Amen. We'll turn now to God's Word,
and I want to read from the book of Titus, Titus chapter 1.
There's only three chapters in Titus.
Titus chapter 1. Titus is a pastor of the church.
He's one of Paul's converts and Paul has left him in a island of
Crete which is in the Mediterranean and he's looking
after the work of God there. So that just gives you a wee bit
of background. Titus chapter 1 and we'll read
from verse one. Let's hear God's word reading,
of course from the Authorised Version.
The words will come up and scream for all who are online.
Paul, a servant of God and the Apostle of Jesus Christ,
according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of
the truth which is after godliness, in hope of eternal
life, Which God that cannot lie promised before the world began,
but have in due times manifested His word through preaching,
which is committed unto me according to the commandment of
God our Saviour. To Titus, mine own Son, after
the common feast, grievous mercy and peace from God the Father
and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.
For this cause left I thee and Crete, that thou should have set
and order the things which are one thing under thee, and elders
in every city, as I had appointed thee.
If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful
children, not accused of riot or unruly.
For a Bishop must be blameless as the steward of God, not self
willed, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not
given to filthy looker, but a lover of hospitality, a lover of
good men, super, just, holy, temperate, holding fast the
faithful word, as he had been taught, that he may be able by
sound doctrine book to exhort and to convince the gain Sayers.
For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers,
especially they of the circumcision, whose mouths must
be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which
they ought not for filthy looker's sake.
One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said The
Cretians are always liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.
This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply,
that they may be sound in the faith, not giving heed to Jewish
feebles and commandments of men that turn from the truth.
Unto the pure all things are pure, but unto them that are
defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure, but even their
mind and conscience is defied. They profess that they know God,
but in works they deny Him being abominable and disobedient.
And unto every good work reprobate.
Amen. We know that the Lord will stamp
with his own approval and blessing this reading of his own
precious and infallible word. Now my text tonight is taken
from Titus chapter 1 and the verse 16.
They profess that they know God, but in works they deny him being
abominable, disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.
I've entitled the message tonight.
Professor or possessor, which one are you?
Here's a true story. And Ballymena used to be a man
who lived there called Jasper McGowan.
And years ago Jasper McGowan went from different churches.
And if the preacher said something that Jasper didn't
think was right, Jasper showed it up to him.
That's not in the book. That's not in the book.
On one occasion the English man came to Ballymena Town hall.
They were having a religious talk.
I don't know what the subject was, but the man was preaching
away and Jasper kept shouting up to him in a Ballymena accent.
That's not right. That's not in the book, That's
not in the book. Should the man, he start
preaching? He looked down in Jasper's
direction and he says, Excuse me, good man, do you not know
who I am? I'm Professor so and so.
I've got degrees in the subject. I've got letters after mania.
So there's Jasper sitting receiving this from this man.
Jasper shouts up at him. I you might be Professor so and
so, but I'm Possessor McGowan and I have the scriptural
testimony of the Bible and the witness of the Spirit to the law
and to the testimony. If they speak not according to
this word, it is because there's no light in them.
Remember tonight, without the Bible there's no real true
foundation for a basis of true assurance.
Remember tonight that there's a very fine line between the
genuine and the counterfeit, between an individual saying
that they're soundly and solidly converted and simply saying they
are converted. Remember, it's possible even to
give intellectual assent to the things of God, to believe in
your head and the person and work of Jesus Christ, and for
one's heart to remain unchanged, unresponsive and unregenerate.
See the Bible exhorts us to examine ourselves to see whether
we be in the faith over there and 2nd Corinthians and in
chapter 13 and verse 5 we re examine yourselves, whether you
be in the faith, prove your own selves, know ye are not your own
selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates.
We're reminded that one day we will stand before the living and
the true God and his Son Jesus Christ, and we will give an
account of every word and deed that we have done in the body.
2nd Corinthians chapter 5 and verse 10.
