1 00:00:05,600 --> 00:00:09,120 Today we're going to be in Titus chapter 1, so you want to turn 2 00:00:09,120 --> 00:00:11,680 there. Titus chapter 1 is a small. 3 00:00:11,960 --> 00:00:14,360 Book of the Bible. Fits on about a page and 1/2 in 4 00:00:14,360 --> 00:00:19,040 my in my Bible and so it's after second Timothy towards the end 5 00:00:19,040 --> 00:00:21,000 if you don't have a Bible. They would love to. 6 00:00:21,000 --> 00:00:23,800 At the welcome center, get you a Bible either now or before you 7 00:00:23,800 --> 00:00:28,040 leave to make sure you have one. But as you guys turn there, the 8 00:00:28,040 --> 00:00:31,640 Titus chapter 1 I want to. Just take you back to. 9 00:00:31,640 --> 00:00:36,520 Probably an all too familiar event, an all too familiar event 10 00:00:36,520 --> 00:00:39,560 in your lives, in my life. I just want you to imagine with 11 00:00:39,560 --> 00:00:43,880 me that you're either on your phone, computer or TV and you're 12 00:00:43,880 --> 00:00:45,920 consuming news. The way that you usually. 13 00:00:45,920 --> 00:00:48,920 Watch the news so maybe it's through your an app. 14 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:52,120 Like TikTok or X? Or maybe it's through some 15 00:00:52,120 --> 00:00:55,400 certain TV channels. I just want you to remember what 16 00:00:55,400 --> 00:00:58,120 that's been like maybe the last few weeks, but really in 17 00:00:58,120 --> 00:01:00,960 general. And I want you to imagine with 18 00:01:00,960 --> 00:01:04,040 me that you're on one news channel or you're flipping 19 00:01:04,040 --> 00:01:07,000 through the algorithm and you see a post that interests to you 20 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:09,480 or something on the TV that that draws your attention. 21 00:01:09,480 --> 00:01:12,320 And you see, you start to pay attention and listen to what's 22 00:01:12,320 --> 00:01:15,320 being said. And as you listen, you, you hear 23 00:01:15,320 --> 00:01:19,720 a very clear and somewhat compelling version of facts and 24 00:01:19,720 --> 00:01:21,280 truth. And so you're like, OK, sounds 25 00:01:21,280 --> 00:01:22,480 good. I guess that's what happened. 26 00:01:23,360 --> 00:01:28,720 And then you swipe and scroll or change the channel and all of a 27 00:01:28,720 --> 00:01:31,800 sudden they're talking about the same thing. 28 00:01:31,800 --> 00:01:34,440 There's a new person talking about the same thing, yet they 29 00:01:34,440 --> 00:01:38,360 seem to have conflicting facts, A conflicting version of the 30 00:01:38,360 --> 00:01:40,200 truth. Now that's. 31 00:01:40,200 --> 00:01:41,920 Probably fairly familiar, and was. 32 00:01:41,920 --> 00:01:44,400 Also probably. Familiar, and I'm not asking you 33 00:01:44,400 --> 00:01:47,480 to raise your hands, but how many of us, after experiencing 34 00:01:47,480 --> 00:01:50,600 that went on a little bit of a deep dive, more of a deep dive 35 00:01:50,600 --> 00:01:54,920 than we probably care to commit or admit into the rabbit hole of 36 00:01:54,920 --> 00:01:57,920 the Internet of. Whatever choice it was for you. 37 00:01:58,640 --> 00:02:00,520 And this happens, you know, in the last few weeks, it's felt 38 00:02:00,840 --> 00:02:03,200 particularly like a temptation, I think. 39 00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:06,160 And but it happens all the time. And it doesn't just happen for 40 00:02:06,160 --> 00:02:08,960 us people who live in the digital age and a digital 41 00:02:08,960 --> 00:02:12,400 society. It happens to us as embodied 42 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:16,040 humans with people we know. And it happened to Paul, 43 00:02:16,040 --> 00:02:18,760 happened to Titus, happened to the church on Crete. 44 00:02:19,200 --> 00:02:20,280 In fact, that's part of why Paul. 45 00:02:20,280 --> 00:02:24,240 Writes this letter to Titus. And today we're going to. 46 00:02:24,320 --> 00:02:26,880 Read. What Paul's instruction to Titus 47 00:02:26,880 --> 00:02:31,120 is to instruct the church on how to deal with conflicting. 48 00:02:31,120 --> 00:02:32,520 Facts. How to deal? 49 00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:36,640 With the temptation to dive into the rabbit hole of conspiracy 50 00:02:37,240 --> 00:02:39,040 and to dive in the rabbit hole of legalism. 51 00:02:39,040 --> 00:02:41,400 And we're going to see what Paul's instruction is. 52 00:02:41,720 --> 00:02:43,920 So if you guys will turn, if you haven't already, to Titus 53 00:02:43,920 --> 00:02:45,680 Chapter 1, we'll be in. Chapter. 54 00:02:45,680 --> 00:02:49,520 Sorry, verses. 10 through 16, but I want to remind. 55 00:02:49,520 --> 00:02:53,360 Us all of what? This context. 56 00:02:53,360 --> 00:02:56,680 Of this letter is what? Paul is writing to so Paul's 57 00:02:56,680 --> 00:02:58,880 writing to Titus, and I'm going to read. 58 00:02:58,960 --> 00:03:01,160 Verse 5. For us, just to remind us this 59 00:03:01,160 --> 00:03:06,200 reason, Paul says I left you in Crete that you should set an 60 00:03:06,200 --> 00:03:10,720 order, the things that are lacking and appoint elders in 61 00:03:10,720 --> 00:03:14,480 every city as I commanded you. So Paul is writing. 62 00:03:14,480 --> 00:03:16,120 To Titus, but this. Letter is not just. 63 00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:19,000 For Titus. To read devotionally or 64 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:21,240 personally. It's a letter for Titus. 65 00:03:21,760 --> 00:03:26,080 To do something with namely to go from city to city, town to 66 00:03:26,080 --> 00:03:28,360 town, place to place and establish leaders. 67 00:03:28,360 --> 00:03:30,160 Notice what Paul doesn't say He could. 68 00:03:30,160 --> 00:03:31,520 Have said this, but he doesn't. Say this. 69 00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:33,400 I might have said this if I was writing Titus. 70 00:03:33,880 --> 00:03:37,560 He doesn't say, though. Titus, go and find the 71 00:03:37,560 --> 00:03:41,360 population center of Crete, buy a building, renovate it, see 72 00:03:41,360 --> 00:03:44,720 what you can do, and then send out information to all the 73 00:03:44,720 --> 00:03:47,640 cities and all the towns. And then you, Titus alone, 74 00:03:47,640 --> 00:03:50,520 instruct everybody in what is true, what is right, and what is 75 00:03:50,520 --> 00:03:51,920 good. He doesn't say. 76 00:03:51,920 --> 00:03:54,720 That he could have. Said that, but instead he says 77 00:03:54,720 --> 00:03:57,960 go from city to city, town to town, place to place. 78 00:03:58,360 --> 00:04:02,160 Find men of good repute and establish them as you talked 79 00:04:02,160 --> 00:04:04,320 about. Last week as elders. 80 00:04:04,400 --> 00:04:07,400 As elders who are qualified elders who are trained leaders. 81 00:04:07,400 --> 00:04:11,720 Pastors, overseers, Paul says. And so this letter was. 82 00:04:11,720 --> 00:04:15,080 To be read by Titus. To be used to establish churches 83 00:04:15,080 --> 00:04:16,959 all throughout Crete. And it was. 84 00:04:17,040 --> 00:04:21,040 To be used as he traveled to read to the church. 85 00:04:21,560 --> 00:04:25,440 And so as we sit here, it's not just for pastors. 86 00:04:25,440 --> 00:04:28,480 Elders, people who are leaders. It's for every Christian. 