TITUS 1

GETTING IT WRONG … BOTH WAYS

Did you see in the news about the CULT LEADER out near Toowoomba? Her name's Debra Geileskey, and she says she has visions of the virgin Mary, and direct messages from Jesus. Thousands of pilgrims flock out to her holy mountain every weekend. Dozens of them have sold their homes and given the money to Debra's fund. She told her followers she only ate 33 times a year. And lived on holy water and communion wafers. But now someone from the local corner shop has just said Debra sneaks in there and buys fried chicken and chocolate. And one of her friends, she's come out and confirmed it. And she says, "Once when I was putting some clothes in Debra's cupboard, I found half a bottle of Coke and a packet of cream biscuits."

Doesn't take much, does it, for someone like that to be absolutely discredited, does it. Because the trouble is, what Debra Gieleskey was saying was something very different to what Debra Gieleskey was DOING.

The two things didn't match at all. Which is a good indicator that there's something very shonky going on.

Similar thing on the island of Crete, where Paul's writing this little letter to his offsider Titus. A simple little letter that we're going to be looking at over the next few weeks. There's a problem in the church in Crete that has those same sort of symptoms. That what they're saying they're BELIEVING, isn't really showing through in the way they're LIVING.

Paul's talking about people like Debrah Gieleskey in verse 16. But I guess he could be talking about people like you and me as well. Here's what he says. He says to Titus, there are things in Crete that need fixing. Because there are people there, and they claim to know God. But by their actions they deny him. No integrity. They're detestable, disobedient, and unfit for doing anything good. Fakes. THEY CLAIM TO KNOW GOD… BUT BY THEIR ACTIONS THEY DENY HIM.

THINKING RIGHT AND DOING RIGHT

There are people in Crete, and I suppose you can find them everywhere else as well… people who have got Christianity fundamentally wrong. Wrong beliefs. Wrong lives. Instead of Right Beliefs. And Right Lives. Which Paul reminds Titus at the start of the letter, is exactly what he's always been on about. Have a look. Verse 1. Because let me tell you, being Christian's not just a HEAD SPORT. It's something that has got to change the way we live.

Paul, a servant of God - verse 1 - and an APOSTLE, a SENT ONE of Jesus Christ - now read the next words carefully, because here's what he's on about… an apostle of Jesus Christ FOR the FAITH OF GOD'S ELECT, and the KNOWLEDGE OF THE TRUTH… that LEADS to Godliness.

He's a man with a message. That people need to TRUST. Paul wants people to come to FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST - that saves them; and brings forgiveness of sins. Paul wants people to come to KNOW THE TRUTH. But the trusting and the knowing, it's meant to be LEADING SOMEWHERE. And that's to what he calls GODLINESS. A life that's lived GOD'S WAY. With GOD'S VALUES. And God's attitudes. A life… like Jesus. An apostle for the faith of God's elect and the knowledge of the truth… that leads to GODLINESS.

Now our problem is, we want to drive a wedge, we want to set up right thinking and right living as if they're somehow opposites. And so you get Christians these days who want to SNEER at the whole idea of CHRISTIAN DOCTRINE. They call it HEAD KNOWLEDGE. As if it doesn't go anywhere beyond there. Christians these days who want to say, ANYTHING GOES. The classic POSTMODERNISM thing you hear so much about, that says, there's no such thing as truth, so your opinion is as good as my opinion is as good as the next guy's opinion. None of us has got the truth. So it doesn't matter what you think. As long as you don't impose it on anybody else. Paul says, the TRUTH IS THE TRUTH. He says, we've got a faith and a knowledge that RESTS ON SOMETHING SOLID. On the hope of eternal life. Which God promised before, and which he's demonstrated concretely in the RESURRECTION OF JESUS. Verse 3, he says, at his appointed season, he BROUGHT HIS WORD TO LIGHT through the preaching entrusted to me by the command of God our saviour. Jesus Christ.