For it must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ,
that everyone may receive the things done in his body
according to that He hath done, whether it be good or bad.
And over there in the book of Romans, in Romans chapter 14, we
read this in verse 11. For it is written, as I live,
saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue
shall confess to God. So then everyone of us shall
give an account of Himself to God.
And also, if we add in one more scripture in the book of
Hebrews, in Hebrews chapter 4 and the verse 13, we read these
words, listen to the word of God.
Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in His
sight, but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him
within the half the day. Now here's an appointment that
none of us will miss. One day.
We'll all stand at the judgement and we will give an account.
Now here's the question of questions thought that has
burdened me. Are we ready to give an account
to God? You see, here's Paul the
apostle, and he's writing to Titus.
Titus is in Crete, and he's writing to him to appoint elders
in every city in Crete where there's a New Testament church.
And these elders, of course, have the responsibility for
teaching sound doctrine and of course, individually of being
sound in the faith themselves. And even in the island of Crete
in the 1st century, the apostle Paul saw a spiritual problem in
the church there, a problem that was true then 1st century, but
it's also equally true now, maybe even more prevalent now,
more of a problem now. Look at our text in the book of
Titus, Titus one and verse 16. They profess that they know God,
profession or possessor. Which one are you I want to show
you three things tonight very quickly from this text of
scripture One, the spiritual sickness of the false professor.
They profess that they know God see false professions are a sign
of spiritual sickness in the life and witness of the 1st
century church and also the 21st century church and all over the
United Kingdom tonight, including the sweet province of
Northern Ireland. There's 10s of thousands of
individual who profess to know God as the true and living God.
They profess to know who he is greater and maker.
They profess to know what he's like.
They they profess to know what he's done.
They can quote John 3 and 16. For God so loved the world that
he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him
should not perish, but have everlasting life. 10s of
thousands of these individuals make a claim to being born again
and truly converted and in love with Christ.
We had talked to them, they would argue and say, but we
signed a card, we walked an aisle, we put a hand up in a
meeting. We we said a prayer.
And these individuals, they have a phoney piece.
They have a false assurance. And how do we know it's a phoney
piece? How do we know it's a false
assurance? Here's the answer.
There's a spiritual sickness within their heart.
They profess that they know God, but their works in contrast to
their words, their works condemn them, but in works they deny
him. Now do you feel the force of
that? The reality is that these 10s of
thousands of individual who make this profession, they're not
truly born again. They're not genuinely converted.
They've a name to live, but inwardly they're dead in
trespasses and sins. God has never changed their
heart. Their life hasn't been impacted.
Remember 2nd Corinthians 517? If any man be in Christ, he's a
new creature. All things have passed away and
all things have become new and all things are of God.
See, there's no new life in Christ and we have to ask, well,
where's the evidence of the new life?
Where's your hatred for sin? Where's your love for truth and
righteousness? Where's your love for Christ?
What? Where's your love for the day of
God, the House of God, the Word of God?
Where's your love for the Saints of God?
Where's your love for the souls of it?
Where's your desire for holiness and righteousness?
Where's your desire to obey the Word of God?
See, it is true tonight that we're saved by faith alone.
Ephesians chapter 2 verses 8:00 and 9:00.
For by grace he is saved through faith, and not not of
yourselves. It is the gift of God, not of
works, lest any man should boast.
And Paul adds to that statement by making this statement in
verse 10. For we are his workmanship
created in Christ Jesus on the good works which God had before
deemed that we should walk in them now.
We're not saved by good works. We're saved by faith in Christ
alone. Good works is not the ground of
our salvation. But listen to me carefully.
While we're not saved by good works, we're not saved without
them, because the good works are the evidence or the fruit of
true conversion. Now this is a serious problem.
This is a spiritual sickness. It was true in Paul's day, it's
true in our day. Did you know that the Lord Jesus
Christ devoted loads of time and effort into preaching about this
particular subject? Turn over there to Matthew
Chapter 7. Matthew Chapter 7.
