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March 15, 2022 4:00 am
The sum of us unfairly expect our pastors or church leaders to be perfect, which is impossible. They are, after all, human. What Scripture does called them to be men who are above reproach today on Truth for Life.
Alastair beg considers the traits that we ought to look for as well as those we should avoid when appointing elders were in Titus chapter 1 verses five through nine.
The directive concerning the eldership is above reproach, unimpeachable but not faultless and not flawless and in our seven as he begins to articulate something of what it means for an overseer as the steward on the manager of God's household to live above reproach.
He then gives us as we began to look at them five must know lots and six musts. We were immediately confronted by the musts not on arrogance or pride, he must not be arrogant and we acknowledge that peculiar challenges that attached to individuals who are put in positions of leadership and responsibility.
If one is not careful, it becomes the very occasion of arrogance and pride, which is not to be a feature of the elder nor secondly is there to be toleration for quick-tempered nests and this of course is another great challenge is not because when you leave people and you want to see things happen in a certain way is very possible that in losing patience with the ability of the individual to get in line to understand to fit in, and so on that instead of responding as Jesus, the chief Shepherd responded and acted. We respond in a way that is a product not of any kind of righteous anger, but is a product of selfishness and we know from James is writing that man's anger is a hindrance to the work of God. The anger of man is a hindrance to the work of God, no matter how we may try and justify our hasty outbursts. They are not to be part and parcel of the stamp. If you like of leadership that is not to say that the elder never loses his temper what it is to say that the loss of 10 is not to be a feature a regular occurrence and expression of the character of that individual. So no to pride known to temper and thirdly, no to drunkenness noted drunkenness, he must be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard not to delay on this question we come back to it another time, but it is a call to sobriety is a call to stability.
It is not actually a call to total abstention and John start always has a wonderful sentence and his little sentence here simply reads as follows. Not all are total abstainers, but all are called to moderation, and temperance. Not all will be total abstainers, but all are called to moderation and to temperance. In other words, it is a further indication of a life lived under the control of nothing other than the power of God's spirit within. We come to that. On the flipside, in a moment or two.
Fourthly, no to greediness, no to greed or greedy for gain as it means simply the individual may be tempted to use the position as a means of unfair financial advantage and leadership confronts that possibility doesn't. And indeed, some of the people that he is going to have to arts Titus to ensure there they are silenced part of the problem doesn't simply line their insubordination but lies in the fact that their motivation apparently has to do with lining their own pockets answer is very straightforward, is not hard to understand these are the five must not must not be arrogant, quick-tempered, drunkard, violent or greedy for gain on this violent. That was my my bad I didn't mean to. I don't. I hope you one, and punch me on the nose because I did because that's that's what it actually means the word that in Greek means pugnacious. It means a brawler or a stranger strike is with that and I it's it's it's very enticing for you. Think about the directives that are given to the elders.
There's nothing extraneous about this. This is this is vital for Titus setting things in order and he says when you are going to lay hands on these these men make sure that you don't have a bunch of drunks proud drunks that are always fighting each other and punching people on the nose and the end of the services as we say so you can imagine the kind of material that he was dealing with. Not a nice group like this.
Let's go to the other side to the sings virtues.
If these things are not to be present, what is to be present well first of all, hospitable, showing hospitality to one another member, Peter says show hospitality to one another and then he adds without grumbling without grumbling that is the real kicker is that I little without grumbling his beer was a lie invited Mr. Mrs. Owens over all, you did not did you that's the grumbling part coming in, or the accept your invitation that you never really extended to them in the first place and then you moan all the way along. I thought they would say no. I said yes. So what are you doing your showing hospitality but not really not heart level hospitality. It's a hospitality of Job, who says I have open my doors to the traveler. Secondly, a lover of good lover of good, simple and obvious phrases and he loves good things. The people of God are going to be zealous for good works and will see that in chapter 2, then it is absolutely fundamentally important that those who lead the people of God. The elders are themselves for lag our thoughts for Leo. The verb to love Agathon's the word for expressive goodness.
Thirdly, self-controlled, self-controlled, in other words, these elders need to be of sound judgment they need to be those who are able to think sensibly. They are able to discuss with reasonableness and without contention and fourthly they are to be individuals who are upright upright and interesting word is again Job says I put on righteousness and it clothed me. In other words, the righteousness that is to mark these elders is both an objective righteousness which is provided in the Lord Jesus Christ, but also a subjective righteousness which is the righteousness that is expressed in asking constantly.