87 00:04:28,480 --> 00:04:31,760 Paul is has in mind every believer in the household of 88 00:04:31,760 --> 00:04:35,240 faith to be listening to this, understanding this and knowing 89 00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:36,760 this is. What Titus is up to? 90 00:04:37,440 --> 00:04:39,840 This is what the elders. Are up to the pastors, the 91 00:04:39,840 --> 00:04:42,160 overseers. And this is what I need to be. 92 00:04:42,360 --> 00:04:45,160 This is what I need to do to make sure that the. 93 00:04:45,160 --> 00:04:48,800 Truth. Of the Gospel remains central to 94 00:04:48,800 --> 00:04:51,040 the church on the island of Crete. 95 00:04:52,440 --> 00:04:54,200 So I love this verse. It's. 96 00:04:54,720 --> 00:04:57,440 I bring it up 1 to show the context, but two, because it's a 97 00:04:57,440 --> 00:04:59,680 lot of people have a life verse and there's a lot of great life 98 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:01,840 verses out there. This is my work. 99 00:05:01,840 --> 00:05:04,760 Verse, and it really is a verse for. 100 00:05:04,840 --> 00:05:08,440 Any pastor, but in particular I get to oversee the communities, 101 00:05:08,440 --> 00:05:11,720 the Calvary communities of our church, the missional family of 102 00:05:11,720 --> 00:05:13,400 disciples. That we have. 103 00:05:13,400 --> 00:05:16,360 All throughout the city and part of my role is to go around to 104 00:05:16,360 --> 00:05:18,240 find different places. Where there is no leader. 105 00:05:18,440 --> 00:05:21,160 And to raise up a leader, to multiply leaders and to make 106 00:05:21,160 --> 00:05:23,760 sure that there are communities of faith in. 107 00:05:23,760 --> 00:05:26,800 Every part of our city and so I love this verse it's. 108 00:05:26,800 --> 00:05:30,920 Helpful for us and Paul says this is the reason why we need 109 00:05:30,920 --> 00:05:32,960 to do. This he says. 4 You need to 110 00:05:32,960 --> 00:05:38,160 establish leaders good sound. Leaders 4 verse. 10 There are 111 00:05:38,160 --> 00:05:43,400 many insubordinate idle talkers and deceivers. 112 00:05:43,920 --> 00:05:45,960 Now that probably sounds a bit familiar, right? 113 00:05:46,120 --> 00:05:49,480 We probably can imagine a caricature. 114 00:05:49,480 --> 00:05:51,280 Or maybe. Very particular people. 115 00:05:51,280 --> 00:05:53,960 That we know, whether online or in person, that that sound like 116 00:05:53,960 --> 00:05:55,720 this. They're insubordinate when you 117 00:05:55,720 --> 00:05:57,440 confront them with truth, they they, they don't listen. 118 00:05:57,440 --> 00:05:59,320 They don't really care what anybody else has to. 119 00:05:59,320 --> 00:06:01,720 Say. They just know what they had to. 120 00:06:01,720 --> 00:06:05,000 Say so they say it. No matter what, they're idle. 121 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:07,720 Talkers, they just say whatever. Comes to mind whether it's. 122 00:06:07,720 --> 00:06:10,960 True or whether it's. Not whether they they know it to 123 00:06:10,960 --> 00:06:12,480 be true or whether they've looked into it. 124 00:06:13,760 --> 00:06:15,400 Their idol talkers and their deceivers. 125 00:06:15,560 --> 00:06:18,360 Not only do they say things that they think maybe are true, they 126 00:06:18,360 --> 00:06:21,800 say things that they know, they teach things that they know are 127 00:06:21,800 --> 00:06:26,440 not true. And Paul hones in on one group 128 00:06:26,440 --> 00:06:30,080 of people that was particularly a problem on Crete. 129 00:06:30,360 --> 00:06:33,040 He says. Especially those of the 130 00:06:33,040 --> 00:06:36,600 circumcision and those are the circumcision, not a term that we 131 00:06:36,600 --> 00:06:39,120 probably use, probably not one that you used in the last week. 132 00:06:39,400 --> 00:06:41,240 And if you did, people. Probably looked at you funny, 133 00:06:41,920 --> 00:06:46,080 but it's a term that in Paul's day and from the other writings 134 00:06:46,080 --> 00:06:48,920 that we have of Paul's in the New Testament, we know was 135 00:06:48,920 --> 00:06:52,240 referring to ethnically Jewish Christians. 136 00:06:52,560 --> 00:06:55,640 So people who are. Jewish by by their. 137 00:06:55,640 --> 00:06:59,840 Ethnicity but they're now Christians who were saying that 138 00:06:59,840 --> 00:07:02,440 although. Christ had fulfilled the law. 139 00:07:02,440 --> 00:07:03,400 We. Still need to follow. 140 00:07:03,440 --> 00:07:06,520 Every detail of the law. Including the laws of 141 00:07:06,520 --> 00:07:08,200 circumcision. So they were going around to 142 00:07:08,480 --> 00:07:11,480 Greeks and Gentiles and saying you need to be circumcised 143 00:07:11,640 --> 00:07:15,640 according to the Torah and. Follow all that the Torah has to 144 00:07:15,640 --> 00:07:20,520 say. And so in our day, you may not 145 00:07:20,520 --> 00:07:22,760 have those people in our lives, we may not know those people, we 146 00:07:22,760 --> 00:07:25,640 may not be aware of anybody trying to tell us that exact 147 00:07:25,640 --> 00:07:27,640 thing. But we do know people. 148 00:07:28,200 --> 00:07:32,120 Of this stereotype. Of this makeup, They're 149 00:07:32,200 --> 00:07:34,480 religious people, people who we maybe. 150 00:07:34,480 --> 00:07:39,080 Would say are overly religious. Meaning that they add things 151 00:07:39,400 --> 00:07:42,080 that most of us would say that that's not a part of the gospel, 152 00:07:42,080 --> 00:07:45,240 that's not how you get saved. It's by grace alone, by faith 153 00:07:45,240 --> 00:07:47,360 alone. It's not through the the 154 00:07:47,400 --> 00:07:50,000 following the Torah. Jesus fulfilled it. 155 00:07:51,320 --> 00:07:53,360 And, and in their day they were saying they need to do this and 156 00:07:53,360 --> 00:07:55,760 they need to do that. You need to do the ritual hand 157 00:07:55,760 --> 00:07:58,240 washings and and sacrifice at the temple. 158 00:07:58,880 --> 00:08:01,240 In our day, it might look a little bit different, but there 159 00:08:01,240 --> 00:08:06,000 are people in church around church that add things to the 160 00:08:06,000 --> 00:08:08,240 gospel, religious people who seem to be. 161 00:08:08,240 --> 00:08:11,640 Too religious too. Intellectual for the simple 162 00:08:11,760 --> 00:08:12,880 truth. Of the gospel. 163 00:08:12,880 --> 00:08:14,960 The Gospel. Seems too simple. 164 00:08:15,200 --> 00:08:16,920 So there needs to be more. There needs to be a deeper 165 00:08:16,920 --> 00:08:20,560 knowledge and a higher. Set of rules and this. 166 00:08:20,560 --> 00:08:23,160 Reminds us that from Paul. 'S day all the way till our day. 167 00:08:23,560 --> 00:08:27,760 The the main problem, the main opponent of the church, the main 168 00:08:27,760 --> 00:08:32,240 form of corruption, comes from within, not from the outside. 169 00:08:32,720 --> 00:08:35,559 In fact, the Church is more hurt by corruption from within than 170 00:08:35,559 --> 00:08:37,360 it is from those. Outside of the church. 171 00:08:37,720 --> 00:08:39,360 He studied church history from Paul's day. 172 00:08:39,559 --> 00:08:41,559 To up to our very. Time and you know that to be 173 00:08:41,559 --> 00:08:43,919 true. So Paul is writing to Titus to 174 00:08:43,919 --> 00:08:45,640 say. This is what you need to do in 175 00:08:45,640 --> 00:08:47,280 the church to make sure that the simple. 