We'll read in verse four and five, and I just read these out.
Matthew 7, four and five. Or how wilt thou say to thy
brother, Let me pull out the Moat out of thine eye, and
behold, the beam is in thine own eye.
Thy hypocrite first cast out the beam out of thine own eye, and
then shalt thou seek clearly to cast out the Moat out of thy
brother's eye. The Lord Jesus is dealing with
religious hypocrisy. Someone sees something wrong in
somebody's life, and then that individual has got a whole load
more things wrong with their own life but can't see it.
And then remember we read in verse 15, Matthew 7.
Beware of false prophets which come to you in sheep's clothing,
but inwardly they are ravelling wolves.
Here's men who pretend to be sheep, men who come in the guise
of shepherds of the flock. They've got lovely words.
They're very pliable and plausible individuals, but their
real work is to act and behave like a ravelling wolf among
God's people. To change the imagery from the
sheep to the wolf, you've got them verses 16 through to 20.
He says ye shall know them by their fruits.
Do men gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles?
Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit, but a corrupt
tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth
evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good
fruit. Every tree that bringeth not
forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire.
Notice this verse, verse 20. Wherefore by their fruits ye
shall know them. He's thinking about the bad
tree. Good tree analogy.
Think of grapes and figs, the land of Israel.
When we were there, we had lovely grapes and figs.
They were soft, they were sweet. And I'll tell you something
else, they were sumptuous because once you started eating
1, you wanted more. I didn't think I'd be a fan of
figs, but they are really, really lovely.
Now, the opposite here is not grapes and figs, but thorns and
thistles. And in a garden, when you've got
thorns and thistles, they're going to tear your hands,
they're going to prick you, they're going to scratch you,
they're going to draw blood. Men don't get caught on a grape,
but they will get caught on a thorn or a Thistle.
Because unlike the grapes and the figs that are soft and sweet
and sumptuous, the thorns and the thistles, they scratch and
tear you. Then the Lord Jesus adds this
verse 21. Not everyone that saith to me,
Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of heaven, but either
doeth the will of my Father, which is in heaven.
Many will say to me in that day, Lord Lord, have we not
prophesied in thy name, and in thy name of cast out devils, and
in thy name done many wonderful works?
Notice this verse. And then will I profess unto
them, I never knew you depart from me, ye that were iniquity.
Here's the last day, the day of judgement, that day disappointed
that day when we stand before God and give an account.
And on that day men's destinies are revealed.
On that day men's doom is sealed.
They profess to know him. They call him Lord.
Lord, notice the word many, the multitude, they profess they
prophesied in his name that's preached.
You've got to think about those that occupy the pulpit behind
the secret desk. What they do is they do in his
name, in consideration of his character, in consideration of
his power. Notice this.
They cast out devils in his name.
They've, they've done many wonderful works, whether it's
prayer or alms giving or, or other practical things like
feeding the poor. And yet here's Christ as the
head of the church, the Redeemer and the righteous judge, the
sole king with authority. Notice this, and then will I
profess unto them, I never knew you depart from me ye that work
inequally. You see, when you examine the
book, when you study the characters of the Bible, when
you listen to Christ, you'll discover there's loads of pulse
professors. We could name some Kean Balaam,
Orpa, Judas Iscariot, Simon Magus the name, but some study
the sermons, the preaching ministry of Christ, study the
parables. The parable of the sore wheat
and tares, parable of the Nets, parable of the 10 virgins,
parable of the Baron figurine. All of these rightly studied,
these characters that we have mentioned, these parables that
we have mentioned, they all reveal the same reality that
can't be ignored. And it's this that thousands of
people have made a claim to be saved, but in reality they're
not truly born again. What they have is an outward
empty profession. And one day when they stand
before Christ, and they profess his name, and they tell the Lord
what they have done in his name, preached and cast out devils,
and done many wonderful works, and they're pleased with
themselves. And they're standing there
proudly smiling and looking into his face.