The message Paul's got, it's not just a matter of opinion. Not just a few ideas he's dreamed up that might be important, or maybe not. Paul is under orders. He's been given the message of salvation. And if you follow the chain of logic he's running through there, it's a message about Jesus - who God raised from the dead. That gives us THE HOPE OF ETERNAL LIFE. And it's that HOPE… that realisation that this life is not all there is… that should be making us want to be GODLY. In the way we live our lives.

Right teaching. Leads to right thinking. Leads to RIGHT LIVING.

And the problem is, that's not the way things are on the island of Crete. Not by a long shot. And so Paul's writing this letter to his helper Titus, who came there to Crete with him before, and stayed on. And the letter is a reminder of WHY.

We're jumping around the passage a little bit, but let's look a bit closer at the problem before we look at the solution.

THE PROBLEM… BAD TEACHING, BAD LIVING

And if you want to see the problem, he spells out from verse 10. Because he says there are people in Crete, the little island famous for dishonesty and corruption, the little island with a reputation like Kings Cross down in Sydney, there are people in Crete who are DECEIVING GOD'S PEOPLE. Leading them astray, with WRONG TEACHING… and WRONG LIVING.

And there are lots of them. Read what he says. Verse 10. For there are many rebellious people, mere talkers and deceivers. Who in the typical way want to PREY on ordinary Christians and lead them astray. They mightn't be like Debra with her visions of the virgin Mary and her Holy Water diet. Might be a whole lot more subtle. Like the ones Paul's talking about. He says, especially those of the circumcision group - they must be SILENCED. Because what they're doing, says Paul, is RUINING WHOLE HOUSEHOLDS. White-anting the church. By teaching what they shouldn't teach. By misleading. For the sake of financial gain.

Now I guess it's pretty safe to say these days if you were looking to make a buck by going around advocating the religious benefits of circumcision, you mightn't do all that well. But in Paul's time, there was more to it. These were the guys who were saying, FAITH IN JESUS ISN'T ENOUGH. Saying, if you think it's enough that Jesus Christ DIED FOR YOUR SINS on the cross, if you think you just have to be forgiven, you're wrong. What you've got to do is pick up all the Old Testament Jewish laws as well. Be circumcised. Keep the rules. Observe the Holy Days. By which they might as well be saying, Jesus was just wasting his time. He didn't save you at all.

THE SOLUTION - Elders who mean business

Now will you notice with me, if there are these false teachers in Crete who are teaching wrongly and living wrongly, what's the SOLUTION? If there are these false teachers who are claiming to know God, but by their actions they're denying him, what are we meant to DO ABOUT IT?

Well, let's have a look what Paul says to Titus. Who's there on Crete finishing up the work he and Paul had started. Pick it up back in verse 5; and you'll see what's going on. Paul says, there's stuff in Crete that needs straightening out. Because it's crooked. The reason I left you in Crete, says Paul, was that you might STRAIGHTEN OUT what was left unfinished… and … this'll fix it - and appoint ELDERS in every town. As I directed you.

But will you notice, he says, when you're appointing ELDERS… CHOOSE CAREFULLY. Paul says, you need to choose Elders who are the REAL THING. Men with REAL CHRISTIAN INTEGRITY. Who are going to WALK THE WALK… as well as TALK THE TALK. Not perfect. Just prepared to live as followers of Jesus: live as if they mean it.

And you'll see again, as you read through verses 6 to 8; elders and overseers, they need to have RIGHT LIVES. And verse 9, elders and overseers, they need to have RIGHT DOCTRINE. Which is the only remedy - the only way to oppose those who haven't.

Pick it up in verse 6. And I guess, especially if you're someone like Maurie or me, or if you're one of our elders. We need to listen to this stuff. An elder must be blameless - not open to any accusation that he's not living out his faith. And he's got to get things RIGHT AT HOME in his own family before you can expect him to get things right in the church family - the husband of but one wife, faithful to her; a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient. It's the TOUGHEST TEST of leadership of all, isn't it. The age we live in seems to say kids do what they like, and it's not the parents problem. Paul says, the way you bring up your family demonstrates something about the way you lead. Verse 7; the reason it's important is that THIS IS GOD'S WORK. That's why he needs to be blameless. And then a whole string of NOTS. Not overbearing; a bully. Not quick tempered; not given to drunkenness; not violent; not pursuing dishonest gain.

