Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction

As we approach the text of Titus today remember it was written by Paul to Titus for the sake of the churches in Crete.

From this letter we are discovering what God’s plan for the church is.

Last week we saw that the basis of all our work on earth is the hope of eternal life that drives us to submit to God’s Word and sacrifice for others for the sake of the Gospel.

As we continue to part two of our series called FOUNDATIONS: A BIBLICAL COMMUNITY we are reminded that God uses the Church to evangelize the lost and equip believers for the work of the ministry.

Let us begin our reading today of Titus 1:5-16 and remember this is Paul speaking to Titus with the rest of us reading over their shoulders.

Qualifications of Elders

5 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you,

6 namely, if any man is above reproach, the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of dissipation or rebellion.

7 For the aoverseer must be above reproach as God’s steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain,

8 but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled,

9 holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.

10 For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision,

11 who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain.

12 One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”

13 This testimony is true.

For this reason reprove them severely so that they may be sound in the faith,

14 not paying attention to Jewish myths and commandments of men who turn away from the truth.

15 To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.

16 They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed.

May God bless the reading of His word.

Let us pray.

(Prayer)

Illustration: Doctor appt.

Identifying the problem, rectifying the problem.

Explain.

Paul issues Titus a task in VS: 5, spells it out for us.

Set in order what remains: Set in order explain...

“to set straight besides or farther; that is, should arrange what remained to be set in order after Paul’s departure.

Used by medical writers of setting broken limbs or straightening crooked ones.”

Marvin Richardson Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament, vol. 4 (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1887), 333.

Titus was to set things right by appointing elders in the church.

Titus knew why he was in Crete, but it was said by way of giving authority to Titus.

The directive to appoint elders is a major reason 1 Tim, 2 Tim and Titus are referred to as Pastoral epistles.

But the reality is very little direction is given to church organization, it seems that flexibility is offered in the specifics, but some more general patterns and principles can be identified.

In order to get into the meat of the passage I want to layout my own convictions based off study and prayer, I am not overly dogmatic in this toward other churches as we see some variations in the New Testament, maybe sometime we can have an in-depth Bible study together on it, but here are my convictions.

Elder (Presbyterous) is translated as aged man, however the context of New Testament church organization it is an official position, ie elder, technical term signifying church leader.

Think about carry over from Synagogue leadership.

In Titus he is to appoint elders (plural) in every town (local).

The New Testament pattern appears to reflect a plurality of elders in each church.

Overseer, Elder, Bishop, and shepherd appear to be used interchangeably with little to no differences.

You may agree or disagree with me on these, but this is how our church government is set up and they coincide with my personal conviction as to how it is reflected in the New Testament.

You may have a different church background and want to discuss it with me and I am glad to do so later.

The beauty of this flexibility afforded to the church by this absence of rigid rules and regulations allows the local congregation to be organized in ways appropriate to its own situations and circumstances yet following the obvious pattern of Scripture.

With this in mind we jump into the main point of this text, that,

For a church to be a healthy biblical community we must recognize three things!

The Risk, the Responsibility and the Reward.

There is a substantial risk to the church, in Paul’s day and today.

Unhealthy churches thrive in America today.

Let us examine what Doctor Paul says about the Church in Crete and see what his diagnosis is.

The Risk of an unhealthy Church

Paul alerts Titus The rebellious in Crete vs 10-16.

Look at vs. 10.

“For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision,” we see two types of the same coin, the coin is rebellious men, who are empty talkers and deceivers.

He highlights those of the circumcision.

Paul seems to run into these characters every time a church pops up in the New Testament.

It seems when a church starts to grow, in come men who plant these other seeds of deception.

It seems that no church is immune to the risk of Legalists or False teachers.

Both are a grave error in the church and can cause a healthy church to get sick and die spiritually.

The risk for us A tale of two ditches.

(mraps in Iraq)

Legalists (Side A)

Paul calls these legalists the circumcision party.

These were men who would come into the church and affirm Christ but would add that the Jewish law must also be kept.

Also referred to as Judeizers.

These people were so concerned with the Jewish law that they were overturning, destroying, ruining households.

What we know from the other Pastoral epsitles many of the teachings involved are rules against certain foods and prohibiting marriage.

vs. 12-14 flesh out this type of legalistic teaching.

The risks for legalism to enter the church today is also high.

Think about rules about faith that you heard growing up or perhaps watched on a TV show.

Maybe you heard that if someone drinks a beer from time to time they cant be saved, or they are sinning?

That is legalism.

Now for the sake of clarity the Bible speaks clearly against drunkeness and I personally do not drink because of my past abuse of alcohol.

So it would be wise for me to abstain from drinking, however we are not baring fellowship to someone who likes to have a beer or two.

Thats one small example, but legalism can be damaging to the health of the church, lets be guided by our Bible and not by what seems right to us.

Because we exclude people based on our opinion like some of the Apostles were doing in Jerusalem and it ruins the unity of the Body of Christ.

But the other side is also just as damaging and that is false teachers.

2. False teachers (Side B)

This covers people who say that it doesn’t matter what you do in this life, God loves and accepts you.

It could be called lawlessness.

These people teach that you can remain in sin and keep sinning and still be considered a Christian.

This can be popular in some circles that want to live in sin and feel good about themselves.

Teachers that avoid any and all talk about hell and judgment are often in this category.

False teachers tend to teach what they think people want to hear.

If people like what they say they will be popular.

Their motivation is personal gain.

They teach error and many are devious at this.

3. Greedy Both

Paul says at the root of both of these are they are teaching for personal gain.

Paul calls it disgraceful or shameful gain.

People are gaining, getting paid for teaching false doctrine, teaching lies.

The clearest example of this is seen in what has been dubbed the prosperity gospel.

What is this prosperity gospel?

Well one of the teachings is that God wants you to be rich, wealthy, healthy.

They grab Bible verses out of context and apply wrongly.

The most crafty of these serpents have convinced thousands of people to send them money as some type of seed that they say will produce blessing in the life of the sender.

These false teachers are selling people money trees and people are buying it!

This manipulation of God’s word is trick straight from the pit of hell, it is shameful!

vs 15-16 is the crux

15 To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled.