and increase in showing that we (ourselves) are disciplined, rather than being undisciplned. We read our Bibles. We pray. We do the work of being disciples.

The elder is to be the thermostat, rather than being the thermometer. If you’re a thermometer, you just tell the temperature of the room. If you’re a thermostat, you set the temperature, and the room follows. This is what the example of good elders accomplish. It sets the temperature for the life of the church that the church may follow in it. Which leads us finally to this … what is his key task?

His Task

His task, by Paul’s instructions, is threefold. Verse 9: Hold the Word. Teach the Word. Rebuke those who contradict the Word. We have said that his ministry is TO people. But his ministry and his stewardship are deeper than that. He is to be the steward that brings to bear the Word upon, before, and in protection of the church. In this, the Word is truly (as Paul puts it in Ephesians 6) the sword of the Spirit by which he is to guide and defend the flock of God. Therefore he must willingly:

Hold the word. The elder/overseer is not an author or inventor of the faith. If he has invented it, then he is not an elder/overseer; he is a cult leader. Instead, he is to hold to the word, the testimony that was handed to him. For me, here and now, that is this book and the words of this book. Paul’s admonition of Timothy in 2 Timothy 4:2 “2 preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.” This is true for those who are called to take the lead as elder/overseer among us.

Teach the word. It is not simply enough that I hold a book behind lock and key. The word is meant to be preached and taught. Not all elders can preach, but all elders should be able to teach basic biblical truth to the church, and point us toward Christ.

Rebuke those who contradict the word. I will readily admit that we don’t often think of this one, and I think it’s probably because we don’t often have people that are vocally protesting in our midst … telling lies and pushing myths. But this is the role of the elder/overseer … that if we see some sheep going astray, or if we see lies that are being spewed that distract the flock, we seek to speak up. I will say that for myself, there are likely occasions when one or the other of you may feel that is have been ungraceful or unloving toward a certain group of individuals or teachings. But I do so out of this need: to stand on truth and protect the flock. It’s what a elder/overseer that is worth their salt does.

To be a steward of the church is to be a steward of the Word. That is the calling and necessity of the elder/overseer.

Summary:

The Resume of the Elder appointed to be the steward of the Church is clear in these short 5 verses. His Household is to reflect the house where Christ is king and the family is well led and well loved. His temperance is to reflect that of a man who can lead himself well, so he may lead others well. His example is to be one that would set the tempo for the church to follow. And his task ought to reflect the knowledge and ability of one that can be entrusted with the Word of God. Paul summed it up in one word: the Man of God appointed as elder ought to be above reproach.

Reflecting back on your own life, faith and experience, and the place where we started this morning by evaluating the state of Christianity and the church as it exists around us, I want us to once again reflect on the markers of a healthy church. And I would ask: Do you want to know a church is healthy? Take a look at her leaders. Look at the pastor. Look at the elders. Are they upholding these biblical standards? Paul is not unclear here. He’s very clear and he echoes similar instructions to Timothy in 1 Tim 3. And so, the church ought to return to the word, heed God’s direction, appoint Godly men who will shepherd the church well, and live in a good pattern of both affirming and raising up leaders for the future of the church.

I want you to know that as I look around the room this morning, I’m grateful for the elders that are in the room with us this morning. I’m humbled and grateful to serve alongside them. They pray for me, support me, and their faith as I see it lived out in multiple ways inspires me. I pray that my preaching and leadership that God has appointed me to would guide them to be more like Jesus. We should all thank God for our godly elders.

But this sermon isn’t just for them this morning. It’s for all of us. What can you do to ensure that this is a thriving, living, growing church and that we will continue to have Godly overseers to guide us? 1. You can plug in with your church. As Christ moves on you, say yes to his call. Turn from your sin, name Jesus as savior and Lord. Be baptize. Be not simply an attender but a member here. 2. Pray for your elders. There is nothing about the task of being an elder that is easy, especially if you are going to do it well. It can be thankless at times. Pray that these men would remain strong in faith, bold in words and deed, and fully devoted to holy living. 3. Seek your elders guidance and wisdom. As others have seen these good qualities in these men, ask for prayer and guidance from them. They are here to support your faith. 4. Serve in a way that supports your elders. Not all can be elders. But all should contribute to the life of the church through your service. When you see a need or something missing, it’s very likely you may have a role to play in helping fill it. 5. Help identify new elders. As our elders serve and age, we must always be conscious of the next generation and who we see living in these patterns of Titus 1. If you see someone like that: it might be good to talk to an elder, and ask if they’ve noticed them too. And finally, 6. If you are ever called to serve as an elder, please give it careful consideration. The Lord doesn’t move upon the hearts of a praying group of elders for no reason. As they come to unity and agreement through prayer and discussion, please prayerfully consider their request and prompting.