TPW 72 What Elders Must Do

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The single greatest danger that the Church of Christ faces at any moment is not persecution It's not persecution and it's not harassment from without it's deception inside As a witness, this is
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Pastor Patrick Hines here at Crugwell Heights Presbyterian Church And today is the next part in the series on ruling elders and this sermon is about what elders must do
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Taken from Titus chapter 1 verses 9 through 16 The book of Titus beginning at verse 5 there has some more qualifications very similar to the ones in 1st
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Timothy 3 But once you have qualified men, it is very important for elders to know what it is that they are supposed to do in that office and the thing is the scriptures in very short very simple to understand passages
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Tells elders not only what to expect but what to do when you face
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The many insubordinate many who are rebellious idle talkers and deceivers especially those of the circumcision
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All three of those crew actually all four of them empty talkers deceivers rebellious and those of the circumcision all four of those groups are still with us today and elders
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Will be facing them because the text there in Titus chapter 1 says that there are many
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Many insubordinate or rebellious some translations render that rebellious There are many idle talkers and deceivers and there are many who are of the circumcision meaning those who add things to faith as the sole instrument of our justification before God and the sole instrument by which we are united to Christ and have
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All of his benefits his cross work and his righteousness Imputed to our account and accepted by God and our behalf
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There will be many such people and if elders are going to be faithful shepherds
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They need to know how to deal with those individuals by exhorting with sound doctrine and refuting those who contradict and they need to understand that when you do that when you do stand out against The many who are rebellious the many idle talkers and deceivers and many who are of the circumcision
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That they are going to be very nasty in response to you they are going to be very ugly and they're going to Attack you and say all sorts of nasty things to you and about you sometimes on social media in these days
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And the elder who loves the gospel and loves the truth needs not to care about such things because he is first and foremost a steward of the glory of God a steward of the truth as It is given to us in Scripture that wonderful truth of the gospel
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And so I hope that you'll find this to be edifying And that the elders who hear this or those who are going to be selecting elders from their congregations
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Will make sure that when before you nominate someone to be an elder that you know that they have it in them to refute people who are rebellious insubordinate idle talkers deceivers and Of the circumcision those who add anything in any nuanced way to faith as the sole instrument of our justification and acceptance with God and as the sole instrumental cause of The righteousness of Christ being imputed to our account which alone is the basis upon which we enter heavenly glory
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You need to have men who understand those truths and are willing to defend them at all costs Because that's the heart and soul of the
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Christian faith So with that, I hope you find this to be edifying Let's pray together, please
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Father in heaven, we thank you for your holy word the Bible We pray you would help us to understand its wonderful words of eternal life help us to receive what this passage teaches us
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With grace and our hearts to lay it up in our hearts and practice it in our lives
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We ask in Jesus's wonderful name. Amen. Please take your Bibles and turn to Titus chapter 1
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Verses 9 to 16 is our scripture reading and our sermon text for this morning
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Titus 1 9 to 16. I can't think of a passage of scripture that is more directly relevant to the church today than this one
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Titus chapter 1 Verses 9 to 16 and we'll read the sermon text will cover 9 to 16, but our scripture reading will be verse 5 through 16
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This is God's Word verse 5 For this reason I left you in Crete That you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you
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Namely, if any man is above reproach the husband of one wife having children who believe not accused of dissipation or rebellion
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But the overseer must be above reproach as God's steward not self -willed not quick -tempered not addicted to wine
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Not pugnacious not fond of sordid game, but hospitable loving what is good sensible just devout self -controlled
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Holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching So that he will be able both to exhort and sound doctrine and refute those who contradict
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For there are many rebellious men empty talkers and deceivers especially those of the circumcision
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Who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain
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One of themselves a prophet of their own said Cretans are always liars evil beasts lazy gluttonous
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This testimony is true for this reason Reprove them severely
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So that they may be sound in the faith not paying attention to Jewish myths and commandments of men who turn away from the truth
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To the pure all things are pure But to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure, but both their mind and their consciences are defiled
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They profess to know God, but by their deeds. They deny him being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed
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May God bless the reading of his infallible word Our church has a mission statement that includes the following quotation
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Strengthening individuals and covenant families Individuals and covenant families are strengthened through the use of the means of grace that come through biblical worship
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The lost are saved by the proclamation of the gospel of Christ and the saved are
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Sanctified through the exposition of the Word of God The means of grace are dispensed in the church through the ministries of teaching and ruling elders
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And we did a sermon on the biblical basis for Presbyterian church government a couple of weeks ago
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And we've thus far had two sermons on qualifications of elders from 1st Timothy 3 1 through 7
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And we've heavily emphasized how great a need there is for the individual members of local churches to have a thorough understanding of these qualifications
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Because they are the ones who nominate and then elect their own elders
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The biblical way of church government is not Hierarchical it is from the ground up who will be your pastor and who will be your elders and who will be your deacons?
