Titus Sermon #8 3:9-11 (Set In Order) (When To Walk Away)

Text: Titus 3:9-11

Subject: How should believers respond to divisive people?

Complement: Believers must avoid foolish controversies, lovingly admonish divisive people, and reject those who refuse correction.

CIT:

A couple of months ago, I preached through Romans, and the very next day another pastor reached out to me.

He told me that I "hadn't preached the Bible, but something outside the Bible." The disagreement centered on whether Adam died spiritually the moment he ate the forbidden fruit.

We talked about it for quite a while. I answered his questions, showed him why I believed what I believed from the Scriptures, and tried to explain my position. But after a while, it became obvious that he wasn't looking for an answer.

No matter what Bible verses I gave, it wasn't enough. Every answer simply led to another disagreement.

Finally, I told him, "Brother, I think we're done with this conversation." But he kept going. Later, he wrote a lengthy paper explaining why he believed I was wrong and asked me to read it and tell him what I thought.

I opened the document, looked at the title, and realized nothing had changed. So I simply replied, "Brother, I'm done with the argument."

There comes a point where continuing the discussion accomplishes nothing. You're not helping anyone grow.

You're not getting any closer to the truth. You're simply feeding a quarrel. That's exactly what Paul is warning Titus about in Titus 3:9-11. There are some arguments that are profitable because they help us understand God's Word better.

But there are others that become foolish, unprofitable, and vain. Wisdom knows the difference—and sometimes the most spiritual thing you can say is, "Brother, I'm done with the argument."

He just liked to argue.

Paul is going to go from encouraging Titus and the church at Crete to now giving them warning on somethings to avoid.

If verse 8 is what Titus is to affirm, then verse 9 is what Titus is to avoid.

1.What should we avoid (v. 9)

Paul begins with a command: "But avoid." There are some things God says are not worth your time.

Then he gives us the list: "foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law."Why? "For they are unprofitable and vain." 

In other words, Paul is saying, "Titus, don't spend your ministry chasing arguments that accomplish nothing.

Don't waste your time, and don't waste the time of God's people."

This wasn't just a problem in Crete. But its a problem in our day an time now.

Paul gives the same warning to Timothy. In 1 Timothy 1:4 he warns against those who give heed to "fables and endless genealogies," 

because they produce questions rather than godly edifying.

Then in 2 Timothy 2:23-24, he says, "But foolish and unlearned questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes.

And the servant of the Lord must not strive." This was an ongoing concern for Paul because it is an ongoing problem in every generation.

Now, Paul is not saying that every controversy should be avoided.

There are times when the truth must be defended.

Paul himself contended for the gospel. He confronted false teachers.

He even withstood Peter to the face when the truth of the gospel was at stake.

Earlier in Titus 1:13, Paul told Titus to "rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith."

 So this is not a command to compromise the truth or to avoid every difficult conversation.

The difference is this: there is a difference between contending for the faith and being contentious. 

We are commanded to stand for the truth, but we are never commanded to love an argument.

If a discussion is leading people to Christ and strengthening the church, it's worth having.

But if it only produces strife, division, and endless debate, Paul says, "Avoid" it because "they are unprofitable and vain."

Difficult questions should be encouraged, because difficult questions may prove to be a legitimate avenue from ignorance to faith and to obedience.

How do we find things out if we don’t ask questions?

What about genealogies?

 Does Paul mean we should skip over the genealogies in our Bibles? Of course not.

The genealogies in Matthew and Luke are inspired by God.

They serve an important purpose.

They show us that Jesus Christ is the promised Messiah, the Son of David, the Seed of Abraham, and the rightful King.

They prove that Christ fulfilled God's promises in the Old Testament.

The problem wasn't the genealogies—it was what false teachers were doing with them.

They were taking something God intended to strengthen people's faith and twisting it into endless speculation and debate.

Instead of seeing Christ, they were inventing theories.

Instead of proclaiming the gospel, they were arguing over things God never intended.

We still see that today.

People become fascinated with hidden codes, secret meanings, conspiracies, and things the Bible never actually says.

They spend more time chasing speculation than studying Scripture.

contentions, and strivings about the law.

To understand what he means, we need to look back at Titus 1:10.

Paul has already warned Titus about "many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers." 

Notice that phrase, "vain talkers." They had plenty to say, but very little of it was profitable.

They loved arguments. They loved stirring up controversy.