And then the bombshell drops. And then will I say unto them, I
never knew you. You profess me, but I don't
profess you. Depart from me.
And here's the reason ye that work iniquity.
Could you imagine this? Now I'm going to say this, This
is going to shock you. But 10s of thousands of
professing Christians could end up in hell. 10s of thousands of
professing Christians in our United Kingdom could end up in
hell. Not just the atheist and the
agnostic and the Pagan and the alcoholic and the drug addict,
but 10s of thousands of religious people who are the
name of Christ and their lips. All the false preachers and
prophets, the false cults and false religions.
But I tell you tonight that the evangelical church is not immune
from this sickness. Isn't it very difficult to
engage in evangelism today? We're right in the doors, we're
on the streets, you're in the workplace, you're on the sea of
people that you speak to invite along to the gospel mission or
to hear the gospel. They flag up certain people who
claim to be born again. They tell you, in their
estimation, these people are not truly converted.
They couldn't be genuinely saved.
Why they they flag up dodgy dealing.
They flag up particular practises.
So you've ordered a tonne of coal.
That's 20 bags. Yeah, 20 bags.
I'm right. And you only get 19.
So you paid for a tonne, but you only get 19.
Or you've ordered 800 litres of oil and you only get 850.
Or maybe you've ordered 25 tonne of stone, whatever one of them
big lorries holes and you only get 24.
Or maybe you're buying a second hand car and you discover that
the clock has been reset. You see that's a dodgy oil
dealer, a dodgy coal merchant, A dodgy quarry master, a a a dodgy
car dealer. And then these individuals who
profess the name of Christ, they offer you a tract, they they
invite you, your family to some particular meeting and you doubt
the validity of their claim. And your attitude is this well
of so and so. And this is what we've said to
Noel and us and the doors. If so and so is a Christian, I
want nothing to do with it. And we have to tell such
individuals, you're right, they're not new creatures.
You're right, they don't have a heart for God.
You're right, their heart has not changed and transformed.
But remember, you'll stand before God and not give an
account for them. You'll give an account for their
self. And far too many professing
Christians who name the name of Christ, they're guilty of the
works of the flesh. And if you want to know what the
works of the flesh are, read Galatians chapter 5, verses 19
to 22. Not the works of the Spirit or
the fruit of the Spirit. You see what I'm trying to say
tonight is this. That which is genuine has its
counterfeits. There's counterfeit goods all
over this country sitting in different warehouses.
Go up the nuts corner, go to Jonesboro Market.
You can buy a fake watch, you can get dodgy alcohol, you can
get fake cigarettes. Going to holidays on the beach?
Somebody comes up and you want to buy a Rolex 100 lbs too good
to be true. Do you want to buy a set of
Rayburns for your eyes? You see, all that is genuine has
its counterfeits. And I want to tell you tonight,
the devil has his counterfeits inside the church.
They're not real Christians, they're not true and genuinely
born again of the Spirit. They profess what that they know
God, but as the Bible says here, but in works they deny him
because the works that they manifest, they're the works of
the flesh. The spiritual sickness of the
false professor. Very quickly, the spiritual
specifics of the false professor.
Look at our texts. They profess that they know God.
They profess they know who God is and what God is like and what
God has done. They profess God as creator and
maker, sustainer and provider, Redeemer and judge.
They even profess that they believe in God's works of
Providence, profess that they believe in God's work of
redemption. They believe that God divinely
intervened in our world. The incarnation of Christ, the
sinless life is a dawning death is partly resurrection.
They might name the name of Christ, even profess him as
their saviour. They profess all that they
ascribe to it, that is to give mental assent.
They're saying I believe this, I believe the Bible.
But the key is not do you profess to know God, but does
God know me? Does Jesus Christ know you?
And that last day he will say, And then I will profess unto
them, I never knew you. We were singing, I am his, and
he is mine. Isaiah 43 And one says, I've
called thee by thy name, Thou art mine.
