Titus 1:1-9: Two Needs of the Church

We are at the church. We love to spend time getting to know each other. And so we take these opportunities to Fellowship even to the point that it gets a little awkward and you don't even know what to say in conversation. If you have a Bible, I want you to find the book of Titus. The book of Titus, we're going to start in chapter 1. And if you find that at well, maybe you need some help cuz it's kind of a hidden book. If you look, if you flip to the back of your Bible you can find it pretty easily. It's going to be before Revelation for Hebrews actually before Philemon, but that's literally one page. So it's not very helpful and it's going to be after the Timothy's, the books 1st and 2nd Timothy arrive at Titus. I mentioned earlier that it is great to be able to sing together and we are church. That doesn't just sing hymns, but we love to him and I picked these two songs specifically because they are songs that have been the song throughout Christian history. For the last 200, 300 years and they are songs that are important for us because we are joining our voices with Christians, who sings them before. We are praising God, with the same words, that others that have gone before us have used. So it is an honor to be able to sing these songs. I'm sure as you were getting ready to come here today. That one thought did not cross your mind, whether you are a Christian or not. I'm sure that this one thought did not cross your mind. I hope to be part of a church that denies the gospel that has terrible leadership. That is completely unstructured that believes and unbiblical teaching and never really does anything. What do your Chris? You're not that probably didn't go through your head because if you want to be part of a church, you want to be a part of a church that works, right? You won't be part of the church that functions the way that God has called The Church. The function What we are starting today, our journey through the book of Titus, God loves his church and he has given his church, A playbook to know how to work in this world and that Playbook part of, it is in the book of Titus. So, what we're doing today is we're starting to read this book to understand how we are young Church worship service. So we want to know how we can work for the kingdom of God. We want to know how to be a church that works. That's what we're calling this series. As we go through Titus church that works. So if you have found the book of Titus in your Bible, we are going to start and verse one. We normally don't do this but don't ask you to do this stuff for Sunday so we can set the town. If you were willing able to stand as we read the word of God. We do this. We don't do this every week. I'm asking us to do it so that we can understand. This is the word of God, it deserves our respect, it deserves to be honored and it deserves our submission. So he would go Titus Chapter one, we're going to read the entire book and I'm just kidding. Paul a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ for the faith of God's elect in their knowledge of the truth, that leads to Godliness in the hope of eternal life that God who cannot lie promised Before Time began in his own time, he has revealed his word in the preaching with which I was entrusted by the command of God, our savior to Titus. My true son in our common Faith Grace, and peace from God, the father and Christ Jesus, our savior, The reason I left you in Crete was to set. Right? What was left undone. And as I directed you to appoint Elders in every town and Elder must be blameless. The husband of one wife with faithful children, who are not accused of wildness, a rebellion as an overseer of God's household, he must be blameless. Not arrogant, not hot-tempered, not an excessive Drinker, not a bully, not greedy for money, but hospitable loving. What is good sensible? Righteous. Holy self-controlled holding to the faithful message as taught so that he will be able to both encouraged with sound teaching. And to refute those who contradicted, this is the word of the Lord us pray together. Our Father, we come to you now realizing that we have heard your word and asking that your spirit would move among us as we talk about this. Lord, I ask that anything that I say if it is not profitable, if it is not coming from you, that you would not let people hear it, let that be replaced with something that's beneficial. Or we are hungry for you. And we are dependent on your spirit to change us. So we ask these things in Jesus name. Amen. You might be seated.

