Stay on Target (2)

## Start Recording

Stay On Target

Titus 3:9-15

## Introduction

## READ

Titus 3:9–15 ESV

9 But avoid foolish controversies, genealogies, dissensions, and quarrels about the law, for they are unprofitable and worthless. 10 As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him, 11 knowing that such a person is warped and sinful; he is self-condemned. 12 When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, do your best to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there. 13 Do your best to speed Zenas the lawyer and Apollos on their way; see that they lack nothing. 14 And let our people learn to devote themselves to good works, so as to help cases of urgent need, and not be unfruitful. 15 All who are with me send greetings to you. Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all.

## PRAY

One of the most overlooked and avoided by modern churches is the issue of church discipline. This is evidenced by bloated church roles containing names of people who the church once recognized as Christians who have drifted away and in many cases we don’t know if they are even walking with the Lord.

It is wild to think that we have so neglected this issue when scripture contains so many references to dealing with sin among the church. Let’s take a look at a few.

Matthew 18:15–20 ESV

15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. 16 But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 17 If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. 18 Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. 19 Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. 20 For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.”

Romans 16:17–18 ESV

17 I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them. 18 For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ, but their own appetites, and by smooth talk and flattery they deceive the hearts of the naive.

1 Corinthians 5:1–13 ESV

1 It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife. 2 And you are arrogant! Ought you not rather to mourn? Let him who has done this be removed from among you. 3 For though absent in body, I am present in spirit; and as if present, I have already pronounced judgment on the one who did such a thing. 4 When you are assembled in the name of the Lord Jesus and my spirit is present, with the power of our Lord Jesus, 5 you are to deliver this man to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that his spirit may be saved in the day of the Lord. 6 Your boasting is not good. Do you not know that a little leaven leavens the whole lump? 7 Cleanse out the old leaven that you may be a new lump, as you really are unleavened. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. 8 Let us therefore celebrate the festival, not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 9 I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people— 10 not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. 11 But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. 12 For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? 13 God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.”

2 Corinthians 2:5–11 ESV

5 Now if anyone has caused pain, he has caused it not to me, but in some measure—not to put it too severely—to all of you. 6 For such a one, this punishment by the majority is enough, 7 so you should rather turn to forgive and comfort him, or he may be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. 8 So I beg you to reaffirm your love for him. 9 For this is why I wrote, that I might test you and know whether you are obedient in everything. 10 Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. Indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, has been for your sake in the presence of Christ, 11 so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs.

2 Corinthians 13:1–3 ESV

1 This is the third time I am coming to you. Every charge must be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. 2 I warned those who sinned before and all the others, and I warn them now while absent, as I did when present on my second visit, that if I come again I will not spare them— 3 since you seek proof that Christ is speaking in me. He is not weak in dealing with you, but is powerful among you.

Galatians 6:1–2 ESV

1 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

2 Thessalonians 3:6–12 ESV

6 Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us. 7 For you yourselves know how you ought to imitate us, because we were not idle when we were with you, 8 nor did we eat anyone’s bread without paying for it, but with toil and labor we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you. 9 It was not because we do not have that right, but to give you in ourselves an example to imitate. 10 For even when we were with you, we would give you this command: If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat. 11 For we hear that some among you walk in idleness, not busy at work, but busybodies. 12 Now such persons we command and encourage in the Lord Jesus Christ to do their work quietly and to earn their own living.

One scholar gives four reasons why this topic is not practiced with more Biblical fervency in Churches, today.

1. We have lost our theological nerve.

2. We have been overcome by moral compromise.

3. We are biblically illiterate.

4. Practical expediency and personal ambition

As Paul gets into this, he is drawing a sharp contrast from charging Titus to insist on good works in the lives of the people to this section dealing with troublemakers. Part of staying focused on the mission is not letting ourselves get carried away into these meaningless arguments.

Church disciple is part of discipleship.

Important: The goal is restoration, not punishment.