176 00:08:47,280 --> 00:08:52,040 Gospel, The gospel that Jesus brought, the gospel of Jesus is 177 00:08:52,040 --> 00:08:55,080 taught faithfully. And this is what he says you 178 00:08:55,080 --> 00:08:57,760 need to do verse 11, just to warn you, it's going to sound a 179 00:08:57,760 --> 00:08:59,880 bit. It's a bit like a cultural. 180 00:08:59,880 --> 00:09:03,840 Heresy as Americans, but it's important for us, he says. 181 00:09:03,840 --> 00:09:06,400 Verse 11. Whose mouth must be? 182 00:09:07,040 --> 00:09:09,480 Stopped in. Other words, these people need 183 00:09:09,480 --> 00:09:12,120 to be silenced and remember the context. 184 00:09:12,120 --> 00:09:14,560 He's writing to Titus in the church, right? 185 00:09:14,720 --> 00:09:17,400 As Christians in America, we do value. 186 00:09:17,480 --> 00:09:19,440 Right, free speech and. Having open. 187 00:09:19,440 --> 00:09:21,440 Dialogue with people who disagree with us and. 188 00:09:21,720 --> 00:09:23,120 Trying to win them for the gospel. 189 00:09:23,120 --> 00:09:25,520 Having good conversations that lead to God. 190 00:09:25,520 --> 00:09:28,120 Conversations that become, hopefully, gospel conversations 191 00:09:28,120 --> 00:09:29,440 as people give. Their life to Jesus. 192 00:09:29,640 --> 00:09:32,080 Like we want to have that. We don't want to silence 193 00:09:32,080 --> 00:09:34,040 everybody that disagrees. We want to talk with them and 194 00:09:34,040 --> 00:09:36,720 have. Dialogue and to grow together 195 00:09:36,720 --> 00:09:38,560 and to hopefully see them give their life to Jesus. 196 00:09:38,560 --> 00:09:43,400 But within the church, truth needs to be protected. 197 00:09:43,520 --> 00:09:47,400 Within the church, we need to be careful to hold to the simple. 198 00:09:47,680 --> 00:09:51,760 Truths of the Bible the simple truths of the gospel the church 199 00:09:51,960 --> 00:09:54,200 is that the. Bastion of truth in a city. 200 00:09:54,200 --> 00:09:56,560 It's a place where people. Should know that they can step 201 00:09:56,560 --> 00:09:57,800 into any church. Gathering. 202 00:09:57,960 --> 00:10:00,160 Whether it be a Sunday gathering at 1-2. 203 00:10:00,160 --> 00:10:02,680 Three auto drive. Or a Wednesday gathering. 204 00:10:02,680 --> 00:10:04,880 Or a Tuesday gathering in a home throughout the city. 205 00:10:05,440 --> 00:10:07,160 They should know that if I step into there, there's going to be 206 00:10:07,160 --> 00:10:09,800 a group of people who are committed to the same thing they 207 00:10:09,800 --> 00:10:16,560 have the same view on life from. The Bible, it says that. 208 00:10:16,640 --> 00:10:20,040 These people need to be. Stopped because they subvert 209 00:10:20,040 --> 00:10:22,840 whole households. Teaching things which they ought 210 00:10:22,840 --> 00:10:25,000 not for the sake of dishonest gain. 211 00:10:25,320 --> 00:10:26,960 And again, this probably sounds somewhat familiar. 212 00:10:26,960 --> 00:10:28,720 We can all think. Of people who teach. 213 00:10:28,720 --> 00:10:31,640 Things that we disagree with that probably aren't true, that 214 00:10:31,640 --> 00:10:33,760 most likely aren't true, maybe we actually know that they're 215 00:10:33,760 --> 00:10:36,760 not true and the reason that they teach them, the reason why 216 00:10:36,880 --> 00:10:40,440 they peddle them is so that they can sell something. 217 00:10:40,840 --> 00:10:43,600 Whether you get support for their quote UN quote. 218 00:10:43,600 --> 00:10:47,080 Ministry, whether it's to sell some product or. 219 00:10:47,080 --> 00:10:49,960 Whether it's to get subscribers, likes, followers. 220 00:10:50,360 --> 00:10:51,800 They. Peddle false that they peddle 221 00:10:51,800 --> 00:10:57,680 lies to get us to follow. For a dishonest gain. 222 00:10:57,840 --> 00:11:00,080 It's one of the hallmarks. Of what these people, these. 223 00:11:00,080 --> 00:11:02,600 Teachers are like, and now why does this matter, Paul? 224 00:11:02,600 --> 00:11:05,000 Says verse 11, who subvert whole households. 225 00:11:05,320 --> 00:11:07,920 It matters. This matters like truth matters. 226 00:11:08,120 --> 00:11:10,600 These people need to be silenced because there are households 227 00:11:10,600 --> 00:11:14,320 that are being subverted now, not just like nuclear Family, 228 00:11:14,480 --> 00:11:18,200 mom, dad, kids, households. Remember the context. 229 00:11:18,200 --> 00:11:21,880 Paul is writing to Titus as he. Travels around Crete 230 00:11:22,200 --> 00:11:25,680 establishing a network of churches, a network of churches 231 00:11:25,680 --> 00:11:29,080 that most likely most often met in homes. 232 00:11:29,720 --> 00:11:32,040 And so he's saying there are. People, these teachers. 233 00:11:32,040 --> 00:11:35,520 Deceivers. Who are going into these 234 00:11:35,520 --> 00:11:38,560 churches, into these households of faith, and they're teaching 235 00:11:38,560 --> 00:11:40,960 things which are false. They're teaching things. 236 00:11:40,960 --> 00:11:43,600 Which are deceptive. They're teaching things which 237 00:11:43,600 --> 00:11:45,720 are insubordinate with the gospel. 238 00:11:46,600 --> 00:11:50,120 They're stepping into a Calvary community and and they're using 239 00:11:50,120 --> 00:11:54,440 the whole discussion. To teach about their pet 240 00:11:54,600 --> 00:11:59,240 theology or conspiracy theory. And this is something that we 241 00:11:59,240 --> 00:12:01,760 run into from time to time, something that we help coach 242 00:12:01,760 --> 00:12:03,400 community leaders through. And they're great at it. 243 00:12:04,600 --> 00:12:06,200 They might, you know, from time to time think. 244 00:12:06,200 --> 00:12:09,280 Let me give a moment to to this question. 245 00:12:09,760 --> 00:12:12,880 And that question becomes the question for the next 7 weeks as 246 00:12:12,880 --> 00:12:14,200 they continue to preach on their. 247 00:12:14,440 --> 00:12:16,920 Pet issue. These people subvert whole 248 00:12:16,920 --> 00:12:18,880 households. You see a community of faith. 249 00:12:18,880 --> 00:12:21,240 You see it nationwide. Worldwide, where there's a 250 00:12:21,240 --> 00:12:24,480 church that starts to believe. Something off slowly and surely 251 00:12:24,480 --> 00:12:26,720 the. Church drifts from the Gospel, 252 00:12:27,360 --> 00:12:29,720 so whatever. Their dishonest gain was they 253 00:12:29,720 --> 00:12:30,960 were subverting whole households. 254 00:12:30,960 --> 00:12:34,600 Maybe maybe they had a corner on the Dove market and they knew to 255 00:12:34,600 --> 00:12:38,080 get people to simply. Sacrifice more doves. 256 00:12:38,280 --> 00:12:40,280 We could make a ton of money off of this. 257 00:12:40,520 --> 00:12:44,280 Maybe they had the corner on the the holy water and they knew 258 00:12:44,280 --> 00:12:45,240 they. Could sell this holy water. 