The question not only what is good that I must love but what is right that I must do holy is number five holy if upright concerns. Our dealings with one another then holy is representative of the men's dealings with God's kind of unusual.
It's largely regarded as assertive, strange thing to say that Mr. so-and-so is a holy man I think probably holiness is used almost as a figure of fun.
Holy has gone the way of piety. Someone is described as being pious usually were using it as an expression of dismissing the person as if somehow or another they are living in another realm that is entirely disengage from the real world, and so on. But Paul has no problem with this word and we are not to have a problem with it either. It would be lovely when it if at least by the time we reached the end of our earthly journey, our children and our grandchildren would be able to say he was upright in his dealings with others, and he was reverent in his approach to God and sixthly discipline, discipline without stability, without self-control, the elder is an easy prey for the enemy and Frank Proverbs tells us that doesn't a man without self-control is like a city broken into and left without walls so that the discipline of life as it relates to all of life and there is really no area that we would seek to gain an exemption from Mr. is to be one of the hallmarks of those who are in leadership amongst God's people. So whether it is in what we put into our bodies.
By way of eating and drinking were to be marked by discipline. With that it is in the use of the 24 hours that are allotted to is in every day when we agreed to meet with people when we say we will meet with them when we tell him that our time will conclude the people say, well, you can pretty well set your watch by him because he is disciplined it comes to the issues of exercise and the care for our bodily frame, discipline once again quite a challenge. This dreadful challenge actually there it is in is before us in the Bible and this same blamelessness. This this above reproach.
You will notice that is marked by these 11 characteristics is also to be there. In terms of the understanding and the commitment to Orthodox biblical truth. That's verse nine. This same individual is the individual who must hold firmly to the trust worthy word as taught, the apostolic teaching to which Paul refers which we mentioned last time he refers to it.
Here is the trustworthy word as it is being taught. When you read the other pastorals first and second Timothy verse two there is the faith actually does that in verse 14 here as well, or the truth.
In verse 14 he refers to it in second Timothy as the good deposit the faith. The trustworthy word that which is now ours in the New Testament that was is entirely reliable is to be the framework. The guiding light and the source of authority for the exercise of leadership in the local church. So Titus, then, is being urged here to ensure that those who are appointed as elders in Crete are those who hold firmly to this trustworthy word and those who actually hold it firmly. They hold it firmly and the hold firmly to it. When Paul writes to the Thessalonians in two Thessalonians 215 is reinforcing this truth when he says so, then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by ours, either by our spoken word, or by our letter hold fast to these things.
You have been taught them ions so what word being told here is that the leadership in the church are to be man of strong conviction who are able to give the instruction that is sound. You will notice that in the balance of verse nine who are able to give instruction in sound doctrine that word son simply means healthy. Many of you will have grown up in churches as I have done where soundness was a routine word that buzzed around and certainly I've always known this designation or description is whether somebody was sound really wasn't silent. I think the funniest illustration I had my own life was years ago back in the early 80s when I went to see may have been a little earlier than that. When I went to Londonderry in Northern Ireland to speak at the Londonderry Young People's convention at that time the Londonderry Young People's convention was under the leadership of a man who was somewhere in these middle 70, little man, a single man never been married man a bank manager now retired and a man wore a tweed jacket and the tie I think.
Also, I always even in his bed and I just just a fascinating little man. I totally love TS Mooney you know I told you of TS Mooney. The pastors man and he prayed for me consistently until he died.
But I'm TS invited me to this event. I stayed with him in his home and we traveled together to the event in the Methodist Church somewhere in Londonderry was a hot sweaty church. I remember, and we would have a little time of preparation in prayer and every night he would come in even prayers Northern Ireland Walden Lord bless Hollister keep on use but use all the stuff you know and then I got up to preach any fell asleep coming into his light goes off. He was in like the third stages of Anastasio he was he was in trouble me on the Monday intro me on the Tuesday and by Wednesday I can resist that they are not making this up. This happened like clockwork. It was like he went off he set his alarm and went all and we were driving home. I think empty as I have to ask you something is of course I said whoa. Every night you would do the prayer time you say these prayers help us to making in allowing him to do his business and so on. I said I'm not preaching five minutes and you've gone to sleep every night this week of going to sleep as he was sitting in the car is in you and you with aggressive me and he said well it's just like this. This is what I do I just stay awake for the first five minutes to make sure your sound and once I know your sound then I go off to sleep while I certainly loved him for his honesty and I knew exactly what he meant and I hope you've got an inkling of it now as well. The elders are to give instruction in sound doctrine. In other words, they're able to identify what it is and they are able also to identify what it's not what it is and what it isn't you suffice illustration of this.