I. You must exercise church discipline.

The churches in Crete were dealing with false teachers and in particular, the Judaizers who were adding to the requirement for salvation. They espoused a “Jesus plus” faith. The wanted to force those who were not Jewish to abide by Jewish laws such as circumcision in addition to believing in Jesus for salvation. Paul very clearly and sternly tells Titus how to deal with them.

He tells Timothy to avoid:

1. Foolish controversies (debates) - They are foolish. When aberrant theology rears its head, we must deal with it quickly and swiftly because of it’s danger to the church.

2. Genealogies - These who saw themselves as theological know it alls, if left unchecked would tear up whole households. They created mythologies based on parts of these genealogies. We are commanded not to debate these within the church (note this is in the context of the church, not in relation to apologetics), but to denounce them and dismiss them.

3. Dissensions -

4. Quarrels about the law -

The goal of avoiding these is to bring to light their sin and their error. It’s redemptive and restorative. And this action by the church is not optional but essential to the health of the local church.

They are unwise and unprofitable. These quarrels and debates, dissections, and wild myths that these teachers would espouse don’t do anyone any good. It’s because they are false. They advocate a faith plus, Jesus plus, the word plus kind of theological agenda and it leads to destruction.

II. When to reject the divisive person.

Paul advocates a rejection of the decisive person. The word there is sometimes translated WARN. The decisive person is someone who John MacArthur says is

> “a law unto himself and has no concern for spiritual truth or unity.”

Sin is deceptive. The person here has become their own judge and feels no accountability to anyone. They have decided that their thoughts are worth dividing over. Sin’s goal is destruction and it can do serious damage among a community of believers.

As a pastor I have the benefit of dealing with these things pastorally and not personally. Church discipline is to be done out of love for the person and with respect to the sin they are trapped in but not personally against a person. I get to refuse to engage in unnecessary arguments and debates. Sometimes that is difficult.

As the stakes rise, the response must rise as well. The divisive person, the theologically erring person must be disciplined. Paul says to warn them once, warn them twice, and then have nothing more to do them. What Paul lays out is basically a summarized version of Jesus’ process from Matthew 18.

Listen: You may not like this. You may say you disagree with me on this but I must tell you this: You are not disagreeing with me. You are disagreeing with the Word of God and the very process that the Lord lays out for us to deal with divisive people among us. Is it messy? Yes. Do people always respond with repentance and are the relationships always restored? No. But that is the goal. And it doesn’t exempt us from obedience. See that connection again in Titus? It’s the connection between what you believe (the Bible is the very Word of God) and what you practice or live.

Why do you suppose we can’t just let this person run around in their sin while still participating without any type of accountability in the life of the church?

This person is:

1. Warped

2. Sinful

3. Self Condemned - In his attitude and action he is without excuse. He’s passing judgement on himself by continuing in his sin.

Danny Akin writes,

>“ …he may not see it, for he is warped, twisted, self deceived. He may even attempt to use Scripture to justify his sin. Often he will claim the leading of the Spirit and sometimes even the providence of God. There are times when he may even say, “My head tells me this is wrong, but my heart tells me it was never more right.” - Danny Akin

>

Does this sound familiar to you? This happens all the time. They must be confronted with grief, humility, self-examination, and a broken heart. Confront and if necessary shun and reject them.

According to Paul in I Corinthians 5, we are to turn the unrepentant person who gets to the far point in this process to turn them over to Satan in the hopes that the Lord will bring him to brokenness and repentance…thereby giving evidence that he really is God’s child.

Please hear the heart behind this.

III. Words of farewell to Titus.

In verses 12-15 Paul gives some final words of greeting to Titus. He goes through some of the upcoming ministry movements.

A. Follow the Leader

- listen to their advice

- Lend your assistance

B. Maintain bearing fruit. (Good works)

- Don’t neglect them.

- Use good works to meet needs.

C. Enlist the faithful

- Express love.

- Pray for grace.

Conclusion and Application and Challenge to Respond

- Church discipline should be practiced and should be done Biblically with the goal of restoration and bringing the erring brother to repentance for his sin.