259 00:12:45,320 --> 00:12:47,320 Make a killing. Whatever it was. 260 00:12:47,760 --> 00:12:49,840 They knew they could make money off of what they were teaching, 261 00:12:49,840 --> 00:12:52,560 and they're teaching it for dishonest gain and subverting 262 00:12:52,560 --> 00:12:54,000 the households to which. They taught it. 263 00:12:55,200 --> 00:12:59,040 Now Paul's going to quote one of their own, and I want us to read 264 00:12:59,040 --> 00:13:01,080 this in the in the correct way, because there's one way of 265 00:13:01,080 --> 00:13:03,720 reading this and it sounds really, really harsh, and it's 266 00:13:03,720 --> 00:13:05,720 meant to be a little. Harsh, but Paul's also. 267 00:13:05,720 --> 00:13:08,320 Saying this a little bit tongue in cheek, so see if you can 268 00:13:08,320 --> 00:13:09,920 notice. It's kind of hard to pick up on, 269 00:13:09,920 --> 00:13:11,880 but see if you can notice the. Joke that he is. 270 00:13:12,120 --> 00:13:15,080 Kind of telling while also delivering a hard. 271 00:13:15,080 --> 00:13:19,480 Truth here, verse 12. One of them a prophet of their 272 00:13:19,480 --> 00:13:21,400 own. Says this. 273 00:13:21,400 --> 00:13:26,360 Cretans are always liars. They're always liars. 274 00:13:26,440 --> 00:13:27,280 They never tell. The truth? 275 00:13:27,600 --> 00:13:30,000 They're evil beasts. In fact, in their day, one of 276 00:13:30,000 --> 00:13:33,840 the jokes about the creation Cretans was that there weren't a 277 00:13:33,840 --> 00:13:36,040 lot of wild animals on the island. 278 00:13:36,320 --> 00:13:38,640 And they would joke that they didn't need wild animals because 279 00:13:38,640 --> 00:13:41,560 there were enough Cretans to make up for enough evil beast 280 00:13:41,560 --> 00:13:44,840 wild animal Cretan people that they didn't need any of the wild 281 00:13:44,840 --> 00:13:48,840 animals of other islands. And then finally he says lazy 282 00:13:49,000 --> 00:13:51,920 gluttons. To which Paul says this. 283 00:13:51,920 --> 00:13:56,760 Testimony verse 13 is true. This Cretan who says that 284 00:13:56,760 --> 00:13:59,920 Cretans never tell the truth is actually telling the truth for 285 00:13:59,920 --> 00:14:01,320 once. And that's the little tongue in 286 00:14:01,320 --> 00:14:03,320 cheek right there. And it would as Titus. 287 00:14:03,320 --> 00:14:05,920 Reads it to the Cretans. They would put them the little 288 00:14:05,920 --> 00:14:08,840 on their heels with a little. Smile on their face, probably. 289 00:14:09,080 --> 00:14:10,480 He got us. Yeah. 290 00:14:10,480 --> 00:14:11,800 We, we don't always tell the truth. 291 00:14:11,800 --> 00:14:13,720 And we are a little bit mischievous. 292 00:14:13,720 --> 00:14:16,840 And we we do often do things for the wrong reason because we're 293 00:14:16,840 --> 00:14:20,080 lazy and we're gluttonous. Now, we probably wouldn't 294 00:14:20,080 --> 00:14:24,040 exactly as Americans line up with those things, but maybe, 295 00:14:24,680 --> 00:14:27,200 maybe you could say something like this about people in our 296 00:14:27,200 --> 00:14:29,520 day who. Peddle what they call truth. 297 00:14:29,520 --> 00:14:31,840 For the wrong reasons, which is actually false. 298 00:14:32,560 --> 00:14:36,280 You say, Well, Americans, they. They love the value of free. 299 00:14:36,280 --> 00:14:37,880 Speech. And so they're going to use it 300 00:14:38,320 --> 00:14:40,880 no matter, no matter how they can, even if they know they're 301 00:14:40,880 --> 00:14:42,040 teaching things false, they're going to. 302 00:14:42,040 --> 00:14:45,000 Use their freedom of speech. To do it and Americans, they 303 00:14:45,000 --> 00:14:46,880 love their money, they love the capitalism. 304 00:14:47,400 --> 00:14:50,240 And so Americans are going to say whatever they want to say to 305 00:14:50,240 --> 00:14:52,520 make whatever money they can make, because that's what 306 00:14:52,520 --> 00:14:55,160 Americans. Are like a little harsh, right 307 00:14:55,160 --> 00:15:00,040 but also a little true as we. Scour the Internet as we meet 308 00:15:00,040 --> 00:15:03,520 people in our city, as sadly as we even meet people in our own 309 00:15:03,520 --> 00:15:06,080 church as Paul is instructing Titus to deal with. 310 00:15:06,640 --> 00:15:08,320 We find people. Who are? 311 00:15:08,320 --> 00:15:11,400 Teaching things that are false, that don't accord with the 312 00:15:11,400 --> 00:15:12,400 truth. Of the Gospel. 313 00:15:12,640 --> 00:15:15,880 For dishonest gain. According to the values of 314 00:15:15,880 --> 00:15:18,360 their. System, the American system, 315 00:15:19,440 --> 00:15:22,720 verse 13, Paul continues, says this testimony. 316 00:15:22,720 --> 00:15:25,280 Is true, therefore. He's going to hone in on really 317 00:15:25,280 --> 00:15:27,280 exactly what we should do. So silence them. 318 00:15:27,760 --> 00:15:29,800 But how do you silence them? Because there's a lot of ways to 319 00:15:29,800 --> 00:15:32,280 silence the person, some more harsh than others. 320 00:15:32,280 --> 00:15:34,080 What's Paul? 'S version, he says first. 321 00:15:34,280 --> 00:15:37,320 Rebuke them sharply. I want to pause there because 322 00:15:37,320 --> 00:15:39,240 this, this is important. We need to hear this part. 323 00:15:39,760 --> 00:15:44,320 Rebuke them sharply. Dealing with heresy, dealing 324 00:15:44,320 --> 00:15:47,520 with lies in a church community requires. 325 00:15:47,560 --> 00:15:50,200 Sharp rebuke requires it. We. 326 00:15:50,200 --> 00:15:54,160 Have to be willing to have hard conversations with brothers and 327 00:15:54,160 --> 00:15:56,640 sisters, whether it be in a Sunday gathering, whether it be 328 00:15:56,640 --> 00:15:58,720 in a community. Or throughout the week. 329 00:15:58,720 --> 00:16:02,360 In your life with believers you know we have to be willing to be 330 00:16:02,360 --> 00:16:05,680 bold for the. Truth and to rebuke each other 331 00:16:05,840 --> 00:16:08,160 sharply, we. Have to be willing to do that. 332 00:16:08,160 --> 00:16:11,840 We have to be willing to know the truth and stand on the 333 00:16:11,840 --> 00:16:12,840 truth. We have to be willing to do 334 00:16:12,840 --> 00:16:17,240 that. And Paul continues, comma that 335 00:16:17,240 --> 00:16:21,440 they may be sound in the faith. We have to be willing to have a 336 00:16:21,440 --> 00:16:23,880 card conversation to stand firm on truth. 337 00:16:23,880 --> 00:16:28,440 Why not? So people run away angry and 338 00:16:28,440 --> 00:16:30,760 bitter. With a lot of church, but so 339 00:16:30,760 --> 00:16:33,400 that they are. Sound in the faith. 340 00:16:33,800 --> 00:16:36,320 The word sound here is also. The word for healthy? 341 00:16:36,640 --> 00:16:40,440 In other words, we want to confront people, rebuke them, so 342 00:16:40,440 --> 00:16:42,400 that they can live. A healthy life with. 343 00:16:42,400 --> 00:16:45,680 God, the goal is love. The goal? 344 00:16:45,880 --> 00:16:49,280 Is Communion community the goal? Is that we would. 345 00:16:49,520 --> 00:16:54,120 Continue to be unified around the truth, and this is 346 00:16:54,120 --> 00:16:58,240 important, rebuke them. Sharply, for the right reasons. 347 00:16:59,840 --> 00:17:02,040 Chesterton puts. It this way he likes this to 348 00:17:02,040 --> 00:17:05,319 war. He's a great British pastor and 349 00:17:05,319 --> 00:17:07,680 writer. He says that the true soldier. 350 00:17:07,680 --> 00:17:10,560 Fights not because he hates what's in front of him. 351 00:17:11,079 --> 00:17:13,560 But because he loves what is. Behind him. 352 00:17:14,160 --> 00:17:16,760 In other words. We as Christians, we don't. 353 00:17:16,760 --> 00:17:20,160 Fight because we hate. The person in front of us, we 354 00:17:20,160 --> 00:17:22,640 don't fight because of that. We don't go into the city and 355 00:17:22,839 --> 00:17:24,680 preach the gospel. Because we hate people. 