We all have needs, don't we? That's why I say that word needs. You probably have some things that come into your head. I read an article this week that said, there are seven basic needs that. Humans have among these are safety, love and connection. But when I say need, that's probably not what you thought of is it because they're really four basic needs that humans. Have you notice there's food shelter, clothing and Netflix are right? You are. If you don't have these things, what happens? You died, you can't survive. You need them to live. Hence, that's why they're called needs. Will we as a church? And every church has needs as well. The Bible talks about this in the passage that we just read. Instead of having four needs though, this passage talks about to needs that our church has A church that works has two needs. That's we're going to look at today as we study this. But before we jump into that, we need to know a little bit about what was going on in this place for this letter to be written. You saw who wrote it? A guy named, Paul, who is Christian Missionary, he met Jesus and Jesus sent him all over the world to spread Christianity and sometimes he would take a guy with him on these Journeys name Titus he was kind of like his Apprentice he sends title to this island called Crete is about 3000 square mile had a bunch of these towns were different churches that Paul had started. And he sends them there. He sends Titus there to do some work. Now, something to know about the island of Crete. It was a distribution center for a couple different Industries. Those pretty important trade routes, very important place. And the people took pride in being from Crete and the people there were Different, if you know what I mean. They love to do whatever felt good to them. They made pageantry of taking advantage of people. Like if you were really greedy and you got something from someone, if you were able to trick them they would celebrate that. So think of like a Bourbon Street and Wall Street put together, but also there was this place was home to a lot of pirates. So think of it like this, Bourbon Street meets Pirates of the Caribbean meets Wall Street, put all those together. And that's kind of a situation that was existing in Crete at the time. And God calls his people to church in this place to be faithful calls. His people to be faithful in a place of faithless. I don't know if you read the Bible a lot, but I've heard this. I'm sure you have to the Bible, just releasing that practical. Maybe a long time ago. It connected born a different time out it. It's just not the same date, doesn't understand our culture. Bourbon Street meets Pirates of the Caribbean meets Wall Street. We can take those all and put them down into one word. And, you know, it is America Right, you know, this, you know, people act this way that they take what is not theirs that they celebrate their greed, that they do, whatever feels good is it when we see the book of Titus and we understand what was going on there, we know that we can connect with it because we live in a place of Faith witness as well, don't we? And we are trying to be faithful, is God's people in America. So that's what's going on in the book of Titus. As we study today, we're going to see this that a church that works has to meet, that's at two points. So number one, we need the gospel. We need the gospel. You are a Christian. I'm sure that you hear that, and you say need to go smoke, a believe that. Check did it. Let's move on. But who was this written to? Is written to Titus was Titus Christian Missionary. Yet we read these words and verses one through four. Look at them. Paul a servant of God and Apostle of Jesus Christ, for the face of God's elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to Godliness in the hope of eternal life that God who cannot lie promised Before Time began in his own time, he has revealed his word in the preaching with which I was entrusted by the command of God, our savior to Titus. My true son in our common Faith Grace, and peace from God, the father and Christ Jesus, our savior, Do you see what he was talking about here? Now, this is just an introduction. It's kind of awkward, isn't it? That's a 4 verse introduction. Paul wrote 13 books in the New Testament and this is the longest introduction. He gives in all, but the book of Romans, why would he give such a long introduction were buddies? Instead, he's doing something different. He is reviewing the gospel and his introduction. Did you see that? He is reminding Titus, who has this great task before him of the truth of a good news of Jesus Christ. Here's why because we need to hear the gospel over and over and over again. We Christians need to hear the gospel over and over and over again. So, do you see the good news in these verses? Look at that first one. The second part that says for the faith of God's elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to Godliness in the hope of eternal life, You see the gospel there? That phrase faith of God's elect is actually telling a story. It's connecting into a story that's already in the Bible, God created Humanity to be in a relationship with him. However, Humanity rejected God, that the Bible calls this sin and separated themselves from God. But in the first book of the Bible, the Book of Genesis chapter 15 decides that he will create a human family for himself. So, he calls a man named Abram. He tells Abram, I am going to give you tons