This is Living Waters of Grace, the teaching ministry of Lewis
Harold, assistant pastor of Calvary Chapel of Westmoreland
County in Greensburg, PA. Now here's Pastor Lewis as he
continues teaching through God's Word.
Verse 7 says for a Bishop. Must be blameless.
As a steward of God, if we're stewards of.
God, then we must understand that we don't own anything.
Anything that we have is given to us or entrusted to us.
To watch over to. Manage It is not that we own it.
We don't own a ministry. We don't have our own people.
The congregation belongs to the Lord.
Jesus is head of the church. We all answer to him, and that's
why the. Word of God is the authority.
Have you ever had keys to your workplace before?
That can be a big responsibility.
A lot of places don't just hand over keys to anyone.
They give them to those they know they can trust.
When you're given the keys to your workplace, you know that
it's not so that you could do whatever you want, but so that
you could carry out the business of your employer.
In his message today, Pastor Lewis shares with you that when
God gives you responsibility in the body of Christ, it's for the
purpose of doing his work. Now here's Pastor Lewis in the
book of Titus, chapter one with today's edition of Living Waters
of Grace. Now this.
Whole word, The Senate order. That whole word.
Really is a medical term. And it's a term that really
deals or refers to. Setting a bone.
Setting something that is out of
place in your body? Some orthopedic problem that you
may have. That's out of place, Paul says.
It's it's a setting in order when those things are out of
order if we have a limb. That's out of order.
If we have anything that's not lined up right, which.
Is why a lot of people will go. You know to the.
Specialist to. Line them up and.
Get their bodies. Right, because things are out of
order. And when they're not in order,
it causes pain, it causes discomfort.
It causes. Overcompensation of other.
Limbs or other areas of your body.
Making just cause of dysfunction in your system when things are
out of order. Sometimes a bone out of order
causes problems and if the body or limb is out of.
Order it will let. You know.
Because there is. You know that the body system is
is chaotic and it just doesn't function properly well.
The church is exact. Same way when things are out of.
Order if there. Is no order in the.
Church there is. Problems.
It doesn't function properly. It doesn't function properly.
Then there has to be overcompensation because
somebody is doing too much, because it's not enough.
This is lacking. So somebody feels they got to go
over and do that, and then that's lacking.
So somebody for the overcompensation.
So people are being burned out. People are being, you know, not
used. Properly.
Or people are getting upset. I mean, when the church is is
not in order, things happen in the church.
But when it's set in order, when leadership is set in order and
things are in order in the church, things go a lot more
smoothly. There's not as much affliction,
there's not as much chaos, there's not division and the
kind of things that can happen when things are.
Out of order. And the same thing happens in
our own home if things are out of order at home.
It's crazy. It's crazy.
But when things are in order at home, things run a lot more
smoothly. And that's exactly.
What, Paul? Is telling Titus put things in
order first thing to do? Is to.
Put things in. Order So what?
Did he do? He commanded him to put.
Elders approved elders. In every church.
So in verse 6. It talks about what the the
attributes. Are of these men who are to be
put in place and he says if a man is blameless, the first
thing he addresses is the man's home ministry.
He says if a man is blameless, the husband of one wife, having
faithful children, not accused of dissipation or
insubordination. He said if a man is going to be
an elder in the church. He first of all.
Needs to have his home ministry taken care of.
He needs to be the man. He He reminds us again of what
he told Timothy. You know he needs to be a man, a
man, a husband of one wife. And we talked about.
What that meant before. He can't have 3 or 4 living
wives, you know? You know you can't.
We're to talk about just having one wife at a time.
You marry one divorcer, marry another divorcer.
He's not talking about that either.
You know that's not one wife, OK, One wife.
Is if you if a leader is married.
And if the wife. Dies.
He can remarry, OK, but not just, you know, divorce and
divorce and divorce and divorce. And just to you know, I don't
like her. So she's no longer going to be
my wife. I'm going to take this one now.
Can't do it. That's not what that's not what
the Lord intends. It's not what the Lord intends,
but it's one wife, husband of one wife.
He said having children. Faithful.
Children. That means children.
Who are are faithful? These are These are.
Children who you can rely on Children you can depend on.