356 00:17:24,960 --> 00:17:28,640 We don't stand in the church and have hard conversations with 357 00:17:28,640 --> 00:17:32,520 those that we are in community with because we hate them, no. 358 00:17:33,040 --> 00:17:35,280 We do it because we. Love what's behind us. 359 00:17:35,280 --> 00:17:38,240 We love the church community. We love the gospel. 360 00:17:38,400 --> 00:17:40,960 We love that. Which we are fighting for and 361 00:17:40,960 --> 00:17:44,840 our hope is to not see that person lost, but to see that 362 00:17:44,840 --> 00:17:47,640 person one, to see that person unified with the rest of the 363 00:17:47,640 --> 00:17:52,520 body. Verse 14, Paul continues, and 364 00:17:52,520 --> 00:17:55,920 he's going to give us a little bit more information about what. 365 00:17:55,920 --> 00:17:58,320 These false. Teachers were talking about and 366 00:17:58,320 --> 00:18:00,240 see if you can draw any. Parallels to our day. 367 00:18:00,920 --> 00:18:05,120 Verse 14 Not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments 368 00:18:05,120 --> 00:18:10,000 of men who turn from the truth. So there's these Jewish fables. 369 00:18:10,480 --> 00:18:12,280 In our lexicon, the way that we probably. 370 00:18:12,280 --> 00:18:15,720 Would talk about this. On the streets of Boise, not 371 00:18:15,720 --> 00:18:19,040 giving. Heed to conspiracy theories all. 372 00:18:19,480 --> 00:18:22,920 Right, not giving heed to the. Theories of the world that we 373 00:18:22,920 --> 00:18:24,720 would say that that's a conspiracy theory. 374 00:18:25,480 --> 00:18:28,440 Isaiah said it. This way in his time, just in 375 00:18:28,440 --> 00:18:31,600 case you think that this is a new problem as Americans where 376 00:18:31,600 --> 00:18:34,120 you hop online and you talk to somebody that you know at work 377 00:18:34,120 --> 00:18:38,400 and all they can talk about is the conspiracy around XY or Z. 378 00:18:39,080 --> 00:18:43,320 Isaiah says this. Isaiah 8 verse 12 do not say a 379 00:18:43,320 --> 00:18:46,920 conspiracy concerning all that this people call a conspiracy. 380 00:18:46,920 --> 00:18:49,880 In other words, he's saying do not worry about the. 381 00:18:49,880 --> 00:18:52,240 Conspiracies of this. World do not call everything a 382 00:18:52,240 --> 00:18:54,960 conspiracy, he says. Take things as they. 383 00:18:54,960 --> 00:18:57,160 Are take them for fact and I heard it said. 384 00:18:57,160 --> 00:18:58,440 This week and I found this really helpful. 385 00:18:58,440 --> 00:19:01,160 Actually had a friend share this first with me and another 386 00:19:01,160 --> 00:19:02,920 friend. They said, you know, there, 387 00:19:02,920 --> 00:19:04,520 there is one conspiracy. That we should give. 388 00:19:04,520 --> 00:19:05,800 All of our time to you know that. 389 00:19:05,960 --> 00:19:07,120 There are a lot of conspiracies out there. 390 00:19:07,120 --> 00:19:09,200 That don't really matter. But there's this, really. 391 00:19:09,200 --> 00:19:11,080 Great conspiracy, one that we've all heard of. 392 00:19:11,520 --> 00:19:13,400 And it's this conspiracy. That there is this guy A. 393 00:19:13,640 --> 00:19:16,960 Couple thousand years ago, who lived in the ancient near East 394 00:19:17,600 --> 00:19:21,040 and he claimed to be God and he walked around the. 395 00:19:21,040 --> 00:19:22,720 Sea of Galilee, different places. 396 00:19:22,720 --> 00:19:24,680 And he, he healed people. He. 397 00:19:24,680 --> 00:19:28,160 Preached this message that was really making people upset but 398 00:19:28,160 --> 00:19:31,240 also bringing life to others and he he told people he was going 399 00:19:31,240 --> 00:19:35,840 to die he told people he was going to bring healing and life 400 00:19:35,840 --> 00:19:39,000 through his resurrection and then he died he. 401 00:19:39,000 --> 00:19:42,400 Died. And a day passed and he didn't 402 00:19:42,400 --> 00:19:44,720 rise, and they remembered he'd been stabbed. 403 00:19:44,720 --> 00:19:45,880 Through his. Through his. 404 00:19:45,880 --> 00:19:47,280 Sigh. Where blood and water had flown 405 00:19:47,280 --> 00:19:50,120 out, he'd been buried and wrapped in gauze and sealed in a 406 00:19:50,120 --> 00:19:52,280 tomb. And two days passed and they 407 00:19:52,360 --> 00:19:53,920 they sat. There and his followers. 408 00:19:54,040 --> 00:19:56,600 They weaved and they mourned, and then on the third day they 409 00:19:56,600 --> 00:19:59,080 went to visit him. And what did they find? 410 00:19:59,080 --> 00:20:01,680 Well, they found that what he said would happen, actually. 411 00:20:02,120 --> 00:20:05,320 His disciples said they said it. Happened this man, this man 412 00:20:05,320 --> 00:20:06,960 named Jesus had risen from the grave. 413 00:20:06,960 --> 00:20:09,960 And the conspiracy goes not just that he he rose from the grave 414 00:20:09,960 --> 00:20:12,320 and lived. But that he is still. 415 00:20:12,320 --> 00:20:15,880 Alive today and this friend that pointed that out said, you know, 416 00:20:16,080 --> 00:20:17,840 there's one conspiracy theory to go after. 417 00:20:17,840 --> 00:20:20,240 It's that one. And when you get to the bottom 418 00:20:20,240 --> 00:20:23,080 of understanding. Who Jesus was who? 419 00:20:23,080 --> 00:20:25,920 Jesus is and what he did and what he's doing. 420 00:20:26,160 --> 00:20:29,120 Then maybe you can have time to deal with a couple other 421 00:20:29,120 --> 00:20:30,480 conspiracy theories, but not until you. 422 00:20:30,480 --> 00:20:33,080 Figure out the whole breadth. Of knowledge that Jesus wants 423 00:20:33,080 --> 00:20:34,720 you to know. So in other words, really our 424 00:20:34,720 --> 00:20:38,360 all our time here on earth should be spent knowing Jesus. 425 00:20:38,360 --> 00:20:41,320 What he did, what he's. Doing and what he will do. 426 00:20:42,080 --> 00:20:44,480 So they're given their time. They're teaching these fables. 427 00:20:45,280 --> 00:20:47,880 And the second is that they've turned from the truth to 428 00:20:47,880 --> 00:20:51,000 commandments of men, in other words. 429 00:20:51,160 --> 00:20:53,200 To legalism. They're saying, you know, 430 00:20:53,200 --> 00:20:55,880 there's some secret things, some conspiracies that we want to let 431 00:20:55,880 --> 00:21:00,240 you in on for maybe the low cost of 599 a month and we'll get you 432 00:21:00,240 --> 00:21:02,920 in. And they're saying and also 433 00:21:02,920 --> 00:21:04,320 there's some extra. Rules that. 434 00:21:04,680 --> 00:21:06,840 Probably, you know, Paul and Titus, they didn't tell you 435 00:21:06,840 --> 00:21:08,520 about these rules because they're holding out on you. 436 00:21:08,880 --> 00:21:13,760 Sounds oddly familiar, right? Genesis 3 the enemy saying to 437 00:21:13,760 --> 00:21:17,680 Eve some things God held out with you on, some extra things, 438 00:21:17,680 --> 00:21:20,880 new things, some things that are actually beneficial for. 439 00:21:20,880 --> 00:21:22,560 You that the church or that Paul? 440 00:21:22,800 --> 00:21:26,280 Doesn't want you to know. And so again, for the low cost, 441 00:21:26,280 --> 00:21:29,440 so 599, I'll tell you what those things are and then you can do 442 00:21:29,440 --> 00:21:32,080 them. And Paul says. 443 00:21:32,080 --> 00:21:35,680 These people. They're being the typical creed. 