You know, I've known elders and ministers who have blown it on any number of those. The minister who was known in his town as an alcoholic. Because he'd turn up to meetings drunk. An elder, known in his little New South Wales country town for his fiery temper. Abused a young mum who was holding up the traffic at a corner near the pre-school. And it was the talk of the town. He calls himself a CHRISTIAN. Why doesn't he live it. Others - pursuing DISHONEST GAIN. Cutting corners in business. Let me tell you, if you think you can be a Christian leader and live like that, you're not going to lead ANYONE ANYWHERE. And when it comes to fronting up to false teaching, you haven't got a leg to stand on.

Paul says to Titus, when you're looking for elders who are going to MODEL HOW CHRISTIANS LIVE, whatever you do… don't go for people like THAT- who are going to bring the Lord Jesus into disrepute.

Verse 8. Look for someone like this instead. Someone hospitable; someone who LOVES WHAT IS GOOD; who is self controlled; upright; holy and disciplined.

You know, sometimes people say, he sets the bar too high. No one can be like that. Which is RUBBISH. The fact is, he's just describing what ANYONE'S MEANT TO LOOK LIKE… who's serious about following Jesus. Find some of those in every town, says Paul… and appoint them as leaders. Who'll show people in Crete HOW REAL CHRISTIANS LIVE.

But more than that… verse 9; remember the two things that have to always go HAND IN HAND. It's not just about LIVING RIGHT. It's about RIGHT TEACHING as well. Holding on to THE TRUTH.

Read it. An elder, verse 9, he must hold FIRMLY to the trustworthy message as it has been taught, so that he can encourage others by SOUND DOCTRINE, and refute those who oppose it.

Right living. Right teaching. Right living. Right teaching. Hold on to the truth. So you can DEFEND IT. Live it out. So you can ENCOURAGE people to stick to it. And fight off those who don’t. When it comes to the message Paul's preaching, when it comes to the message we call THE GOSPEL… it's not a matter of ANYTHING GOES. Make it up however it suits. It's a matter of sticking exactly to the trustworthy message that you've been taught. And passing it on intact. Like you're in a relay race. Pass on the baton. And don't drop it. And stand up against anyone who wants to change it.

CONCLUSION

Now I guess with a passage like this, it's easy, isn't it - to focus on our elders. And you're going to see them up the front in a little while when we're celebrating the Lord's Supper. And I trust our elders are taking a passage like this one to heart. As I am.

Funny, isn't it. I mean, apart from all the false teacher types who make the front pages like Debrah Geilesky, there's enough trouble inside the REAL CHURCH, isn't there. Don't you just hate it… it always makes the newspapers or the TV news. Pedophile priests. Pastors who take advantage of situations with women in distress. TV Evangelists who COOK THE BOOKS. And walk away rich. I heard about a BISHOP the other day, who tells his people that they SHOULDN'T TAKE ANY NOTICE OF THE BIBLE. The little town we used to live in, two pastors from two different churches were caught in adultery within a few months of each other. And had to leave town. And it's sickening, isn't it.

But I want to take it further than that. And say, what's it like with YOU? Because the point is, the elders are meant to be people of integrity to ENCOURAGE YOU… to be the same. It's not one standard for leaders and another standard for everyone else.

And while I want to say to the elders and leaders in our church, let's GET SERIOUS… I want to say the same to everyone. We're going to see more of that next week… what's meant to be taught to different groups in the church; and the fact is, it's not that different.

And so for each of YOU… can I ask you to think on this. Is what you believe… showing through in the way you're LIVING? Or isn't it? Are you growing as a follower of Jesus to be someone who LOVES WHAT'S GOOD? Or do you still secretly delight in what's not? How deep can you scratch and still find a Christian there?

We'll be a strong church if our leaders lead by example; and if we're determined to hold on to the truth. But only if for all of us, the faith we've come to and the knowledge we're growing in… is a faith and knowledge that leads to CHANGING LIVES. A faith and knowledge that leads to GODLINESS.