They profess to know God very quickly.
They profess to follow God. See many who profess the name of
God and Christ, they engage in religious performances and
duties. They're religious, but not
regenerate. A man by the name of Jordan
Khan, wee man from India, believe he was in the martyrs at
one time, you Doctor Paisley, he wrote a book, little book in
Christianity or in Christ. And there's a vast difference.
See, many of these religious people, they're in Christianity,
they they move and live and and work in Christian circles.
But being in Christianity is not the same as being in Christ.
In Christ as appalling free as 90 times, it means being in a
saving, special spiritual relationship with Christ. 10s of
thousands in the church, that's great, but they're not in
Christ. That's the difference.
That's as different as choc, as cheese, black as white, night as
day. 10s of thousands profess to follow Christ, but they've never
truly found them as Lord and Saviour. 10s of thousands
profess to believe in Christ, but they've never bowed the
need. They've never come and said
Lord, I'm a guilty, vile, hell deserving Sinner.
I am nothing, I have nothing. I can do nothing to recommend
myself to you. I'm a spiritual beggar Lord, I
need to be saved. They've never bowed the knee.
You know many find comfort in the doors of the church, but not
in Christ the door. Let let me explain for a little
minute. Many who are in Christianity,
they love getting into a church building.
In the church building they have a good feeling sense of peace
brings all we better comfort and can this into their soul.
They would tell you something has been done to them and they
talk about the music, might be Beethoven, it might be Handel's
Messiah, it might be Johan Bach. They talk about the
architecture, maybe the choir singing, stained glass windows,
the order of service, the list of responses that they have to
go through the pictures and statutes.
They have a feeling of peace, a false assurance in Christianity,
in the doors of the church, but they haven't got true peace with
God because the Bible says therefore have been justified by
faith. We have peace with God for your
Lord Jesus Christ. They haven't got the peace of
God in trials and troubles. What's the problem?
Well, here's the problem over there in the book of Matthew in
Matthew Chapter 7, sorry, Matthew chapter 15 verses 7 and
8, the Lord Jesus said these words.
They're quoted from Isaiah chapter 29 and verse 13, an Old
Testament reference. Here's the New Testament
reference, ye hypocrites. Well did Isaiah's prophets.
I have you saying this people draws nigh unto me with their
mouth, and their honour of me with their lips, but their heart
is far from me. These people profess not only to
know God and to follow God, but to work for God.
They have a form of godliness, but they deny the power they're
of. There's a powerlessness so
prevalent in our day. Here they are talking about
doing wonderful things in his name, busy in the church
activities. There's preaching, casting out
devils, supernatural, many wonderful things, prayers, alms,
soup kitchens, humanitarian aid, charity.
But you look a wee bit closer, you'll also have to find and you
will discover lots of superstition.
How many people today like to have a cross in their garden or
they go on their holidays, make the sign of the cross when they
get into the plane or on a car journey or going on to a
football field or a sporting fixture?
Do you ever see them? There's loads of statues now
being erected in different places around this province.
It's interesting that John Knox, he was in a galley ship, I think
he was still unsaved and there was a storm and he was handed a
statue of the Virgin Mary and he was told to pray to her for
safety. He threw her overboard.
This is what he said, let her sink or swim, let her save
herself. I will not pray to that which is
so superstitious because true prayer has to be offered to God
alone. I want to tell you, in the 21st
century, never mind the 15th century, Mary auditory is alive
and well. We've seen that with Pope
Francis, we're seeing it more and more and we'll see it more
and more with Pope Leo. And it's all just religious
superstition. And how many people would tell
you if you drop a fork you have to put salt over your shoulder
or don't walk under a ladder. And then of course the big
boogie is, well, babies that are born will have to get them
baptised, have to get them done. But it's not baptism that saves
the children, it's the blood of Christ.
Water doesn't do any good, neither to an adult or to a
baby, even a covenant baby, Taylor said.
