Teachings Of Titus #2

One of the needs of the church today, is for young ministers to recognize the need to work with a seasoned pastor and learn as much from him as they can.

Illus: Just because a young person graduates from college and has a college diploma in his hands, the business world does not hire them as a CEO of a large corporation.

But yet in the religious world, a young person can graduate from seminary with very little on-the-job training, and immediately be placed as the OVERSEER of the flock of God.

The business world is much smarter than some churches. They would not think of doing such a thing.

Illus: Before you can become a licensed contractor, many counties require that you work as an apprentice with an experienced contractor before they will issue you a general contractors license.

This is the same thing that is done with doctors, nurses, plumbers, and electricians.

WHY DO THEY REQUIRE THIS?

Because the things that these people do affect people’s lives greatly, and they want to make sure they are qualified before they are thrust out into these careers.

Paul had wisdom, so when a young man was called into the ministry, he would take him under his spiritual wings and train him.

Many pastors would like to help young pastors like this.

But often, Christians who mean well, literally destroy the lives of some young ministers before they get started.

For example, a pastor might take a young pastor under his watch care to train him. As time goes on, the pastor will give him opportunities to preach. Once he preaches a few times and shows signs of progress, a lot of well-meaning Christians will come up to that young minister and tell him what an outstanding job he did.

They know that is what he wants to hear and they pour the compliments on him heavy.

Not being a seasoned pastor, he does not know that compliments are like chewing gum; they are to be chewed, not swallowed.

He swallows all the compliments and gets a big head, and launches out into the ministry before he is ready, because several people paid him a few insincere compliments.

Paul took Timothy and Titus under his spiritual wings, and he kept a tight rein on them. These young men were submissive to his leadership.

Look at verse 5, we read, “For this cause left I thee in Crete…”

Notice, these words let us know that Paul was in charge and that they recognized it. Paul said I, “…left thee in Crete…” In other words, it was his decision; he was in charge.

But if you remember from the previous message in this series, we mentioned that the Cretians were the “Scum” of the earth.

That is, if you wanted to insult someone during this time all you had to do was call them a “Cretian”. These were fighting words.

But why did Paul leave Titus in Crete? For two reasons:

Look at verse 5 again. We read, “For this cause left I thee in Crete, THAT THOU SHOULDEST SET IN ORDER THE THINGS THAT ARE WANTING…”

Paul said the first reason he left him there was to-

I. ORDAIN SOME MINISTERS

Look at the last part of verse 5. We read, “…And ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee.”

But he wanted to let this young minister know that he was not to ordain just anyone. IT MUST BE A PERSON WHO MEETS BIBLE REQUIREMENTS.

It is amazing how many churches today, that call themselves Bible-preaching churches, will ordain anyone that will step up to the plate. I mean ANYONE! Today some churches are ordaining homosexuals!

Look at the instructions God gave this young minister as to who should be ordained.

Look at verses 6-9. We read, “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 selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre; But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate; Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.”

These verses told Titus who was qualified to be ordained into the ministry.

• Verse 6 alone is grounds for not ordaining a homosexual as a minister of the gospel. Why? Because the command is that he is to be the “Husband of one wife”, and a homosexual cannot fulfill that command.

• Also, this would disqualify every catholic priest in the nation, because God’s Word states they should be the “Husbands of one wife.”

• This would disqualify every woman, because God’s Word states they should be the “Husbands of one wife.”