In England a few weeks ago when I said we teach our children and our grandchildren to distinguish between cows and horses because I said we do not want our children, our grandchildren trying to milk horses and right counts. I should've said that because a fellow came up to me immediately afterwards that I have to talk to us only in your address.
I said what is that he said that we shouldn't.
You said were not supposed to milk horses. I said yeah that's right, he said whoa people do milk horses. I said, nowhere to be milk horses. He said in Outer Mongolia. I see what you know about Outer Mongolia. He said I been living there for the last 40 years so I said okay I brought that illustration directly from my taught since I am come up with another one.
Yet you can you can imagine because I haven't in the chagrin Valley seen a lot of horse milk and going on, I still think it is not my grandchildren able to distinguish between what the cow is and what a cow is not what a horse is and what horse is not and it is imperative that we understand when it is in their people asked me all the time about radio preachers well what is it about Mr. so-and-so. What is about. I got on the TV. Where does the problem lie, and in many cases the problem lies not in what is being said what and what is not being said in the things that are not exempted.
The things that are left out the elders of the church have to be able to identify when error exists in silence when something that needs to be declared is left undeclared, either as a result of someone misunderstanding or as a result of somebody who flat-out does not believe that and the vital importance of the leadership of the church getting to grips with that may be seen if you simply project 10 and 20 years out from tonight and imagine the 20 years out from tonight. There is an evening service gathered here in the church that other generations have now been raised up. Others are not acute with their children. The absolute crucial necessity of ensuring that the same message. All the truth. The trustworthy message the faith that is held too firmly by the existing eldership of this church is then transferred effectively into the hearts and minds of those who will be raised in turn to positions of leadership so that the work of the gospel may continue elders who are uncertain or who are halfhearted about biblical truth elders who are uncertain or halfhearted about biblical truth can never protect the flock of God for moves can never guide the flock into better posture. That is why the requirements the qualifications the natural hesitancy on the part of each of us ever be put in the position of leadership is all interwoven when we turn to the New Testament. Elders are not appointed on the basis of business acumen are not appointed on the basis of intellectual capacity are not appointed on the strength of their forcefulness in various areas of life, but are to be appointed because as fearful as they may be, to assume the role God has called and equipped them to give leadership in such a way that the work that they do will be a joy and not a burden, and you only need a very slight understanding of church history to know that churches like this church that one student for sound doctrine are now nowhere theologically nowhere theologically and I guarantee that you can trace the lot to the source leadership that should never have been appointed or when it lost its way. Having been appointed should've been removed. Because the issues at stake were of such lasting significance. What this automakers do is to reinforce again for us the importance of praying for one another and particularly for prey. Praying for those who have been prepared to submit themselves to the responsibility of leadership in the local church Truth for Life. Alastair begged talking about virtues and vices within church leadership. Alastair will be back to close with prayer in just a minute so please keep listening. Today's message emphasized how vital it is for church leaders to be fully committed to biblical truth and we hope that this daily program encourages those who teach the Bible to proclaim it faithfully teaching God's word is what we're all about a Truth for Life. It's our mission.
We teach the Bible with clarity and relevance so that unbelievers will be converted. Believers will be more firmly rooted in their faith in local churches will be strengthened.
Building up the local church is the topic of a book we been recommending this month. The book is titled love your church eight great things about being a church member. This is a book that describes the New Testament's vision of Christ Church author Tony Marino points out that the cross shows us that Christian love involves a passion that leads to action and to inspire us to action.
He gives examples of specific opportunities to pursue so that we can be more actively involved in our local church.
Today's the last day for you to request the book so ask for a copy when you make a donation, visit our website@truthforlife.org/donate now, here's Alastair with the closing prayer for God our father, we thank you that the Lord Jesus Christ is the great Shepherd of the sheep that he is the one who prayed consistently to you. He is the one that gave himself unstinting way to your will. He is the one who when he was reviled did not revile in return he is the one who was hospitable to those who were least and left out Jesus is the ultimate health, Jesus is the supreme pastor turn our gaze in the right direction as we move to these closing elements of our time together tonight. We pray in Christ's name. Amen about Lapine. Hope you can join us again tomorrow as we'll hear from Alastair about the serious threat rule within the congregation Bible teaching of Alistair Begg is furnished by Truth for Life Learning is for Living