“As for You, Titus…”

Probably heard some do as I say not as I do, maybe you set yourself doesn't carry a lot of weight doesn't today on Truth for Life.

Alastair beg explains why a pastor's conduct has to be a living embodiment of what he's preaching. Alastair is in Titus chapter 2 today here, of course.

In this second chapter of Titus in the midst of all the other aspects that are addressed.

Paul is getting very clear directions to Titus himself concerning his role in relationship to the edification, the instruction and the encouragement of those who are under his care. So that is just beginning the first verse as he exhorts him first of all to teach what accords with sound doctrine.

Titus is to be a teacher. It's very clear comes again and again and we are not to miss the obvious one where reading our Bibles Titus. You are to teach. You are to teach your mouth is to be consecrated to the service of your master. Not only are you to teach what you are to teach sound doctrine and actually in the Greek that is the definite article there which is translated here in the NIC in the ESV in other words, it reads you are to teach what accords with this sound doctrine. I may seem insignificant, but I don't think it is because it is just one of the phrases that is used interchangeably by Paul.

The trustworthy message the good deposit of the gospel itself, and in this instance.

This sound doctrine not definite article sends us in the direction of understanding that what he saying there is that there is a boarding of teaching that is a deposit if you like the apostolic gospel.

The gospel itself, which is to be the substance of the pastor's ministry and recognizing that not only does the Bible tell the pastor to teach, but it also tells the pastor what he is to teach, teach, teach sound doctrine and teach what accords with sound doctrine that which ties in with sound doctrine that which harmonizes if you like with the gospel, and as Titus would have had this read out loud, presumably for the people who were present. Those that were sitting there listening to whoever read it out for them would be saying to themselves what is a reminder to us to pray for our pastor to pray that he teaches and that he teaches sound doctrine and that he doesn't go off on dreadful tendons and rabbit trails in his own theories and ideas, but he actually teaches what accords with sound doctrine and it is a reminder is net of a fight that for effective preaching to take place.

You need not only a prayerful pastor. You also need a praying congregation praying to the same end that the ministry of God's word would be marked by these things. Note you will notice here. If you're alert and I take it that you are that instead of beginning, as is his norm with doctrinal indicative's he actually leaves those things until later on down in verse 11, and on and instead he's beginning here with all of these moral imperatives. Now let me just seem like a mouthful, but we we understand that we as a phraseology all the time. Doug usually lays down.

For example, in Colossians all the things that are indicative's that are true of the believer who is in Christ and then once he has made that clear, then moves from the indicative to the imperative begins chapter 3. Since then, or if then you have been raised with Christ do this do this do this and do this while in this instance he's actually reversing it and is leading with these directors. If you jump down to verse seven will be coming back to the instruction, not tonight that is given to these various ages and gender brackets within the congregation there in Crete will come back to that were looking just at what he says to Titus, you go down to verse seven there you have it. Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works and will just save it teaching for a moment and then your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned. The purpose being that no opponent will be anything other than she, because they will have nothing bad to say concerning this is a high calling, is it not is that's is a high standard that, in his teaching. He is to show integrity.

In other words, once again, in contrast to these folks who were full of hot air and full of nonsense. Paul points out that the hyena Lord of what they were doing was a desire to line their own nest and so he says now Titus. As for you, not only are you to teach in this way, your teaching must always be marked by integrity. You cannot allow yourself to succumb to the corrupting influence of ill-gotten gain dear not do it, and presumably there was the temptation to do it in the first century that is definitely the temptation to do it in the 21st century, and I have never been anywhere in the world where the temptation is great is right here in the continental United States and it abounds and therefore the only way that we can handle it is to do what the Bible says to make this mark and the standard, and a controlling influence. There must be any cunning must be no tampering must be no distortion.

There must be no dilution is very similar resident to what he says to the Corinthians, where in two Corinthians 4. He distinguishes himself and his colleagues from the ministry of those who are charlatans and he says therefore having this ministry by the mercy of God. We don't lose heart. And then he says this we have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. What a memory renounced we said were not going to engage in. We know that it goes on. He says we refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God's word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone's conscience in the sight of God.

