Able to Equip and Convince

Able to Equip and Convince Titus 1:5-9

Titus 1:5–9 KJV 1900

For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee: If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly. For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.

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When we think about the church, a lot of thoughts come to our minds—Jesus, people, cross, buildings, worship, fellowship, VBS, etc.

We think about our purpose—Prepare for Worship/Provide Connections/Propel into the World.

Think about our Mission—Matt28:19-20—We are very important to the plan of God. The way He has positioned us is very important to the Kingdom work.

In the passage before us, Paul had a PURPOSE—“Set in order the things that are wanting and ordain elders in every city”Vs5

Titus has been left behind on Crete because certain things need to be put in order. The first of these is the appointment of leaders in the churches. It would seem that each centre of population had its church. These churches needed leaders. And in verses 6–9, Paul tells us what kind of men these leaders were to be.

Description

Paul uses three words to describe these prospective leaders—elder, overseer, and steward.

Elder- to preside, direct and govern

—elder -familiar figure among the Jews. There were elders in the synagogue and in each town or village. Their role was to preside, to direct, and to govern.

Overseer, (Bishop) (Pastor is synonymous with Elder and Bishop)-

The overseer and the elder are not two distinct persons occupying two distinct offices. They are one and the same. An elder is an overseer-having the oversight of a congregation. His duty is to watch over it and take care of it; to protect it and promote its spiritual well-being.

Steward- a position of considerable trust.

It was a position of considerable trust. And here Paul says that an elder is a steward. He is to manage the affairs of God’s house, ensuring that the work of his divine Master gets properly done and caring for his Master’s servants.

Hebrews 13:17 KJV 1900

Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.

James 3:1 KJV 1900

My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation.

Character

The primary focus of vs 6-8, is focused on the "appointing" of the elders. What kind of men does God want in that office?

Titus 1:6-8-

Titus 1:6–8 KJV 1900

If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly. For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;

—blameless—morally and spiritually exemplary. No one should be able to accuse him of either serious misconduct, should have a good reputation among outsiders and within the church as well.

—as a husband— idea is that of faithfulness. Christian husbands are to be faithful to their wives.

—as a father—he must be a good father, one ‘whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient’. He is not saying that an elder’s children have to be Christians. But he is insisting that they be under their father’s control. If a man cannot look after his own household it cannot be expected that he will be able to take care of God’s church.

What follows (vv. 7, 8) are five negatives and six positives.

—“Not selfwilled”-. (or arrogant)- rather a man who is humble, gracious, kind, and ready to serve.

—“Not soon angry”-. able to handle difficult and awkward situations, even irritating people, without exploding.

—Not be ‘given to wine’. self-controlled. An overseer must not be given to wine.

—“No striker”- a man who is ready to have recourse to his fists when he encounters difficulties and conflicts.

—“not given to filthy lucre”- ‘dishonest gain’. An elder must be a man of the strictest integrity as far as money is concerned.

—“lover of hospitality’. The word ‘hospitable’ comes from one which means ‘love of strangers’. It is primarily about caring for and welcoming into our homes those who need hospitality or would greatly benefit from it.

— “lover of good men”’. There are so many people who love what is bad. An elder, by contrast, must love both things and people deemed by God to be good.

—“sober”’. ‘sober-minded’,self controlled. The elder is to be a sensible man; sound judgement and be able to exercise wise leadership.

—“just”-‘upright’—living carefully by the standards of God’s word in every area of life;

—‘holy’—seeking day by day to walk closely with God and to please him in everything;

-“temperate”-‘disciplined’. In regard to sleeping, eating, the use of time and money, the elder must have mastery of himself. The emphasis falls on the qualities rather than the gifts; character rather than abilities.

Ministry

There is a conflict between holy angels and unholy demons. There is a conflict on earth between the truth of God and the lies of Satan. False teaching about God, Christ, the Bible and spiritual reality is “pandemic”—infectious disease that has spread. The father of lies works overtime to destroy the saving, sanctifying truth God has given to us in His Word.

2 Timothy 2:14–19 KJV 1900

Of these things put them in remembrance, charging them before the Lord that they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting of the hearers. Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some. Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.

2 Timothy 4:1–2 KJV 1900

I charge thee therefore before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall judge the quick and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom; Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine.

Vs9- holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers”

what a faithful elder is called to do.

Preaching and teaching are much alike in content and are distinguished primarily by the nature of presentation. Preaching is the public proclamation of the truth, intended primarily to move the will of the hearers to respond. Teaching is directed more at causing the mind to understand. Preaching involves admonition and exhortation, whereas teaching involves illumination and explanation. Though different in some ways, however, both gifts are crucial to the church and have the common purpose of disseminating God’s Word.

Hold Fast

“to strongly cling or adhere to something or someone.” Speaking of spiritual allegiance, Jesus said, “No servant can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other, or else he will hold to one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon” (Luke 16:13; cf. Matt. 6:24).

Faithful Word

God’s preachers and teachers are to cling to the faithful word with fervent devotion and unflagging diligence.

Word translates logos, which refers to the expression of a concept, thought, or truth. It is frequently used of the revealed truth and will of God.

Logos is often used as a synonym for Scripture, the written Word of God. To unbelieving Jews in Jerusalem, our Lord clearly identified the Word of God with Scripture, (John 10:34–36).

John speaks of Jesus as the living Word of God: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being by Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men …. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:1–4, 14; cf. 1 John 1:1; Rev. 19:13).