Children who would. You know who?
Who are good examples to some degree and that's why a lot of.
People call them pre. K's, you know, a lot of kids
don't like to. Be called pre-K.
'S because that means that they're kind of out there.
People can see. Their their lives and it's true
people who are. Raised in the church if they
have. Children, their kids.
Are looked upon me and you know they want they they should be.
They're supposed to be an example.
It's supposed to be an example. Now we're only talking about the
kids who live in the home. We're not talking about kids who
don't live in the home. You don't.
No control. Over kids that are.
Grown adults and they're doing their own thing, making their
own decisions. That's not what he's talking
about. He's talking about the kids who
are living in your home. Those kids should be kids who
are faithful. And not accused of dissipation
or insubordination. They should be.
Kids who will. Respond to authority and not be
those who are. Rebellious to authority.
He said. And basically we're saying is if
a man can't take care of his own home, then how's he going to be
able to? Watch over a church How's.
He going to be able to watch. Over a church.
And verse 7 says for a Bishop must be blameless as a steward.
Of God if we're stewards of. God, then we must understand
that we don't own anything. Anything that we have is given
to us or entrusted to us. To watch over to.
Manage It is not that we own it. We don't own a ministry.
We don't have our own people. The congregation belongs to the
Lord. Jesus is head of the church.
We all answer to him, and that's why the word of.
God is the authority. Because we answer to him, we
don't answer to just a man. Because a man can tell us to do
anything we answer. To the Lord Jesus.
Christ according to this word, and that's why it's really
important to be in a Bible believing, Bible teaching
church. Somebody who really upholds the
word of God and. That being the authority, that
being the. Authority.
So a Bishop. Must be a steward.
Now a steward must be faithful. That is a.
Requirement of a. Steward.
A steward. Must be faithful.
First Corinthians chapter 4 verse one and two says let a man
so consider us. As servants of Christ.
And stewards of the mysteries of God, moreover.
It is. Required in stewards that one be
found faithful, so it's a requirement to be.
Faithful. It's not perfect.
We're not going to be perfect, but we should be faithful.
We should be reliable. We should be reliable.
We should at least do what we say.
We're going to do and the things that.
We are to do. We should be.
Counted upon to do it not wondering if well.
We're supposed to have. Bible study here, but I don't
know if the pastor's going to show up or not, you know?
We're supposed to have a. Wedding but I don't know if he's
going to show up and do the wedding or not.
You know, has to be reliable. Has to be somebody who's
reliable and then he goes on. He says that he can Now these
are the not the things that he should not be He should not be
self willed. He should not be quick tempered.
He should not be given to wine. He should not be violent.
Nobody wants a. Pastor that's out there.
Or elder that's out there in the, you know, out there in the
streets fighting all the time, you know, fisticuffs, somebody
gets into an argument with him. Come on, we can take this
outside. I don't think y'all want to hear
that out of your pastor. You know, you know, we're always
brawling you. Know what I mean?
Getting into arguments with you all the time.
Word debates and, you know, always arguing and just, you
know, I got to be right. Because it's self willed.
You know, I mean, that's not a good.
Attribute for a pastor. So we should not be violent,
should not be greedy for money. You know, it's very dangerous
for a pastor who is greedy for money in the church.
Because if he's greedy for money, then now you got to watch
over the offerings and make. Sure that that's always.
Being used. For what it should.
Be used for and all things are accounted for financially.
If he's greedy for money, he's going to always be looking for
schemes to try to make more money and that maybe, you know,
even farming out himself for more speaking engagement
somewhere so he can make money doing that.
And then, you know, you're here on Sunday, left without, you
know, your pastor speaking to to you on Sundays.
You know what I mean? So you know you should not be
greedy for money. Verse 8 says he.
Should be hospitable now these are things that a pastor.
Should be we just? Mentioned 5 things that he
shouldn't be, but these are things that he should be and
it's about 6 of them. He says he should be hospitable.
He should be the. Lover of what?
Is good and that lover of. What is good?
Is actually not. Just what is good?
In terms of things. But also good people.
OK, an elder, a leader in. The church should be.
Someone who associates with. Believers who are believers who
were good and. That doesn't mean that he never
associates with unbelievers. It's not what we're saying.