444 00:21:35,920 --> 00:21:39,280 They're lying, they're giving heed to the false things, 445 00:21:39,280 --> 00:21:41,520 they're creating new rules, and they're making it harder for 446 00:21:41,520 --> 00:21:43,520 people to know. Jesus and harder for. 447 00:21:43,520 --> 00:21:47,320 Them to follow him. Then Paul starts to confront 448 00:21:47,320 --> 00:21:48,880 some of the commandments that they were teaching. 449 00:21:48,880 --> 00:21:51,640 In verse 15. He says to the pure all things 450 00:21:51,640 --> 00:21:52,640 are pure. With a. 451 00:21:53,120 --> 00:21:55,760 The circumcision was saying is that there's things that aren't 452 00:21:55,760 --> 00:21:58,360 pure, like you can't eat all these things and you need to do 453 00:21:58,360 --> 00:22:00,440 things a certain way to be pure yourself. 454 00:22:00,920 --> 00:22:03,440 Temple rites and ritual washings and sacrifices. 455 00:22:03,800 --> 00:22:07,880 And Paul says no, no, remember what Jesus did remember? 456 00:22:07,880 --> 00:22:11,440 What Jesus did, he created. Clean people, pure people, 457 00:22:11,440 --> 00:22:13,640 people who had been purified from the inside out. 458 00:22:13,880 --> 00:22:16,840 And for those people, all things, everything is pure. 459 00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:20,200 But to those who are defiled. And then believing nothing. 460 00:22:20,200 --> 00:22:22,360 Is pure but. Even their mind and their 461 00:22:22,360 --> 00:22:25,440 conscience are defiled that First off sometimes. 462 00:22:25,960 --> 00:22:27,840 I hear this verse used. In a in a way. 463 00:22:27,840 --> 00:22:30,560 That's to do. Whatever you want to do 464 00:22:30,640 --> 00:22:33,480 sinfully, this is not what Paul is saying. 465 00:22:33,480 --> 00:22:37,240 He's not saying that to the pure, everything is pure, even 466 00:22:37,280 --> 00:22:39,240 sin. So go ahead. 467 00:22:39,360 --> 00:22:42,240 Sin all you want and if anybody could confronts you about it, 468 00:22:42,240 --> 00:22:44,160 just tell them that they're just not as. 469 00:22:44,160 --> 00:22:47,000 Pure as you I've heard it used. That way, as a dangerous way to 470 00:22:47,000 --> 00:22:49,320 use it, what Paul is saying is that pure people cleanse people. 471 00:22:49,560 --> 00:22:50,760 People have been washed by the blood. 472 00:22:50,760 --> 00:22:52,800 Of Jesus they choose what is good. 473 00:22:53,200 --> 00:22:54,920 And they? Are what is good. 474 00:22:55,240 --> 00:22:57,360 As they become more and more like Christ. 475 00:22:57,640 --> 00:22:59,880 But to those who are defiled, he says. 476 00:23:00,760 --> 00:23:03,840 Everything they do is bad. Remember, there are people 477 00:23:03,840 --> 00:23:08,160 showing up to church gatherings and teaching something that 478 00:23:08,160 --> 00:23:11,600 seems somewhat good, right? Like most people would say, it's 479 00:23:11,600 --> 00:23:13,320 a good thing to do. Teach the church. 480 00:23:13,760 --> 00:23:16,680 And it seems good, but even that good thing that they're doing, 481 00:23:16,920 --> 00:23:19,000 trying to quote UN quote. Help the church. 482 00:23:19,760 --> 00:23:23,400 Is actually a defile thing. It's actually an evil thing. 483 00:23:24,640 --> 00:23:26,720 This is even their mind, the things that they're thinking 484 00:23:26,720 --> 00:23:29,400 about, their conscience, what they feel, even those things 485 00:23:29,400 --> 00:23:30,840 are. Out of whack they are. 486 00:23:31,040 --> 00:23:35,720 Wrong. And So what does this mean for 487 00:23:35,720 --> 00:23:37,600 us? You can find people like this in 488 00:23:37,600 --> 00:23:38,760 all of our. World, there's people who. 489 00:23:39,160 --> 00:23:41,160 Everything that. They see every. 490 00:23:41,160 --> 00:23:43,720 Conversation that you have with them, they're pointing out 491 00:23:43,720 --> 00:23:46,280 what's impure, what's broken, what needs to be fixed and. 492 00:23:46,440 --> 00:23:47,800 There's levels to that that's. Helpful. 493 00:23:48,520 --> 00:23:50,800 There's also a point where they're adding things and 494 00:23:50,800 --> 00:23:52,760 they're doing more and they're saying that there's an extra 495 00:23:52,760 --> 00:23:53,880 piece. To the Gospel. 496 00:23:55,800 --> 00:23:58,440 And so how can we tell the good from the bad? 497 00:23:58,440 --> 00:24:01,000 Who can tell a teacher? That is. 498 00:24:01,080 --> 00:24:04,160 Teaching truth and helping the. Church versus a teacher that. 499 00:24:04,320 --> 00:24:08,240 Is teaching something that is deceptive and false and contrary 500 00:24:08,240 --> 00:24:11,360 to the gospel? 1 by by knowing the Bible and 501 00:24:11,360 --> 00:24:13,200 being able to test things based on that. 502 00:24:13,960 --> 00:24:16,480 But Paul gives us this great test in verse 16. 503 00:24:16,480 --> 00:24:19,600 He says they profess to know God. 504 00:24:19,600 --> 00:24:20,760 These false teachers, they profess. 505 00:24:20,760 --> 00:24:25,400 To know God, but in works they deny him being abominable, 506 00:24:25,400 --> 00:24:27,600 disobedient and. Disqualified for every good 507 00:24:27,600 --> 00:24:29,200 work. So right off the bat. 508 00:24:29,200 --> 00:24:31,240 Paul says in works. They deny him, in other words. 509 00:24:31,520 --> 00:24:34,240 They have this great talk, they have all these rules, but what 510 00:24:34,240 --> 00:24:36,160 they actually do, if you were to watch their life? 511 00:24:36,920 --> 00:24:39,920 Doesn't even live up to what? They ask of others. 512 00:24:40,280 --> 00:24:42,920 They say people need to do this, but they don't even do it. 513 00:24:43,280 --> 00:24:46,600 Their talk does not match. Their walk and. 514 00:24:47,800 --> 00:24:50,440 Their life doesn't match the. Bar that they set for others 515 00:24:50,440 --> 00:24:52,840 the. Second thing Paul says is they 516 00:24:52,840 --> 00:24:55,520 are abominable or if you have the NLT. 517 00:24:55,520 --> 00:24:58,560 It says disposable. And they live in a way that that 518 00:24:58,560 --> 00:25:02,160 God himself looks at and says that is revolting and not just 519 00:25:02,160 --> 00:25:04,080 God. There are people that you would 520 00:25:04,200 --> 00:25:06,920 look at if you saw. Their life in the whole of it, 521 00:25:06,920 --> 00:25:08,120 you'd say. Not that life. 522 00:25:08,760 --> 00:25:10,560 You'd teach them some things that are interesting, but. 523 00:25:10,640 --> 00:25:13,320 Look at your life. Doesn't seem like a life that I 524 00:25:13,320 --> 00:25:14,520 want. It seems gross. 525 00:25:14,520 --> 00:25:17,000 It seems vile. It seems contrary to the way 526 00:25:17,000 --> 00:25:19,240 that I see. That Jesus lives the good life. 527 00:25:20,600 --> 00:25:22,840 To be able to to see that, we have to be able to know people 528 00:25:22,840 --> 00:25:27,840 personally and see their lives. Disobedient pulses, meaning that 529 00:25:27,840 --> 00:25:30,400 they will not be convinced. You might try to convince them, 530 00:25:30,400 --> 00:25:32,720 and you might try to convince them with truth, and they won't 531 00:25:32,720 --> 00:25:35,240 even be convinced by. Clear cut truth. 532 00:25:36,160 --> 00:25:38,680 They don't care. They won't submit to authority. 