A Proper Christian Witness -- Titus 1:5-16
A Proper Christian Witness -- Titus 1:5-16
By Pastor Lee Hemen
October 26, 2008 AM
Leadership in America suffers because there is no longer any standard by which people hold their leaders to. It may be said that the church today also is sadly lacking in leadership. Few church leaders can honestly stand in front of their congregations and ask them to look closely at their personal lives. How do I know this to be true? Look at congregations as a whole. As leadership goes, so go the people. Jesus asked, “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit?” (Luke 6:39) And that is true. Leadership in the church begins with a proper Christian witness.
Paul wanted Titus to pick leaders that would display a proper Christian witness in every area of their lives. He knew that as the leaders goes, so goes the church. People follow their leaders. Jesus once asked his followers a very interesting question: “Who do people say I am?” (Mark 8:27) This is a great question for those in church leadership to ask as well. It might shock some leaders to rethink their leadership style. Christians are to live in such a way that they impact the world around them for Jesus. Paul knew this and wrote Titus to be very careful in picking church leaders. He wrote that they needed to display a proper Christian witness. Let’s find out what he meant…
READ: Titus 1:5-16
There was a popular and excellent Christian book called, “The Measure of A Man,” by Gene A. Getz. It discusses twenty relevant issues in the life of a Christian man using biblical principles and Scripture. Getz talks about a man’s private and public life and how they are to live them with the same godly integrity as found in Scripture. The quality of Jesus’ leadership was found in his willingness to serve. He displayed this characteristic whether he was with his followers or out of their eyesight. Jesus was the same whether he was alone or with someone. Paul came to learn this as well. He wanted Titus to understand that…
I. A proper Christian witness entails both a believer’s public and private life! (vv. 5-9)
1. “The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.” (Vince Lombard, Football Coach) Paul would agree. He had left Titus in Crete for a purpose: Titus was to “straighten out what was left unfinished and appoint elders… and overseers… (literally: presbuteros and episkopos) in every town.” First of all, these “elders” were to be mature Christians that met certain exacting standards. They were to be “blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient.” The “overseers,” since they were “entrusted with God’s work,” were to “be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain…. hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined…. Hold(ing) 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.” (Titus 1:7-9) The wording here meant that the leader’s life at the moment of being chosen, had to conform to these spiritual qualities in both private and public life. Paul knew that a proper Christian witness entails both a believer’s public and private life!
EXAMPLE: Some churches teach that these were to be two separate offices within the Christian church that Paul established. Others, teach they were to be seen as the same thing: probably deacons, mature men who displayed administrative qualities that could lead, discipline, and guide these fledgling churches. Whatever the reason, we also discover that these spiritual qualities also aptly apply to all church leadership, and perhaps to any believer in Christ. Why? The church is to be held to a higher standard than the world. This includes not only its leadership, but the congregation as well. How can I say this? Jesus intoned to those who followed him all over Palestine, “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:13-16) Our lives in Christ, both public and private, are to be the spiritual seasoning and illumination that the world sees and is “seasoned” by! This is why Paul wrote Titus to chose leaders who exemplified these qualities. Paul knew that a proper Christian witness entails both a believer’s public and private life!