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While the session will screen the nominees and the final analysis it is up to your vote
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Now, why do we screen the nominees? Why do we examine the nominees before we'll put them up for a vote?
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Why do we the session do that? We need to make sure that they're with us on the fundamental doctrines of the faith to see if they have any
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Serious exceptions to the Westminster standards and to be sure that they know and can explain
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The gospel and apply the Word of God to people But the future health of the church is very much tied up with your ability the congregations
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Ability to apply the biblical qualifications to the men of your church and to make wise informed
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Biblical decisions about who is nominated and elected to serve in these all -important offices this morning
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We begin an exposition of the duties of the office of elder once you have men who meet the qualifications
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Namely, they are godly. They're above reproach. They're approachable men. They're hospitable teachable peaceable
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They're not addicted to wine. They run their house as well, etc. What are they supposed to do in this office?
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That's one thing to understand the qualifications of the office. But what are they supposed to do as elders?
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What are their duties? That's our subject now as we begin by walking through Titus chapter 1 verses 9 through 16 the work of the elder entails that he do the following Actively and I've given you a three -point outline there in your bulletin.
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It divides the passage up nicely He must defend the faith. He must defend the faith always remember this
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What is question three of our shorter catechism? What do the scriptures principally teach the scriptures principally teach what man is to believe concerning God and what duty
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God requires of ma 'am? So the first thing he must defend is what man is to believe concerning God. He must defend the faith
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Secondly, he must defend biblical godliness. He needs to be able to defend what our duties are.
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What are we supposed to do? And then thirdly he must defend Christian Liberty So he needs to defend the faith defend biblical godliness and defend
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Christian Liberty and let's look at this in this passage Look at verse 9 there He must defend the faith verse 9 says of the bishop holding fast the faithful word
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Which is in accordance with the teaching so that he will be able both to exhort and sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict the ruling or teaching elder must hold fast the faithful word as he has been taught this means he cannot forget or Be rusty in his knowledge of scripture and his knowledge of the doctrines of our confession and where they're taught in scripture
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The term that's translated there Holding fast is being used here in the same way that Jesus used it in this passage when he said no one can serve two
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Masters for he will either hate the one and love the other or else he will hold fast
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To the one and despise the other it is that holding fast to sound doctrine to the
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Christian to the elder Holding fast to the doctrines of scripture is the same thing as holding fast to Jesus Christ You can't separate the two things.
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It is what the scriptures teach about Christ and about the truth That is what we are to hold fast to so anyone nominated for the office of Elder You must know this is an individual whose loyalty to Christ is demonstrated and is holding fast to the doctrines of scripture
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The elder will be loyal to the faithful word hold fast the faithful word He will hold fast to it in the same way.
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The disciples of Jesus hold fast to Jesus himself and by way of application I want to tell you that if anyone ever asks you
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To believe that God led them to disobey direct commands or teachings of scripture
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That person is not just being disloyal to scripture. They're being equally disloyal to Christ himself
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There must be that kind of loyalty and attachment to the faithful word of God So the elder has to hold fast to scripture.