of grandchildren and great-grandchildren and great-great-grandchildren, and they will be my people, and I will be their God. And other words, they will be my family. And then we go to the second half of the Bible, the New Testament. And we realize this but God didn't just call the great, great grandchildren of Abram. He actually select people from all different families, from all different backgrounds to be part of his family. Do you see how if you have faith in Christ that you are part of this story that you are written into the story of History? Has your life been changed by the gospel? Let's review The Gospel real quick. The gospel is this God created you to be in a relationship with him but instead of honoring him you have rejected him and you have rebelled against him and for that you deserve to be separated from God forever. You deserve? What Bible calls hell. But God because of the love that he has for us. He sent his son to pay the price for the Rebellion that we committed. So that those who trust in him would be United to God. Again we have a relationship with God again. And then he sent his holy spirit to live in his people that we would know who God is, and that we would live as he has called us to live in this world. And as we grow closer to God, we become more like God by the power of the spirit. And one day Jesus will come back and take us to be with him forever, and we will be perfect, as Jesus is perfect. That's the gospel. We could narrow it down. That's what it is. Do you see how that is in these first few verses? How how that is in these words here for the faith of God's elect and their knowledge of the truth that leads to Godliness in the hope of eternal life? Why is Paul reminding us of the gospel? Because we need to hear it over and over and over again. Remember God did not just Inspire these words. These are not just God's words in the Bible. He also inspired the structure. So when he was having Paul write this letter, he wanted us. God wanted us to hear these words before. We hear anything else in the rest of the letter y, is that because the gospel matters? Most the gospel is foundational. He starts the Paul as he's running as he starts with God, God is mentioned or reference. Nine times in the first four verses. Why is that? Because we need to start with. What does God do? He says, people through Jesus. That's why we as a church, want to be faithful to the gospel, because if we ever get away from that, the we are disobedient. That we are leaving. What is truly foundational? This is what 1st Corinthians 3:11 says, for no one can lay any foundation other than that which has been laid down, that Foundation is Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2 tells another way says, the church is the temple of God built on the cornerstone of Jesus himself. We need the gospel first. It is the foundation. This is such a big thing for us to hear because if we ever leave the gospel, then we will have nothing left. The gospel Is Like Oxygen. You know what happens when you breathe in? Your body draws oxygen from the air and it sends it to different parts of your body. You know how this works. I had to watch a video on it last night to make sure I got it right. Is a TED Talk actually. So it takes the oxygen that you breathe in, and it sends it to your brain. So that you can think takes the oxygen that you breathe in, breathe in, and it sent it to your heart. So, your heart can beat takes the oxygen that you breathe in, and it sends it to your feet. So, your feet can move. The gospel Is Like Oxygen. We are able to think about things in a Godly way because we are taking in the gospel. It is affecting our brain. We are able to love the way that we are called to love because we are taking in the gospel and it affects our hearts. We are able to take the good news of Jesus Christ for the Nations because we take in the gospel and it moves our feet to be Swift with a good news. The gospel Is Like Oxygen. What happens if you don't have oxygen? Not a trick question. You died right in the same way, we is a church would die without the gospel. And here's What's So Scary. What we must remember, we can continue to gather like this. We can continue to sing. We can continue to do work in our community without the gospel. And do, we would be active? We would be dead. So the gospel is foundational for us. We need the gospel, a church that works needs the gospel. That's our first need but we see one other need here in this text number to we need qualified pastors. I say that. I know how it sounds. Sean. Your pastor telling us that we need all five pastors. I get it. That sounds really arrogant. But here's the thing, I can be on the way home today getting the car crash and died and this will still be true. The church will still need qualified pastors because this is God's word. It's not Sean's word. Let's hear what it has to say, but there's five. The reason I left you in Crete was to set. Right? What was left undone. And as I directed you to appoint Elders in every town and Elder must be blameless. The husband of one wife with faithful children, who are not accused of wildness or Rebellion as an overseer of God's household, he must be blameless. Not arrogant, not hot-tempered, not excessive Drinker, not a bully, not greedy for money, but hospitable loving. What is good sensible? Righteous, holy self-controlled holding to the faithful messages pot so that he will be able both to encourage with sound teaching, and