They wanted to debate genealogies, quarrel over the Law, and keep people distracted from the truth.

Paul tells Titus, "Don't get drawn into it, and don't let your people get drawn into it either."

There will always be people who can produce a lot of hot air.

They always have a new theory, a new controversy, or some hidden interpretation that no one else has discovered.

And sadly, there will always be people who are eager to listen to it.

2. Who should we admonish? (v. 10)

Before we go any further, we need to be careful that we don't misunderstand what Paul is saying. 

A "heretick" in this passage is not simply someone who asks hard questions. 

God is not condemning sincere people who are trying to learn His Word.

There are people who ask difficult questions because they genuinely want to understand the Bible.

Those kinds of questions should be welcomed.

How does a new believer grow if he never asks questions?

How does someone move from confusion to conviction if they never ask, "What does this verse mean?" or "How do these passages fit together?" That's part of discipleship.

Paul is talking about something entirely different.

He is describing a person who is divisive.

This is someone who isn't interested in learning the truth; he's interested in winning an argument.

He doesn't ask questions to gain understanding—he asks questions to create controversy.

He isn't seeking unity; he's sowing division.

That's why Paul says, "A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject."

 The issue isn't honest questions; the issue is a hardened,

divisive spirit that refuses correction and continually disrupts the peace of the church.

Notice that there is even grace for the man that is an heretick

Notice the patience of God in this verse.

Paul says, "A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject." 

He doesn't say reject him after the first disagreement.

He doesn't say cast him out the moment he causes trouble. He says, "the first and second admonition." God gives opportunity for repentance.

And we should too!

Before we label someone as divisive, we must remember that only the Lord knows the heart.

 We cannot always tell, after one conversation, whether a person is honestly confused or deliberately causing division.

That's why Paul commands us to admonish him once, and then a second time.

The purpose of those admonitions is not condemnation but restoration.

We don't come with a baseball bat trying to drive him away; we come with the Word of God, lovingly seeking for restore him.

We say, "Man, what you're teaching is not according to the Scriptures. Do you see how this is creating division in the church?

I want to help you. I want to see you restored."

If he receives the admonition, praise the Lord—the goal has been accomplished.

But if he rejects both warnings and continues to stir up division, then Paul says there comes a time when he must be rejected.

Just as our Lord taught in Matthew, church discipline is always intended to restore the offender first.

Separation is never the first step; it is the final step when every loving effort has been refused.

3.When should we walk away?(v. 11)

There are three descriptions.

A. He is subverted

He has become twisted.

His thinking is warped.

He's no longer thinking biblically.

B. He sinneth

This isn't a one-time mistake.

He's continuing in sin.

C. He is condemned of himself

In other words,

After two warnings...

after opportunities to repent...

his refusal exposes him.

His own actions condemn him.

Rejecting someone doesn't mean we hate them.

It doesn't mean we gossip about them or become bitter toward them.

It simply means we recognize that they have rejected repeated biblical correction,

and for the sake of Christ's church, we can no longer allow them to continue sowing division. Even then,

our desire is still that one day they would repent and be restored.

Subject: According to Paul how should believers respond to divisive people?

Complement: Believers must protect the unity of the church by responding biblically to divisive people.

Conclusion:

Throughout this passage, Paul isn't teaching Titus how to win arguments.

He's teaching Titus how to protect the church.

The Devil would love nothing more than for churches to spend all of their time arguing about things that don't matter while the gospel sits on the sidelines.

Paul says...

Avoid foolish controversies.

Lovingly warn the divisive man.

If he refuses every opportunity to repent, reject him.

Why?

Because the unity of Christ's church is worth protecting.

I think back to that conversation I had with that pastor.

There came a point where another hour...

another phone call...

another paper...

wasn't going to produce repentance.

It was only going to produce another argument.

Sometimes the best thing you can say is,

"Brother...

I'm done with the argument."

I still love that preacher and I have nothing against him but there came a point where I had to say that’s enough.

Church, one of the things I love about this church is your spirit. You love one another.

You enjoy being together. There isn't a spirit of division here, and we ought to thank God for that.

But here's the reality: churches don't stay healthy by accident.

They stay healthy because God's people are committed to obeying passages like this one.

Paul isn't just telling us how to fix a divided church; he's telling us how to keep a healthy church healthy.

Our desire show be to make much of Jesus.

Are we doing that in our everyday life?