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You're not going to hear him looking for ways around it You're not going to hear him saying well the times have changed that we live in and the
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Lord is leading us in these new directions No, he's not No, he's not not ever
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The scriptures are a fixed and unchanging body of teaching the elder must understand what they teach and hold fast to it
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Even if the collective body of professing Christian churches around them begins to deny what the faithful word teaches
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The elder must be prepared to stand alone if need be Consider carefully why this is so important Titus 1 9 is telling us that the elder must know the the
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Greek term there is did a K the teaching of the Christian faith the doctrines of the faith and he must hold fast the
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Faithful word or the faithful message you see Christianity is a message
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About events it is a message of propositions which describe real historical events
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It is fixed Unchanging and unalterable. It was the same before we got here.
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It is the same now It will be the same Christian faith long after all of us are dead and buried This is why the great theologians and the great churchmen of the past have always hated theological novelty creativity and innovation
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Good churchmen do not like creative theology Good churchmen do not like innovation.
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They don't like new ways of saying things, etc, etc, etc What happened 2 ,000 years ago in the conception birth life ministry miracles death burial resurrection and ascension of Christ?
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It's still exactly the same as what it was before we got here It's explanation in Scripture is still the same as what it's always been.
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Those are glorious historical events rooted in space and time Always remember how remarkable it is that the name of the
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Roman procurator Who crucified Jesus his name has been spoken billions of times on this planet suffered?
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under Pontius Pilate What happened is what happened whether anyone believes it or not?
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It does not and it cannot change because the past simply is what it is and Scripture is still the same as what it's always
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Been the elder holds fast to it and doesn't toy with it and doesn't get bored by it
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That's what that was my diagnosis. Why did the federal vision controversy happen? Honestly, seriously,
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I think God's just bored Just bored by the truth. Yeah law gospel justification my faith alone.
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Ho home. We've heard all that before we're tired of it We're bored with it. Those are the truths that are supposed to set your heart on fire
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For God, how could anyone be bored by such things? I don't get it God's breathed forth revelation and Scripture is likewise the same as it's always been it will never change
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This is why the elders the bishops the men who hold the keys of the kingdom are called upon by God to protect
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The people of God to teach them to equip them for all the works of service
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They will do as married people as single people as siblings as friends as fathers mothers Architects doctors garbage men carpenters computer programmers fast -food workers, etc, etc, etc
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We are to equip them with the same Christian faith. That's always been there and we are to get them ready to die
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They must hold fast the faithful message the faithful word the teachings of Scripture and they never change
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They never go out of date. They never need updating the elder must know defend and hold fast those teachings
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There must be an equal loyalty to the teaching of Scripture as there is to Christ himself
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To be loyal to Jesus is to obey Jesus and the only thing we've got where Jesus has spoken to us is
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Holy Scripture the elder must have a ferocious and Steadfast loyalty to Scripture the purpose for this loyalty is made clear in the second part of verse 9
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You see verse 9 the second part of it. Why is it to hold fast the faithful word in the teaching? why is he to hold fast so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and refute those who contradict
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That sound doctrine the bishop or the elder must be accurate and sound in the doctrines
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He teaches to God's people in the local church and the bishop or elder must be able to refute those who contradict sound doctrine
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So this cannot be a sheepish or a timid man He should not be one however to start a fight over everything that he ever disagrees with however, too
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But he must be willing to stand and speak when foundational truths are being chipped away at or are being denied in Scripture And if this makes him hated
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He won't care If that means people don't like him people say nasty things about him people get upset at him for standing for the truth
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Doesn't bother him He won't lose a wink of sleep over it because his loyalty is to his Lord and to his
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Lord's Word The elder is a man obsessed with the glory of God and the truth of his message in Scripture So why are doctrine and theology so important?
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Why is it important enough to have a man take 106 semester hours to get a divinity degree to write answers to 136 essay questions?