Paul was no fool. He understood human nature, as did Jesus. There is a reason Jesus called his followers “sheep.” He knew they were and, like sheep, people follow whoever claims leadership over them. And, like sheep, who wander off easily and get lost, die of thirst, or get killed by ravenous wolves, so do God’s “flock!” Long ago, when Paul stood on a dock saying his “good-byes” to his friends in Ephesus, he warned them, “I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.” (Acts 20:29) Wolves eat sheep. Therefore Paul also wrote Titus that…
II. A proper Christian witness must be willing to stand out for the gospel! (vv. 10-16)
1. If you want to stand out in the crowd, then be willing to stand up in the world for Christ! Paul warned Titus that “there are many rebellious people, mere talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision group.” They had their own spiritual agenda and it was not good for the church. Paul was blunt and said, “They must be silenced, because they are ruining whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach—and that for the sake of dishonest gain!” Titus was not to be lulled into thinking these ungodly men had his or the church’s best interest at heart. They did not! So, to emphasize his point Paul quoted from Epimenides, a Cretan poet and philosopher from the 6th century BC, who was widely believed to be a religious prophet. By Paul’s day the saying had become a worldly proverb: “Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons,” which merely emphasized the low reputations of Cretans generally. So little did others think of the Cretans that the verb kre?tizo? was used to mean “to lie.” Now, Paul knew there were exceptional godly Cretan Christians, but he was showing how these ungodly men were like the basest among them! “This testimony is true!” he exclaims, “Therefore, rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the commands of those who reject the truth.” (Titus 1:13-14) Paul is telling Titus to stand up for the gospel because “To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted!” In fact there will always be false teachers like this who “claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.” (Titus 1:15-16) Paul knew that a proper Christian witness must be willing to stand out for the gospel!
EXAMPLE: In the “Goofy Movie,” Goofy’s son, Max puts together a goofy scheme in order to win the affection of a girl on the last day of school. He does this knowing it is his “last chance to impress.” Sadly, there are Christians who actually think they can wait just a while longer to stand out in the crowd with their faith. Max ends up getting into trouble with his school’s principal, lying to his girl friend, and tricking his father into driving across country with another wild scheme. As funny as the movie is, it is not funny when it comes to our lives in Christ. A proper Christian witness must be willing to stand out for the gospel.
Conclusion:
A proper Christian witness entails both a believer’s public and private life, and a proper Christian witness must be willing to stand out for the gospel!
----
This article is copyrighted © 2008 by Lee Hemen and if you reprint it, reproduce it, or want to use it in any way, you must do so in its entirety or get the written permission of its author.
By Pastor Lee Hemen
October 26, 2008 AM
Leadership in America suffers because there is no longer any standard by which people hold their leaders to. It may be said that the church today also is sadly lacking in leadership. Few church leaders can honestly stand in front of their congregations and ask them to look closely at their personal lives. How do I know this to be true? Look at congregations as a whole. As leadership goes, so go the people. Jesus asked, “Can a blind man lead a blind man? Will they not both fall into a pit?” (Luke 6:39) And that is true. Leadership in the church begins with a proper Christian witness.
Paul wanted Titus to pick leaders that would display a proper Christian witness in every area of their lives. He knew that as the leaders goes, so goes the church. People follow their leaders. Jesus once asked his followers a very interesting question: “Who do people say I am?” (Mark 8:27) This is a great question for those in church leadership to ask as well. It might shock some leaders to rethink their leadership style. Christians are to live in such a way that they impact the world around them for Jesus. Paul knew this and wrote Titus to be very careful in picking church leaders. He wrote that they needed to display a proper Christian witness. Let’s find out what he meant…
READ: Titus 1:5-16
There was a popular and excellent Christian book called, “The Measure of A Man,” by Gene A. Getz. It discusses twenty relevant issues in the life of a Christian man using biblical principles and Scripture. Getz talks about a man’s private and public life and how they are to live them with the same godly integrity as found in Scripture. The quality of Jesus’ leadership was found in his willingness to serve. He displayed this characteristic whether he was with his followers or out of their eyesight. Jesus was the same whether he was alone or with someone. Paul came to learn this as well. He wanted Titus to understand that…
I. A proper Christian witness entails both a believer’s public and private life! (vv. 5-9)
1. “The quality of a person's life is in direct proportion to their commitment to excellence, regardless of their chosen field of endeavor.” (Vince Lombard, Football Coach) Paul would agree. He had left Titus in Crete for a purpose: Titus was to “straighten out what was left unfinished and appoint elders… and overseers… (literally: presbuteros and episkopos) in every town.” First of all, these “elders” were to be mature Christians that met certain exacting standards. They were to be “blameless, the husband of but one wife, a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient.” The “overseers,” since they were “entrusted with God’s work,” were to “be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain…. hospitable, one who loves what is good, who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined…. Hold(ing) 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.” (Titus 1:7-9) The wording here meant that the leader’s life at the moment of being chosen, had to conform to these spiritual qualities in both private and public life. Paul knew that a proper Christian witness entails both a believer’s public and private life!