And so here he is true to his own preset pattern of his life bears testimony to that which you know urges upon Titus. Titus make sure that your teaching is marred by integrity. Also, by dignity, by dignity if integrity answers the question, why are you doing what you're doing, not for ill-gotten gain, not as a result of manipulative processes, then the dignity issue is about how you do what you do. In other words, that there should be about the teaching of the Bible. There should be about what he's engaging in a seriousness you like a gravid tax is not the same as a goal fullness or assertive manufactured sense of awesomeness, but the awareness should be present in the opening up of the Bible that we haven't gathered here to be entertained by Titus, we haven't come here to hear the views of Titus, but that we have gathered in the presence of God before the instruction of the word of God and we recognize that he raises their souls mouthpieces for himself as a reminder, is, and it is a warning to different personality types to make sure that custom routine nature of doing this again and again and again Sunday and Sunday and Sunday services and or services times all the weeks in the year times over the years because you see the greatest danger that is represented for us is the danger that comes when it becomes increasingly easy to do what we do when you can talk for half an hour without ever really knowing where your and managed to do it at least a couple of times without letting your listeners know that you don't. If you thought your congregation, well, you will only get by with two they will not stretch to 1/3.

They will call you out on it and of course I would be very help, but you see when you think of all of these pastors. I think this will help you to pray for them.

Father I pray that you will help these men in their teaching for it to be marred by an integrity that doesn't tamper with, and by dignity that is not a non-Jew and falsified solemnity.

I take great comfort in the fact that Spurgeon was involved in outrageous bouts of laughter in the Metropolitan Tabernacle on the highway should be in. Therefore, one of them, but it it it is reported that it times he got the congregation laughing so hard that they weren't sure whether they were going to be able to continue the sermon or whether they just have to pronounce the benediction and go home. And of course he was criticized for that is criticized wrongly for the use of humor in what he did, and his reply was, you know, if you knew if you knew what I held back you would commend me and that is the same splurge and you remember who, when Lily chastised him for smoking cigars as he did, Spurgeon said, but I don't do it in excess and many said what would you call access and Spurgeon said smoking to it once, integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, sound, speech that cannot be condemned not remember which said that this would sound means healthy in keeping and not open to the condemnation, that would be placed by an opponent.

And again, it doesn't mean that the speech will be perfect speech, but it does mean that the pastor should be able to say what Paul says at least 20 years before gripper you remember in acts chapter 27 and Festus who has set up the opportunity for for Paul to speak in the company of of King Agrippa eventually realizes that Paul is getting way too. I direct and pointed in what he's doing and remember, he interrupts and needs, and he says to employer learning is just driven your next you're out of your mind. Now it's time that you start and Paul replies and says to them that that is not the case.

Festus you know that what I'm saying is true, and reasonable, and it is a sad day when the person in the pulpit is unable to make such a claim. So says Paul to Titus.

Make sure that your opponents will be put to shame when they realize that the charge of impropriety is absolutely groundless and interestingly you will notice the way in which Paul includes himself in that final phrase is an indication of his humility is an indication I think of his partnership isn't the that is not simply giving a directive to Titus is a partner with site is there in this together there in gospel ministry together so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about eyes about eyes is actually addressing Titus slightly is not wearing this together. Titus what a wonderful encouragement I must have been to Titus as well. And then of course we weren't skipping the opening phrase of the verse, but it is challenging, as it tried to show yourself in all respects as comprehensive in all respects to be a model of good works is he's not really enough for Titus just to exhort the members of his congregation to exhort the young man in his congregation to be marred by self-control, unless he's going to be marred by self-control. He can give instruction to the women not to be high around Wayne bars if he same room. You will have to adopt not simply a posture Titus, but you have to take a stand and things Titus so that you are marred by the very moderation that you call others to other things that are going to mark the congregation will spill over into the challenges of Crete.

You need to be at the head of this parade very hard. You not going to just build a getaway by preaching it, you're going to be a living embodiment that you're going to have to make sure that you're not only watching your life and your doctrine, but you're watching them closely, which is of course Paul's word to Timothy see the great challenge in this and we joked about it last week with the with my son's comments when I I told you that he would say.

And that's another kind word from your pastor, the fight is is only partly funny because it is all too possible for the person who's in the position of responsibility in teaching the word of God to render their words ineffectual because their life's don't back them up, and it is particularly the case when he's living in a kind of cesspool environment in Crete to make it obvious that the transformative power of the gospel is a power that has transformed the pastors for the congregation will go as the pastors go and then finally you have to jump to verse 15 and you have the final directive that is given in this chapter to Titus himself declared these things or is the NIV puts it. These are then the things you should teach really helpful aspect of what is he referring to all presumably all that has been mentioned not only in chapter 2 but all that is mentioned in chapter 1 and then again in chapter 3 declare these things with a really novel idea for you. Why are you trying teach the Bible by teaching the Bible learn a great suggestion for is not original, but we want to suggest to you that if you just stick with your Bible and just work through the Bible, you will be amazed for how long you be able to preach. I don't mean the length of the sermon by the length of your life because you never run out of material. When I supposed to do these people in Crete Titus might have said to himself and his wife Sybil Paul wrote the letter just nobody told you you're supposed to declare the things he wrote to you about. And in doing so your to exhort the people or encourage the people and your to rebuke them as necessary with all authority and authority. When authority the authority of his personality, the authority of his training, the authority of his intellect.