to refute those who contradicted Why did Paul send Titus his friend to the island of Crete? What says it verse 5 to set, right? What was left undone. And as I direct you to a point Elders in every town, Imagine, after we finished, you went down to Publix which would be a terrible time to go to Publix and never have Publix subs ready in like, 30 minutes on Sunday, afternoons, and plus, it's Memorial Day weekend, so if you come in town, don't do this. But let's imagine, you did it matter? You went down to Publix and it was complete completely unorganized. You couldn't find the things that you were looking for. They were designated in their place. And then when you did find those things, nothing was priced. So you had no idea how much it cost. And then when you did grab those things, put them in your cart. You didn't know where to go to check out. There were no cashiers. That part of that can be pretty cool, but the rest of it, how would that make you feel? Frustrated, right? It make you feel like it was chaos and you should rightfully feel this way because when there is no organization, when there's no structure, when things are not put in place, there's chaos in some way. That's what was going on in the church and create the churches. In Crete, there were things that were left, undone that Titus was sent to put in to order and what is his first step we tell us here a point Elders, in every town, I've mentioned this before but it Bears repeating we believe that this word Elders is a descriptor for a position in the church. There are three words that are used in the New Testament to talk about this one position. It's Elder as we see here overseer and then Shepherd, these are all the scriptures talking about one position in that position is pastures by the position of Pastor. So with that in mind, we could translate it like this appointment Pastors in every town. I just had this massive project ahead of him. That is going to take the grace of God to complete and what is his first task to appoint pastors and every town that leads to a pretty easy question, right? You have to do the app to appoint Elders. Okay. Well who should I point out? That would be the natural question. What should these people be like that? I'm called to his Elders. I'm sure that's what I just was asking himself and then the Bible answers it for him. In one word. This is how Paul describes what Pastor should be like blameless she that's in verse 6 in / 7 flameless. How many of you have ever met someone that you would consider blameless?

I haven't, I met a lot of pastors. Lot of pastors, wives, lot of missionaries, none of them that I've ever met, I would call blameless because blameless has a certain flavor to it. Doesn't, it doesn't it feel like perfect. You can't attach blame someone that would make them? Perfect. Well, that's true. We have a huge issue. I'm not perfect. I can tell you that none of the men that serve on Council of pastors are perfect. Head back. No, Pastor throughout history. In any church has been. There is one person that could be a pastor. And who is it? Jesus. Now, we have to approach this with a sound mind either blameless. Doesn't mean perfect, or this is some huge practical joke that Paul was pulling on tight, can you imagine that like hey, here's the big tasks. You got a point men who are blameless and then for the next 40 years title searches and nobody is found because nobody is blameless. And Paul just sits in his home and laughs. What happens know, because when was doesn't actually be perfect, right? Here is the feeling that we should get when we hear this word? When was this, when you would be shocked to hear something scandalous come out about someone, or if you heard of the Scandal occurred with this person, you go. He did that. I never would have thought. That is what the feelings of blameless here is in this text. It's not perfect, but it's like that and then he talked about what he means by blameless blameless. In three areas, I'm listening to home his character and his belief. So we're really quickly going to go through these blameless in his home. Look at for 6. An elder must be blameless, the husband of one wife with faithful children, who are not accused of wildness or Rebellion. When are cow pastures met for the first time, we spent time going around, kind of introducing everyone, we took a few minutes. Each told the group about herself and when one man shared and at the end, somebody else asked him. What can you tell us about your wife and he said, which one

He would obviously be disqualified, though, if that were the case, right, husband of one wife. Now, that's not a great translation. The Greek, which is what the New Testament is written in. The Greek is actually a one woman man. It's talking about faithfulness is a man faithful to his wife. I'm going to see running around town with other women. Is he looking constantly it explicit material. Cuz he's doing those things that he is not qualified, he is not faithful to his wife. And then it talks about the pastor's kids, it says that they are to be faithful children, who are not accused of wildness or Rebellion So let me ask you a question. If a pastor has a kid who is 40 years old and reject the gospel and is living. A life of sin? Is that man qualified to be a pastor. even though his daughter's doing that, What about if the child is 22 in college is rejecting. The gospel is the that child's dad still qualified. What about if the child is 12?