533 00:25:38,720 --> 00:25:40,080 They won't submit to Titus, to Paul. 534 00:25:40,080 --> 00:25:45,000 They won't submit to. God disqualified, Paul says, for 535 00:25:45,000 --> 00:25:47,560 every good work in other. Words, even the the things that 536 00:25:47,560 --> 00:25:49,160 they say. That they do that are good. 537 00:25:49,560 --> 00:25:51,840 Are not good when they try to bring order to the church. 538 00:25:51,840 --> 00:25:54,520 They actually bring this disorder when they try to bring 539 00:25:54,520 --> 00:25:55,920 truth. To the church, they actually. 540 00:25:55,920 --> 00:26:01,120 Bring falsehood now for most of us, right we we might be able to 541 00:26:01,120 --> 00:26:03,640 use that on people in our. Lives, which is great. 542 00:26:04,320 --> 00:26:06,240 We know a lot of. People, and this will. 543 00:26:06,240 --> 00:26:08,840 Help us as we hear. Something false from someone we 544 00:26:08,840 --> 00:26:10,560 know. We can see their life, but in 545 00:26:10,560 --> 00:26:12,440 our day. As we live digitally, there is a 546 00:26:12,440 --> 00:26:14,880 problem. A lot of us can't see the lives 547 00:26:14,880 --> 00:26:17,480 of those that maybe have been teaching us online. 548 00:26:17,480 --> 00:26:21,440 And so Paul gives us another test in Timothy, first Timothy 549 00:26:21,440 --> 00:26:25,360 chapter one verse 4. And he says don't give heed to 550 00:26:25,360 --> 00:26:27,160 fables. And this test is all about the 551 00:26:27,160 --> 00:26:28,800 message. How do you test the message? 552 00:26:29,120 --> 00:26:31,120 If you can't see the messenger, how do you test the message? 553 00:26:31,520 --> 00:26:34,320 Don't give heed to. Fables and endless genealogy. 554 00:26:35,160 --> 00:26:37,120 Which cause? Disputes rather than godly 555 00:26:37,120 --> 00:26:41,080 edification which is in faith. So 2 tests from this. 556 00:26:41,600 --> 00:26:46,560 Is this dispute endless? In other words, could you get to 557 00:26:46,560 --> 00:26:49,240 a conclusion? That you could stick to is 558 00:26:49,240 --> 00:26:51,600 there. Some way of knowing what the 559 00:26:51,640 --> 00:26:55,880 answer is? Or are you bringing up your 560 00:26:55,880 --> 00:26:58,000 issue in the Calvary community and you talk about it? 561 00:26:58,000 --> 00:26:59,680 Week after week after. Week. 562 00:26:59,680 --> 00:27:03,800 And it's this endless thing because there's no actual way to 563 00:27:03,800 --> 00:27:07,360 discern whether what you are saying is true or not. 564 00:27:08,160 --> 00:27:10,440 We need to be people who are. Concerned with what the Bible is 565 00:27:10,440 --> 00:27:12,520 concerned with. The Bible is very clear. 566 00:27:12,840 --> 00:27:14,120 On what the Bible is. Concerned. 567 00:27:14,120 --> 00:27:16,440 With maybe people who care about that. 568 00:27:17,320 --> 00:27:20,440 And then secondly, is this discussion edifying? 569 00:27:20,960 --> 00:27:23,840 Or is it helpful? If we were to find the solution 570 00:27:23,840 --> 00:27:27,200 to this problem or to this debate, would anybody's life 571 00:27:27,200 --> 00:27:30,320 improve, or would we just be kind of in the same place? 572 00:27:30,880 --> 00:27:33,400 But no one ever helped and no one ever cared for, and nothing 573 00:27:33,400 --> 00:27:36,000 really changing. There's disputes like that, that 574 00:27:36,000 --> 00:27:38,280 we can argue back and forth and they might be fun and they might 575 00:27:38,280 --> 00:27:41,600 be interesting, but in the end we can never tell. 576 00:27:41,600 --> 00:27:44,640 What is actually true? And even if we could, no one 577 00:27:44,640 --> 00:27:48,320 would be helped. And so then how do we do? 578 00:27:48,320 --> 00:27:51,440 This as a church because. Remember Paul? 579 00:27:51,440 --> 00:27:53,480 Paul's concerned about. Individual believers. 580 00:27:53,480 --> 00:27:54,960 The Church. Was going to hear this 581 00:27:55,280 --> 00:27:58,480 individually and the whole church, everyone included, all 582 00:27:58,480 --> 00:28:01,720 of us would have the responsibility to test people 583 00:28:01,720 --> 00:28:04,000 and to to keep an eye out. For false teachers. 584 00:28:04,840 --> 00:28:07,800 But Paul is also concerned for the church doing it corporately, 585 00:28:07,800 --> 00:28:11,240 remember, and Titus taking care of making sure each person in 586 00:28:11,240 --> 00:28:12,800 the church. Was well cared for. 587 00:28:14,160 --> 00:28:18,160 So first thing is we need. To copy Paul's strategy now 588 00:28:18,160 --> 00:28:21,800 Paul's strategy here is is very. Telling and it's very important 589 00:28:22,640 --> 00:28:24,800 and it's something that that we're doing our best and getting 590 00:28:24,800 --> 00:28:26,040 better. With year by year to. 591 00:28:26,040 --> 00:28:31,120 Copy and to implement. As we try to raise up leaders. 592 00:28:31,400 --> 00:28:36,200 Who can as verse 9 says. Hold fast to the faithful Word. 593 00:28:36,560 --> 00:28:39,920 As he has been taught that he may be able by sound doctrine. 594 00:28:40,280 --> 00:28:43,400 Both to exhort. And convict those who 595 00:28:43,400 --> 00:28:45,600 contradict. Want to raise up leaders to 596 00:28:45,600 --> 00:28:46,920 serve? In kids ministry and youth 597 00:28:46,920 --> 00:28:49,720 ministry in the area. Where I serve to serve as 598 00:28:49,760 --> 00:28:54,160 Calvary community leaders. So that there can be people. 599 00:28:54,240 --> 00:28:59,920 In every place of our. City who know truth and know how 600 00:29:00,160 --> 00:29:03,480 God thinks about things. Know how to discern truth from 601 00:29:03,480 --> 00:29:06,360 falsehood. People that you can know 602 00:29:06,360 --> 00:29:09,360 personally and see if their life matches up to their teaching. 603 00:29:09,960 --> 00:29:14,120 People that can know you personally and can see the areas 604 00:29:14,120 --> 00:29:17,960 in which your life has gone off the rails or some way which 605 00:29:17,960 --> 00:29:19,520 you've been deceived by the enemy or by the. 606 00:29:19,520 --> 00:29:23,440 Culture or by yourself? It was our goal to to raise up. 607 00:29:23,800 --> 00:29:25,960 More and more leaders. To raise up. 608 00:29:26,240 --> 00:29:29,560 More people to send out to start communities all throughout our 609 00:29:29,560 --> 00:29:31,800 city. And it would be cool if we had a 610 00:29:31,840 --> 00:29:35,480 community in every neighborhood where everyone in our church was 611 00:29:35,480 --> 00:29:38,280 well known and that neighborhood was well known and prayed for 612 00:29:38,280 --> 00:29:40,160 and people in that neighborhood knew. 613 00:29:40,640 --> 00:29:43,120 If I have a question about. Faith if I have a. 614 00:29:43,120 --> 00:29:45,840 Question about God. I know there's this house that 615 00:29:45,840 --> 00:29:49,200 every Tuesday or Sunday. Or whatever day that there's a 616 00:29:49,200 --> 00:29:51,360 group of people that gathers. There and they study the Bible 617 00:29:51,600 --> 00:29:54,240 and they pray and I know I can go ask them know that those 618 00:29:54,240 --> 00:29:57,120 neighbors care about truth and they and they might be helpful 619 00:29:57,120 --> 00:30:00,320 in this. So Paul, he didn't remain 620 00:30:00,320 --> 00:30:02,040 silent. He didn't say, hey, just get 621 00:30:02,040 --> 00:30:04,480 away from everybody. He said establish the right 622 00:30:04,480 --> 00:30:07,640 leaders over the right church. He did not succeed from the 623 00:30:07,640 --> 00:30:08,520 church. He could have said, you know 624 00:30:08,520 --> 00:30:10,240 what, Titus? Let's just do our own thing. 