It's not by works of righteousness, which we have
done, but according to his mercy he have saved us.
You see, here's the problem. Even though they profess to know
God and follow God and work for God, there's no evidence of true
saving faith. There's no compliment of true
works. I want to finish the spiritual
sentence of the false professor. Notice these words.
But in works they deny him being abominable and disobedient.
And unto every good work reprobate.
The word abominable means detestable.
These people have a high opinion of oneself.
They think they're a big shot. They're full of pride and
they're forgotten that they're really poor and needy sinners.
They're forgotten that God can really see them.
This is how he's describing them, but in works they deny him
how being abominable they they, they shouldn't have a high
opinion of themselves, but they do.
And then to add to that, and disobedient.
In other words, they're LED astray from God's commands.
Isn't it interesting that shepherds lead the sheep?
The sheep love to be LED, love to find food, have a place of
rest. They enjoy the peace and
tranquillity that they love being under the shepherd's
tender care. They love his provision.
They they delight to hear his voice and follow him.
But the goats are different. The goats are the opposite.
The goats love and live to go astray and and they're
disobedient to the shepherd's voice.
That's the picture there. Not only do they have a high
opinion of themselves, but they're easily LED astray from
that which they are supposed to do.
And notice this other word as we finish.
And unto every good work, reprobate.
That word reprobate means unqualified.
Think of a big stone, been into a building and here's the
builder coming along and he's picking the stones say for the
foundation or for the superstructure.
And if it's a bad stone, if it cracks and fractures do he puts
a big A on it. That stands for a dokanos, which
which really means reprobate, which really means unfit, which
really means disqualified. We're we're conscious of
qualifications, aren't we? There's health standards for
hygiene in kitchens, and Brother Alan here knows all about
engineering standards. When you're working with
machines that they have to be a certain grade of part put in.
If it's substandard, that part will be disqualified because he
could breakdown the whole thing. Well, that's the point.
The spiritual sentence of the false professor is that their
words and works don't match in works.
They deny him because they have a high opinion of themselves.
They're full of pride, they're easily LED astray from His
commandments and His word, and they're really unqualified and
unfit to stand in His presence. Let me tell you this, as we
finish and our time has gone, we'll not sing the closing hymn.
I will get a TikTok thing sent to me about a girl that
professed to have died and professed to have seen angels
coming to gather her and take her towards heaven.
And after a few minutes the angels disappeared and the light
disappeared and the darkness came.
And then these she said in her dream, demons appeared.
She could hear the rattling of the chains and she was
professing as they were dragging her along the road.
She was saying, but I don't want to go to hell.
I'm saved. I've asked Jesus into my heart.
And then she heard the words of Matthew Chapter 7, verse 23.
And I'll profess unto them, I never knew you'd depart from me
either. Work in equity.
And she cried out, Well, what's my chief sin?
Lord, she got the answer. You're full of pride.
And she woke up in her bed crying.
And she got down on her knees and she cried out, Lord of mercy
in me, if my heart and mind is full of pride, then I repent of
that. Lord, help me to get the
victory. Help me to humble myself before
you See, that's really what we're talking about here.
There's a sentence for those that do not repent.
And I would urge you tonight to search your heart.
I would urge you tonight to put away sin.
I would urge you tonight to humble yourself before God.
I would urge you tonight to live in personal communion and
fellowship with God. I would urge you tonight to
focus on Christ and ask yourself this, How does God see me?
I profess to know Him, but do I deny Him in my works because I'm
guilty of the works of the flesh, guilty of iniquity?
Does he say that I'm abominable, disobedient and reprobate?
I have a high opinion of myself. I'm disobedient, easily LED
astray, and I'm unfit and unqualified because I have a
love for sin, not a love for the Saviour.
I believe we really have to search our hearts.
Here's the challenge. The professor or the possessor,
which one of you? May the Lord take His word and
apply it to our hearts this evening.