What is the child is a year old or 2 years old? I bring this up because I think in our gut we understand this is not really about a dad being able to just control the belief of a kid. I cannot make my children become Christian. I can't change them only the Holy Spirit can change someone's heart. Rather. This is about, knowing if a man is it evident in his family that he intentionally takes care of his family leads them to believe the things about God. Do they respect him? They respect his Direction. This is how 1st Timothy 3:5 talks about it, if anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God's Church? Is he managing his household? Well, is he leading them in the way that Christ would leave them. So blame us. It has only been blameless in his character. Look at versus seven and eight. Says, as an overseer of God's household, he must be blameless. Not arrogant, not hot-tempered, not an excessive drink or not, a bully, not greedy for money, but hospitable loving what is good sensible? Righteous. Holy self-controlled holding to the faithful message as Todd so that he would be able to both encouraged with sound teaching and to refute those who contradicted We're not going to get deep into this because it's pretty evident you can see why these things would be in here. Imagine if the pastor's got together and all got wasted and then try to figure out how to care for the church that be an issue, really poor decisions. Think of, if you had frustration with what was going on in the church and you want to talk to a pastor that that Pastor was very hot-tempered, would that conversation go? Well,

What if a Pastor Dave more time to those who had a lot of money, but if it ain't, you didn't have money. You didn't really get to talk to the pastor. Is that fair? No, you can see why these things are in here, their character issues, and they affect how the church runs. They affect how people are cared for. The blameless its character. And then last blameless, and his belief, look at verse 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 contradicted Pastor needs to have solid belief. Another word for this is Doctrine. Have solid Doctrine, won the Primary responsibilities of a pastor is to help you believe, what is right about God. There will be times that you here, teaching that sounds good sounds biblical, but in reality it is not biblical. It is bad teaching. And the pastor's must be able to help you sort through those things. That makes sense. It doesn't say that he has to be able to answer every Bible question. It's not what it says has to. Hold to the faithful message. So you may hear teaching, it sounds like this. God wants to make all of your financial dreams. Come true. I can sound really quaint and ride. That's nice, but it's not true, or maybe you hear a teaching that sounds like this. God wants to heal you, but you just don't have enough Faith. He's done his part. You got to do your part. Sounds biblical. These type of teachings are bad and they will destroy your soul. Bad teaching is like candy. It tastes sweet in the moment. But what it leads to ishrat in your soul and a pastor is called to help you sort through those things by the power of the Holy Spirit. I get this, you know, this is true, probably nobody's going to go home today. Having heard this lesson about pastors, we haven't qualified, pass or nobody's going to go home and be like wow my life is finally changed, glad that I got to hear that. At best, you may go home and say, I see that the Bible tells me that the church needs qualified pastors and Ivy, these Pastors in my life. And so I will respect them and maybe even encourage them a little bit. But nobody after the service is going to go to lunch and say, did you see what the Bible said about having qualified pastors? This is it can finally let go of that garage that I've been holding for 20 years but I know that's not going to happen. Last few minutes together. I want to point us to something greater I want to point our hearts to someone who is more worthy of admiration, more worthy of respect, he was actually worthy of our worship. I want to point our hearts to Jesus. When you think about your relationship with God, what image comes in your mind? The Bible gives us this picture over and over, and it's a shepherd with a sheep. The book of Isaiah talks about it this way. All we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way. So, we are like sheep that need care, but need direction. And God Is Like a Shepherd. That provides that direction that care for us? But you know, this we have done instead of taking his car and his directing, we have rejected it, we have push it away and we have gone our own way. We have forged our own path. That's what the Bible call sin. But God is such a good shepherd. He loves his sheep so much that he chased us down that he found us and he put us on his shoulders and he carried us back to where we belong and he changed us so that we would want to be in his presence.