What we're saying is though. He should associate with good
people. You know, because.
The Bible. Tells us in First Corinthians
what 1533 that evil communications corrupt good
manners, and then in Proverbs 1320 says that you.
Walk with the wise. You'll be wise.
But you know the companions and fools.
Will be destroyed, so. We have to make sure that we.
Associate with. Good people.
I mean that, you know. All of us should.
Should make sure. That we're associated with good
people because our good habits. Can be corrupted if we're
constantly exposing ourselves to people who don't.
Believe what we believe. And not walking out what we or
trying to walk. Out what we believe so lover of
what is good. Sober minded, Clear minded.
Just righteous, upright. Mean living uprightly, living
justly, holy, being separated unto God, self-control, having
that self-control again. And that's.
Really very similar to the attribute.
Which talks about being sober minded, but the difference here
is that he should be under self-control.
That means that he's not just out trying to.
Please his. Flesh.
And he's always giving into his flesh.
He doesn't have no. Control over his flesh.
He doesn't have no. Self-control.
No self. Constraint to not do things that
are disorderly but pleasing the flesh.
Talk a little bit a little bit more about that.
And then verse 9 says beholding. Fast, the faithful Word.
As he has been taught, that means the faithful word that we
have been taught. Through the scriptures we've
been taught. It through the scriptures and we
hold. That fast.
Not some man made. Theory about what the scriptures
say. Or some man made.
Theory about. Some other doctrine.
That they are. Putting in place of the Bible,
that should not be. We should hold fast the faithful
word as He has. Been taught and the reason why.
Is so that. He may be able by sound doctrine
both to resort and that means to encourage or to.
Warn OK to courage. Or to warn and convict.
That means the conviction of error.
To convict someone of error that someone is.
Able to see. And someone able to.
Come to the place by. Hearing sound doctrine, they're
able to come to the. Place that they realize.
That what they're doing or what they're saying is in error.
They're convicted of it. OK, so they're convicted.
Those who? Contradict like those who are
going against it. And that's exactly.
What the word of God does for. Us, you know, we really don't
have to. It's not the power that any one
of us has in US that causes someone to see that they're in
error. It's the word of God all you got
to do. Is just bring the word.
Of God and share look. This is what you said and this
is what the. Word of God says.
They can see themselves that they're in error.
I don't have to do anything to try to convince them that
they're in error. I don't have to, you know, go
through any kind of, you know, mental gymnastics.
Or try to put something logical together.
The word of God tells us. It shows us.
And that's why when we come to share with someone, if you feel
that someone has taught something that is not accurate,
bring your Bible. We sit down and the word of God.
Will be the authority. Because if you don't bring the
word of God, then that means I'm either taking your word or
you're taking my word. That ain't going to work.
It's not about. Who's right or who's wrong?
It's about what's right. And what's wrong according to
the word of God? Amen.
Then we go on.
And he said in verse 10, he says now for there are many
insubordinate, insubordinate, unruly.
People he's. Talking about the false teachers
that are in Crete now that he sent Titus back to deal with,
you know. Titus had a really tough job.
I mean, because he's going into an area that's really dangerous.
He's going into an. Area where people are, they
don't really, they don't take real.
Kindly to hearing new things and all of us when we go and share.
The Gospel with people. We are sharing the gospel with
some people who don't like to hear new things.
They don't want to hear things. About Jesus Christ.
And we're sharing the gospel with these people and tell them
I'm telling you I have been cussed.
Out. On the streets, sharing the.
Gospel of Jesus Christ because they get just.
That angry? So it's really a it's a
dangerous. Job, to some degree of what Paul
was asking him to go in and do, this is a very immoral place.
And he said, and these people were insubordinate.
That means that they do not conform.
To rules they don't. Conform to ruliness or or.
They don't conform to authority. Rather, it's the authority of
church leaders or the authority of the Word of God.
They're insubordinate. They're both.
Idle talkers and deceivers, these are people.
Who are idle talk. That means their talk is empty.
I mean, they share all these things and they get up and they
talk in front of these people when they share their little
doctrines, but they're empty. They can't 'cause life change
because there's no power in it, there's no anointing in it.