EXAMPLE: Some churches teach that these were to be two separate offices within the Christian church that Paul established. Others, teach they were to be seen as the same thing: probably deacons, mature men who displayed administrative qualities that could lead, discipline, and guide these fledgling churches. Whatever the reason, we also discover that these spiritual qualities also aptly apply to all church leadership, and perhaps to any believer in Christ. Why? The church is to be held to a higher standard than the world. This includes not only its leadership, but the congregation as well. How can I say this? Jesus intoned to those who followed him all over Palestine, “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. "You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:13-16) Our lives in Christ, both public and private, are to be the spiritual seasoning and illumination that the world sees and is “seasoned” by! This is why Paul wrote Titus to chose leaders who exemplified these qualities. Paul knew that a proper Christian witness entails both a believer’s public and private life!
Paul was no fool. He understood human nature, as did Jesus. There is a reason Jesus called his followers “sheep.” He knew they were and, like sheep, people follow whoever claims leadership over them. And, like sheep, who wander off easily and get lost, die of thirst, or get killed by ravenous wolves, so do God’s “flock!” Long ago, when Paul stood on a dock saying his “good-byes” to his friends in Ephesus, he warned them, “I know that after I leave, savage wolves will come in among you and will not spare the flock.” (Acts 20:29) Wolves eat sheep. Therefore Paul also wrote Titus that…
II. A proper Christian witness must be willing to stand out for the gospel! (vv. 10-16)
1. If you want to stand out in the crowd, then be willing to stand up in the world for Christ! Paul warned Titus that “there are many rebellious people, mere talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision group.” They had their own spiritual agenda and it was not good for the church. Paul was blunt and said, “They must be silenced, because they are ruining whole households by teaching things they ought not to teach—and that for the sake of dishonest gain!” Titus was not to be lulled into thinking these ungodly men had his or the church’s best interest at heart. They did not! So, to emphasize his point Paul quoted from Epimenides, a Cretan poet and philosopher from the 6th century BC, who was widely believed to be a religious prophet. By Paul’s day the saying had become a worldly proverb: “Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons,” which merely emphasized the low reputations of Cretans generally. So little did others think of the Cretans that the verb kre?tizo? was used to mean “to lie.” Now, Paul knew there were exceptional godly Cretan Christians, but he was showing how these ungodly men were like the basest among them! “This testimony is true!” he exclaims, “Therefore, rebuke them sharply, so that they will be sound in the faith and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the commands of those who reject the truth.” (Titus 1:13-14) Paul is telling Titus to stand up for the gospel because “To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted!” In fact there will always be false teachers like this who “claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him. They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.” (Titus 1:15-16) Paul knew that a proper Christian witness must be willing to stand out for the gospel!
EXAMPLE: In the “Goofy Movie,” Goofy’s son, Max puts together a goofy scheme in order to win the affection of a girl on the last day of school. He does this knowing it is his “last chance to impress.” Sadly, there are Christians who actually think they can wait just a while longer to stand out in the crowd with their faith. Max ends up getting into trouble with his school’s principal, lying to his girl friend, and tricking his father into driving across country with another wild scheme. As funny as the movie is, it is not funny when it comes to our lives in Christ. A proper Christian witness must be willing to stand out for the gospel.
Conclusion:
A proper Christian witness entails both a believer’s public and private life, and a proper Christian witness must be willing to stand out for the gospel!
----
This article is copyrighted © 2008 by Lee Hemen and if you reprint it, reproduce it, or want to use it in any way, you must do so in its entirety or get the written permission of its author.
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