625 00:30:11,000 --> 00:30:13,920 Let's not worry. About it let's just. 626 00:30:13,920 --> 00:30:15,880 Start new churches and they say, I'm going to go into those 627 00:30:15,880 --> 00:30:17,720 places. I'm going to do what's right and 628 00:30:17,720 --> 00:30:21,240 let's go find the lost. You'll find the confused and 629 00:30:21,240 --> 00:30:25,880 bring order. Second, we want to make sure we 630 00:30:25,880 --> 00:30:30,320 maintain Paul's standards. We want to make sure we maintain 631 00:30:30,320 --> 00:30:33,240 Paul's standards. And so as we raise up leaders, 632 00:30:33,240 --> 00:30:35,960 there's a temptation always right to to raise up leaders and 633 00:30:35,960 --> 00:30:37,400 say, well. We need more leaders and so. 634 00:30:37,800 --> 00:30:42,480 We're going to lower the standards and Paul very clearly 635 00:30:42,480 --> 00:30:44,240 last week's passage. If you didn't hear the sermon, 636 00:30:44,240 --> 00:30:45,360 go back and listen to it. Or just. 637 00:30:45,360 --> 00:30:48,480 Read it, it's very clear the standards for leaders. 638 00:30:48,480 --> 00:30:50,680 People that are going to. Keep the church on track are 639 00:30:50,680 --> 00:30:53,400 very high. They need to stay high and we 640 00:30:53,400 --> 00:30:55,720 hope to only raise those standards. 641 00:30:56,240 --> 00:30:58,920 And so if you're somebody here who is. 642 00:31:00,000 --> 00:31:02,560 Maybe here for the first time. Or maybe you've been a part of a 643 00:31:02,560 --> 00:31:05,400 church, been a part of our church even, and you always had 644 00:31:05,400 --> 00:31:07,840 these questions and these doubts, and you've never known. 645 00:31:07,840 --> 00:31:10,960 Where to work those? Things out the best. 646 00:31:10,960 --> 00:31:12,600 Place to do that? The place where? 647 00:31:12,600 --> 00:31:14,920 You can be personally known and personally pastored by a 648 00:31:14,920 --> 00:31:18,280 community leader is in the Calvary community and then for 649 00:31:18,280 --> 00:31:20,520 some of us, we're strong in our faith. 650 00:31:20,520 --> 00:31:23,040 We know what's right. We meet the qualifications of. 651 00:31:23,040 --> 00:31:25,760 Leaders, overseers of elders and. 652 00:31:25,760 --> 00:31:27,680 The step for you might. Be to take a group. 653 00:31:28,320 --> 00:31:30,440 And to continue to. Be a leader that you. 654 00:31:30,480 --> 00:31:33,960 Are over an increasingly. Sized group of that. 655 00:31:34,520 --> 00:31:36,360 Might be a Calvary community, might just be some people you 656 00:31:36,360 --> 00:31:43,680 know, might be coworkers. But to continue to lead and now 657 00:31:43,880 --> 00:31:46,400 I've been kind of plagued by, not really plagued by, but I've 658 00:31:46,400 --> 00:31:48,200 been pondering this question this last week. 659 00:31:49,760 --> 00:31:52,920 If we were. To experience revival, I want us 660 00:31:52,920 --> 00:31:57,120 to all think about this. If in the next year, just 661 00:31:57,120 --> 00:32:01,920 imagine this might say revival. Imagine in the next year God 662 00:32:01,920 --> 00:32:04,760 brought as many people as normally come to him in 10 663 00:32:04,760 --> 00:32:07,440 years, in one year in our city. Just imagine that. 664 00:32:07,440 --> 00:32:11,880 Imagine Boise goes from however many believers are in Boise and 665 00:32:11,880 --> 00:32:14,440 that just multiplies. By like 3 to 5. 666 00:32:15,760 --> 00:32:19,040 Multiplies by like 3 or 5. What would we do? 667 00:32:19,840 --> 00:32:23,320 My the question that's plagued. Me is would we actually be ready 668 00:32:23,320 --> 00:32:26,000 for that? I know that there's faithful men 669 00:32:26,000 --> 00:32:27,600 and women of our. Church who pray for that 670 00:32:27,600 --> 00:32:31,160 regularly. That God would move here in a 671 00:32:31,160 --> 00:32:32,840 powerful way. That their neighbors and 672 00:32:32,840 --> 00:32:36,240 coworkers, friends and family would flood into the church. 673 00:32:36,240 --> 00:32:39,560 That there would be true. Revival and the question that 674 00:32:39,560 --> 00:32:41,640 that that's been haunting me all week because I read this is. 675 00:32:41,640 --> 00:32:42,920 Would we actually be ready for that? 676 00:32:43,440 --> 00:32:46,560 Because when revival comes, when the move of God comes, the enemy 677 00:32:46,560 --> 00:32:50,000 fights back and and false. Teachers deceptive. 678 00:32:50,000 --> 00:32:51,040 Thoughts. And teachings. 679 00:32:51,040 --> 00:32:55,280 Arise and so I wonder if God through. 680 00:32:55,360 --> 00:32:58,120 Through Titus is preparing us. And say hey, just. 681 00:32:58,200 --> 00:32:59,200 Just get us an. Order. 682 00:32:59,600 --> 00:33:02,200 Let's set in order the things that need to be set in order. 683 00:33:02,200 --> 00:33:03,440 Let's. Raise up leaders. 684 00:33:04,400 --> 00:33:06,200 But my count like to serve. Our our whole church. 685 00:33:06,200 --> 00:33:09,080 We have about 20 communities. We had 70. 686 00:33:09,080 --> 00:33:10,680 That would be the minimum that would actually. 687 00:33:10,680 --> 00:33:14,320 Serve our whole church. And then we had 70 and and and 688 00:33:14,320 --> 00:33:17,840 say our church double s in size had those ready to multiply. 689 00:33:17,840 --> 00:33:20,720 We could be ready to help at least double the amount of. 690 00:33:20,720 --> 00:33:22,840 People each week. That we help and that we serve 691 00:33:22,840 --> 00:33:26,240 and that we pastor and we'd be ready to make sure that as 692 00:33:26,240 --> 00:33:28,840 people come to faith in Jesus, they don't just come to a 693 00:33:28,840 --> 00:33:31,880 knowledge that they are quote UN quote sage, but don't know how 694 00:33:31,880 --> 00:33:33,480 to live out the teachings of Jesus. 695 00:33:34,080 --> 00:33:36,880 That they enter into a house that's ready for them, that 696 00:33:36,880 --> 00:33:38,880 loves them and is ready to help them and teach them. 697 00:33:39,640 --> 00:33:42,840 And at the very least, even if that never happens, we simply. 698 00:33:42,840 --> 00:33:47,120 Do a better job. Of upholding truth and 699 00:33:47,120 --> 00:33:51,320 discipling people in our church. SO wants to think about that. 700 00:33:51,480 --> 00:33:54,600 And Paul's instruction is for all of us as we think through. 701 00:33:54,600 --> 00:34:00,080 As we scroll, as we talk, as we live our lives, there are people 702 00:34:00,080 --> 00:34:02,320 who. Are going to try to convince us 703 00:34:02,840 --> 00:34:04,600 that there's more to. The gospel or less to the 704 00:34:04,600 --> 00:34:07,040 gospel, Try to. Convince us that there's secret 705 00:34:07,040 --> 00:34:10,520 things or higher things, and Paul's instruction is for all of 706 00:34:10,520 --> 00:34:14,280 us, hold on to the truth. Of the Gospel hold. 707 00:34:14,280 --> 00:34:16,840 On to the truth. Help others to do the same. 708 00:34:17,960 --> 00:34:20,679 Thanks for joining us today. If you would like to watch the 709 00:34:20,679 --> 00:34:23,199 full service, check out the link in the description. 710 00:34:23,560 --> 00:34:27,440 For next steps and to learn more, visit calvaryboise.com.