It may sound good, it may sound logical, it may stimulate the
flesh, but there's no. Power in it.
There's nothing that changes. The heart.
And we need things that we need to.
Hear the word of God, because it's the Word.
Of God that changes our hearts when we.
Got saved it. Wasn't someone's logic or
someone's clever. Speech that got us saved.
It was the true. And the word of.
God that got us saved, that caused us to see the fact that
we are. Sinners and we need.
A savior. It's the word of God that
reveals that. But when you.
Have a false teacher. He's not teaching that what they
teach is empty in. Fact, Jude said.
They're like. Wells with no water, and they're
like clouds that have no water. Well, A.
Cloud that has no water you can't bring forth.
Life, the whole idea of a. Cloud in the rain is because it
brings life on the earth, it gives us vegetation and it gives
us things that we can eat and survive on and that's.
What the word of God has water it it has it's life.
Giving. It's life giving.
Not only life giving, but it's life sustaining.
Because it can give. Us everlasting, it takes us into
everlasting life, so he said. And they're deceivers.
And they're deceivers because? They themselves are deceived.
Remember what it said over in
Second Timothy, over in Second Timothy chapter 3 and verse 12.
It said yes. And all who desire to live godly
in Christ. Jesus.
Will suffer persecution 13 but evil men and.
Impostors will grow. Worse and worse, deceiving and
being deceived and the reason why they are deceiving.
Is because they are deceived. By Satan.
Satan is using them to deceive. Others and that's.
Why They're being deceived. So then it goes on.
It says that. These are those.
Of the circumcision that means those who are.
The Jewish people who are. Teaching them to come under
Jewish bondage. Whose mouths must?
Be stopped who subvert whole. Households teaching them things
which they ought not now remember back in those.
Days the church. Was not a church building that
we have right now. The churches was in homes.
So these people were going into homes and they were teaching all
these strange doctrine. They were.
Trying to take over. You know, the Bible studies and
they were trying to take over the meetings in these homes and
and that's why even we here, you know who have Bible studies and
I thank God that we have. Really a good accountable spirit
filled teachers. That are teaching the word of
God and we go to the homes and we hear somebody teaching we're
going to hear. The true.
Word of God is coming right out of this.
I thank God for that. But we must be.
Careful that visitors. Who will come there?
That we don't know. That we'll find out about your
Bible studies. Will try to come in, sit down
and. Eventually, try to take over
your Bible study. And try to put in this poison.
Little by little, try. To introduce this poison and
try. To corrupt the word of God, we
have to be careful with that. And be on the.
Watch out for that. And this is what Paul is saying
to. Titus, these people we're.
Putting them in bondage, trying to make these gentile.
Believers, go back. Into the bondage under the law.
And they don't have to keep the law.
They're gentiles. They don't have to keep the law,
they don't have to be circumcised in order to be
saved. But this is what they were.
Teaching whose mouths must. Be stopped who subvert whole.
Households teaching things which they are not for the sake of
dishonest gain, so they're doing these things out of the
selfishness of their own hearts. They're doing it because.
They want something. It's not real clear exactly what
that dishonest gain was. I don't.
Know if that dishonest gain was financial.
Usually when the Bible talks about dishonest gain,
greediness, it usually is talking about.
It usually is. Talking about financial money
but dishonest gang can also be. Just trying to get their trust,
Dishonestly trying. To, you know, get them to
convert to something that is not true dishonestly, you know, So
we don't know exactly what they mean when they say dishonest
gang. And then verse 13 it says here
one of them, a prophet of their own, said Christians must.
Are always liars, evil beasts, lazy?
Glutton and Paul said in 13 this testimony.
Is true. Now that's really wild.
Now Accretion is talking about his own.
People and he said. Look man, my people are messed
up. My people are messed up.
He didn't just. Say they're liars, he said.
They always. Lying in.
Fact they have a. Word in the Mediterranean if
someone lies. They'll say that they're.
Cretinizing. That's how much they associate
lying with the Cretians. They said, oh, he.
Just cretinized. He's lying.
That's how bad it is. And he?
Said they're not just. Evil, he said.
They're not just beasts, he said.
They're evil. Beasts.
They're primal animals. They live their.