No none of that. No, only the authority that comes is being set apart as an old clay pot in whose life the treasure of the gospel has been placed and from whose life it is to be measured out with care and with encouragement and with great practical sensitivity. He wraps the chapter by saying, and let no one disregard.

Why would you ever have to say that because people would disregard the letter in this regard is wobbly when he says the committee says don't let anyone I disregard you.

Just because your youthful activity was probably about 40 years old. By that time as an encouragement to the last Gaelic speaking minister of the Presbyterian Church in new moons in Ayrshire, wrote to him for the encouragement of his colleagues in ministry and in the opening line of the hymn is courage brothers do not stumble and it is a good head, and you can save yourself when you're driving home on a Sunday on the second the evening. If you're so inclined. But the real high point in his .3 contains these words. Some will hate the somewhat lovely. Some will flatter some will slight cease from man and look above the trust in God and do what's right, everybody will like they won't like you all the time. Some of the more like you. Any of the time. So if you're going to be judging your effectiveness gauging your psychological welfare. As a pastor by the Evan flow of the congregation, to whom your set. You probably will join the statistics of those who make it just through four years. But when the word of God takes hold of the hearts of the people of God, pastor and people are light when a congregation and a pastoral team are prepared to acknowledge what we really are and what we are really light when we are prepared to bow down before God and recognize that on our best day where unprofitable servants, then we can free one another from the tyranny that comes and we can remind ourselves that were not for the grace of God we would never even be in the family of and when we look around on the family of God. I know the song goes. I'm so glad you're part of the family and you know we joked about the fact that really were to change that to read. I'm surprised that you're part of the family of would be a far more honest response. If we if we were true to and then we don't have to pretend and we can just be straight for he's going to go on and see to it that Titus in these various categories of people in this congregation young women and young man, and older women so long understand the indissoluble link between their belief in their behavior, but he makes it perfectly clear from the opening verse and from that central verse and from the concluding purpose that Titus himself, must see to that.

He watches these things what we say and how we act needs to line up listening to Truth for Life Alastair Bragg encouraging pastors to teach sound doctrine and then live accordingly, we hope you'll keep listening. Alastair will be back in just a minute to close the program with prayer here at Truth for Life we hear from listeners all around the world, even from places that are hostile to the gospel. They tell us this program is a needed source of strength and encouragement and I want you to know when you signed up to become one of our true partners and make a monthly gift to Truth for Life. You're giving goes directly to the distribution of Alistair's teaching. This includes making clear relevant Bible teaching available online through radio, even through your Alexa or Google home device as a true partner your giving and your prayer will help make a real difference in someone's life. Someone you may never meet. But someone who will be extremely and eternally thankful. It's quick and easy to sign up@truthforlife.org/true partner. When you become one of our true partners. We show our gratitude by inviting you to request not one but both of the monthly books we offer today were featuring a book titled know the truth. This is a perfect supplement to our current series titled get it right. The author of this book takes a close look at the core beliefs we are to embrace as Christians. He explains not only what it is Christians believe, but why were so sure of what we believe. If you're looking to explain to others the confidence you have in the Bible this handbook on Christian beliefs will be a great help. We should request the book when you sign up to become a true partner or when you give a one time donation to support the teaching you hear on this program.

Visit truth for like.org/donate now, here's Alastair with the closing prayer father, thank you so very much for your grace and goodness to us. Thank you for those who have taught the word of God to us so we pray that you will help us to play our part to live under your watchful eye in the awareness that all of our acceptance all day every day is not on account of how well we are doing anything that were doing have done or will do what is always on account of what you have done bringing us into fellowship with yourself. So here are prayers garden guidance we ask in Christ name, amen about the pain of a wonderful weekend and are able to worship with your local church. Older men and women are often overlooked in the prevailing culture but on Monday will hear about the unique and important role they play in the local church Bible teaching of Alastair Beck is furnished by truth for lying where the Learning is for Living