Paul spoke of Scripture as “the treasure which [had] been entrusted to” Timothy (2 Tim. 1:14). All Scripture is inspired by God,” he continues, “and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:15–17). Peter called Scripture “the pure milk of the word,” by which believers “grow in respect to salvation” (1 Pet. 2:2).

Pastors, therefore, are to love the faithful word of God, respect it, study it, believe it, and obey it. It is their spiritual nourishment. They are to be “constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine” (1 Tim. 4:6).

An elder’s spiritual leadership in the church is not built on his natural abilities, his education, his common sense, or his human wisdom. It is built on his knowledge and understanding of Scripture, his holding fast the faithful word, and on his submission to the Holy Spirit’s applying the truths of that word in his heart and life.

It is through the Word we grow in knowledge and understanding of the character of God, the will and purpose of God, the power and glory of God, the love and mercy of God, the principles and the promises of God. It is through the Word that we come to understand justification, sanctification, and glorification. It is through the Word that we come to understand the enemy and his powers of darkness, and our own helplessness. It is through the Word that I come to understand the nature and the purpose of the church and my own role of ministry in the church.

Positive-Exhort believers in sound doctrine

He is to strengthen God’s people in their knowledge of and obedience to the Word. Parakaleō (to exhort) means “to urge, beseech, and encourage.” This also means to comfort!

Sound translates hugiainō, from which we derive the English hygienic. It has the basic meaning of being healthy and wholesome, referring to that which protects and preserves life. In his preaching and teaching, it should be the pastor’s sole objective to enlighten his congregation in doctrine that protects and preserves their spiritual health. It is an awesome and demanding task, and for that reason James warns, “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we shall incur a stricter judgment” (James 3:1). Speaking to those under the pastor’s care, the writer of Hebrews says, “Obey your leaders, and submit to them; for they keep watch over your souls, as those who will give an account” (Heb. 13:17). No reasonable, sensible Christian man would presume to take the role of pastor-teacher on himself without the Lord’s calling. Nor would he attempt, when divinely called, to fulfill that calling by preaching and teaching whatever ideas might come to his own mind. He will preach and teach nothing but sound doctrine.

Doctrine. (Gk. didaskalia). Act of teaching! The use of the term in Scripture, however, is broader than a simple reference to information passed on from one person to another or from one generation to the next. Doctrine is scriptural teaching on theological truths. The term “doctrine” refers to the results of the thinking and the content of the expressing. It is intended to shape and mould the people of God for life and service in the world.

Bibliology—doctrine of the Bible

Theology—doctrine of God

Christology—doctrine of Jesus Christ

Pneumatology—doctrine of the Holy Spirit

Angelology—doctrine of angels

Anthropology—doctrine of man

Hamartiology—doctrine of sin

Soteriology—doctrine of salvation

Ecclesiology—doctrine of the church

Eschatology—doctrine of last things

Doctrine is indispensable to Christianity. Christianity does not exist without it. The New Testament repeatedly emphasizes the value and importance of sound doctrine, sound instruction (1 Tim. 6:3), and a pattern of sound teaching (2 Tim. 1:13–14). The apostle formulated Christian faith in doctrinal terms, then called for its preservation. They were adamant about the protection, appropriation, and propagation of doctrine because it contained the truth about Jesus Christ. Knowing the truth was and is the only way that a person can come to faith.

The pastor who recognizes that Scripture alone is inerrant and is our sole, complete, and sufficient authority knows exactly what he is called to preach and teach. He will “preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction” (2 Tim. 4:2). He will “fully carry out the preaching of the word of God” (Col. 1:25). That is the commission of every preacher and teacher.

Contrary to what is offered in much popular preaching today, the Bible is not a resource for truth but is the divinely revealed source of truth.

The pastor’s purpose is not to make Scripture relevant to his people but to enable them to understand doctrine, which becomes the foundation of their spiritual

Negative-convince the gainsayers

Not only is he to exhort believers in sound doctrine but he is also to refute those —especially those within the church—who contradict healthy, life-protecting, life-preserving doctrine.

Pastors have an obligation to God to give people an understanding of the truth that will create the discernment necessary to protect them from the ubiquitous error that incessantly assaults them. There are those who desire to “speak vainly” and “deceive souls”.

Antilegō (to refute) means literally “to speak against.” The Lord’s preachers and teachers are to stand against unsound doctrine that goes under the guise of biblical truth. Not long after Paul himself ministered in Crete, “many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision,” were causing trouble and confusion in the churches there (Titus 1:10). They were not to be ignored, much less tolerated, but were to “be silenced because they [were] upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach, for the sake of sordid gain” (v. 11). They were particularly dangerous because they arose from within the congregations. “They profess to know God,” Paul said, “but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient, and worthless for any good deed” (v. 16).

Although false teachers in the church exist under many guises, they all, in one way or another, contradict biblical truth. They are the enemies of sound doctrine and therefore of God and His people.

The dual role of the godly preacher and teacher is to proclaim and to defend God’s Word. In the eyes of the world and, tragically, in the eyes of many genuine but untaught believers, to denounce false doctrine, especially if that doctrine is given under the guise of evangelicalism, is to be unloving, judgmental, and divisive.

Scripture cannot be "COMPROMISED"!

I enter the pulpit as though it is my first time, always expecting it to be the best time, and as though it might be my last time- Vance Havner

Our days of “business as usual” has swept in because we think that we have “NO Unusual Business”!

“I believe that one reason why the church of God at this present moment has so little influence over the world is because the world has so much influence over the church” (C.H. Spurgeon)

The GOAL IS TRANSFORMED LIVES!