But still, there are times where we want to wander. Right there are times where our hearts seek satisfaction and places other than God's presents. There are times when wolves come in and they want to devour us. They want to rip us apart. So this is what Jesus says, in John chapter 10. I am the Good Shepherd. The Good Shepherd, lays down his life for the Sheep. You realize how marvelous that is? How much love Jesus has rust that, do we deserve to be thrown to the Wolves for our sins? That Jesus laid down his life for us or read this verse again, all we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way and then here's the second part of that first and the lord has laid on him as Jesus the iniquity of us all. Jesus is a Shepherd that loves his sheep so much that he gives up his wife that he lays down his life for his sheep. Is there anywhere else that we could find a love. So magnificent is there anyone else that would do this for us? Sinners. There isn't. But Jesus is that magnificent in that glorious that he would do it for us. Jesus loves you so much that he laid down his life that he died for you. But also he loves his sheep so much that he has given them Shepherds. That would take care of you while he is gone. Until he comes back. He has given his church pastors, that would care for, and that would love the church. That would protect the church and its some way pastors are called to lay down their lives for you. The way that Jesus laid down his life for you now we're not actually going to die for you. Probably not going to happen, but we can see how this works out. Pastors call to Bear your burden when you were hurting. You're frustrated with God, we have all these questions. Have a pastor's called to shoulder that with you. Pastor is called to confront you to risk. The relationship that he has with you. When you are in your belief, you are believing something that is not true about God. Pastor is called to lay down his reputation with charismatic and influential people come in the church and they spread teachings about God. That are not true, but everyone still loves them. The password is called to correct a person and that might mean that everybody else gets mad about it, but the pastor lays down his reputation for that. The pastor the pastors are called to love the church as Christ loved the church in some way. Praise God. Praise God, that Jesus gave himself up for you and praise God. That he has given people to you, to help you to watch over you to care for you. How glorious is that a Jesus would love us this way. So make your here today. And did you hear all this talk about. Jesus and God, and it just doesn't connect with you. You just don't get it. I want to share something with you. You were created to be in a relationship with God. And you have search for satisfaction. The deepest longings that you have in your soul, you've tried to find fulfillment of those and other things. And you will never be satisfied. You will never be whole until you know, Jesus until you are in a relationship with God and that can only happen if you have faith in Jesus because you deserve to be separated from him forever. To listen to me, Jesus died for Sinners, Like You. So that's you today. Repent of your sin turn away from your scent and turn to Jesus who can save you. Is that to you? If you know that you need to make that decision, you want to have faith in Jesus. I don't be standing up here after we close it and just a second come talk to me. But do not waste this moment. Do not go another day without being made right with God. Church. Do you see the glory of Christ? Do you see the love that he has for you? Does that move you to worship him more? If it doesn't, then you need to preach the gospel to yourself over and over and over again. So be encouraged today. God loves you. Jesus died for you, that he has saved you and be encouraged that he is giving you pastors. They're called to care for your souls as Hebrews 13. Seth Would you play with me?

Our Father, we thank you.

But you love us that we don't deserve it. That don't we ran from you. You chased us down, don't we deserve hell. You have given us heaven.

Move our hearts to have more love for you. Move our hearts so that we would spend our lives working for you. Not to earn your love, but because you have already loved us. God, we ask that we would be people. The do your work in this world that we would be at church that works that is based on the foundation of the Gospel. I pray, Lord, there's anyone in here. That doesn't know you that you would prick their heart. That this thought would be nagging to them until they repent. But all this be done For Your Glory, we pray in Jesus name, amen.