Lives totally doing nothing but, you know, supporting and
satisfying their flesh. If they want to eat.
They're just going to go kill something.
That's what an animal do. An evil beast just get just go
kill someone. I don't.
Care what he kills, kills anything, he'll kill his own.
To eat evil beast they only want.
To do is eat and mate. However their body drives them,
that's all they do. And you know, it's funny
sometimes when we see these commercials and we see.
These little kids. You know, behind these window
panes and and we see these animals.
Out there these big. Tigers and big lions and, you
know, these big cats and, and, and they're coming up to the.
Glass Where the kid? Is and then and it looks like
they're playing with the kid. They're not playing with that
kid. They're animals.
Trying to find a way to get over to that kid so we.
Can eat him. Because that's what they do.
They're. Driven by that and Paul is
saying that these. People are evil beasts.
They're just driven by. Their flesh driven by their
flesh. And he said they're lazy
gluttons and the Bible just talk about glutton.
And this gluttony really means like excess.
This is somebody who is constantly about excess.
You know, everything that they do, whether it's eating and here
and here they are talking about eating for the most part.
But gluttony can also be anything, you know, being greedy
for anything, greedy for money, greedy.
For power. Greedy for fame, greedy for
position, greedy for anything can be given to gluttony.
Sexually greedy. You know this insatiable lust or
whatnot. Gluttony.
Always in excess wine. In excess of wine, They're just
the gluttons. And he said they are just.
Lazy gluttons and. This is what these false
prophets, this guy's the we're describing false prophets here.
That are in Crete. That Titus had to deal with.
So it wasn't an easy job, it was an easy job.
So I just want to say that you know, one of the things that.
We have to do as believers is that we always have to check
ourselves to see where we. Are in the faith.
Where are we? Are there some areas where I
really need to give to the? Lord.
You know, have I become glutton in any area?
Have I become driven by my flesh in any area of my life?
Have I began to do? Exercises or do.
Different things with the truth. Have I begin to play around with
the truth instead of being a straight shooter?
Have I begin to manipulate or deceive in any kind of way?
We have to check these things out because these things can
subtly creep into our own lives. And this is what the.
Word of God is. For us, and that's why we
should. Love it because it is our.
Measuring. It's our monitor.
That shows us where. OK, you're too.
Far to this side. Come on back over, you know,
we've got cars now that have. These corrective.
Gadgets in them that if you go across the line it brings you
back over. Or or gives you a.
Signal and. That's what the Word of God does
for us. You're going a little.
Bit too far, bit bring you back over.
You're going too far that way. It brings you back over.
And thank God. For it because we need it.
We need it. We can.
All fall prey. To that from time to time
because. The devil is subtle.
In what he does and how he does it.
But we're not ignorant. Of his devices.
Thank God this has been Living Waters of Grace, a ministry of
Pastor Lewis Harrell of Calvary Chapel, Westmoreland.
Today's message has been on the book of Titus.
This book is a master class in how Christians should live in
modern culture. Titus was ministering to the
people of Crete, an island off the coast of Greece, but he was
facing many challenges. The Cretans who came to know
Jesus seemed to assimilate Jesus into their existing culture
instead of allowing themselves to be transformed by the Holy
Spirit inside of them. Others were fully devoting
themselves to Jesus but shutting themselves off from the world
around them. The apostle Paul encourages
Titus to help his audience find a middle ground where they can
live in this world while still following a different way of
life in Jesus. If you would like to learn more
about what it means to faithfully follow the teachings
of Christ in a world full of darkness, we'd love to get
connected with you in person. If you are in Greensburg, PA,
we'd love to invite you to join us at Calvary Chapel
Westmoreland. We meet every Sunday at 10:30 AM
at 400 E Pittsburgh St. Ste. 6B.
Also, if you visit us at calvarychapelonline.com, you'll
find links to our mobile app, our giving page, and our contact
form where you can leave a prayer request if you have one.
Before we go off the air for today, we ask you to invite
someone to tune in next time right here on Grace FM 91.7 or
streaming online at Grace Radio dot FM.
Word of mouth is the best way to spread the good news of the
gospel with those who are hungry to hear.
Until next time, this has been another edition of Living Waters
of Grace.