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Which we had to do to become ordained To endure two hours of questions from an examinations committee then 90 minutes of questions from every minister in our
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Presbytery and some ruling elders, too Why do we do that? Because what we believe and teach will determine whether or not we and our hearers are going to heaven or hell
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That seemed fairly important to you Can anyone think of anything more serious than that? There is nothing more important about you as a person than what you believe about God about yourself about what's right and wrong
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Eternal destiny, sin, grace, salvation, justification, the purpose of history
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First Timothy 4 16 Paul told Timothy take heed to yourself and to the doctrine Continue in them for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you
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You want people to preach the truth? You want elders to know the truth to believe and teach that truth from Scripture so that people can come to salvation and end up in heaven not hell
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We are to continue in doctrine and be careful about our doctrine Why because by doing so God tells us we will save both ourselves and those who hear us
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So what do you say when a professing Christian tells you? You know, I just don't really get into all this doctrine theology stuff.
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I just I just doesn't really interest me I just like to love Jesus To say that you have no interest in doctrine or theology is in effect to say you have no interest in God at all
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I'm sorry, that is just a fact. If you are a person who says yeah, you guys have that huge confession
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I just don't really get into all that like doctrine stuff. Doctrine tends to divide us I just like want to walk with Jesus. You need to train yourself to tell that person you obviously have no interest in Jesus You have no interest in Jesus.
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None. Zero. I don't care how pious you may try to live your life You have no interest in God if you're not interested in what he says in his word.
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None at all What if the guy is just the nicest warmest most hospitable man with a well -run family a great marriage very zealous prayer and evangelistic life
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But he just doesn't think that Jesus is fully God And he doesn't affirm the doctrine of Trinity You know the liberals tried this stuff on Machen a long time ago.
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I mean they would say to Machen man Yeah, I know. I know that that guy that professor that goes to this church over here
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Yeah He holds to all the anti -supernatural theories about the origin of Scripture and it's redaction Criticism and everything else and he doesn't believe in salvation by grace.
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He doesn't believe in the verge of birth He doesn't believe in the substitutionary atonement or the duty of Christ But if you could worship next to him in church, you'd be moved to tears
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You just say yeah, I probably would be but for a different reason The bishop must be able to teach sound doctrine and to teach sound doctrine you have to know and believe
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Sound doctrine which is to say you have to know the scripture You have to know the Bible the bishop must also be able to convict or refute people who contradict
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Sound doctrine. He must be good at apologetics defending sound doctrine against error
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Why must the elder hold fast the faithful word as he has been taught that he might be able by sound doctrine to exhort
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With sound doctrine and to convict those who contradict why is that so important verse 10 and 11 tells you look at verse 10 11
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For there are many rebellious men empty talkers and deceivers Especially those of the circumcision who must be silenced
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Because they are upsetting whole families teaching things which they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain.
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I Want you to think about how significant that is what was just said there Why does the elder have to know that doctrines of scripture hold fast the faithful word because there's tons of bad guys
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Look at verse 10. There are many rebellious men empty talkers and deceivers
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Especially those of the circumcision who must be silenced because they're upsetting whole families teaching things
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They should not teach for the sake of sordid gain. Are there many false teachers empty talkers and deceivers?
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Especially those of the circumcision today. Yes They're all over the place False teachers and purveyors of false doctrine are everywhere all the time
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Notice there are many who do all the things described here. Then it says Especially those of the circumcision, what does he mean by this?
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He's telling a Titus Especially those of the circumcision. Who is that? They were
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Jewish believers in Jesus as the Messiah who added circumcision to faith in Christ as the means of justification before God and Paul an
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Inspired scripture in the book of Galatians hurls the curse of Almighty God upon them twice in Galatians 1 69
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Paul is very clear that that error puts all who believe it outside of Christ and on their way to damnation under God's condemnation
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So has those of the circumcision has that group died out? Not at all.
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Not at all. Are they still with us today? Oh sure Do you know anyone that's into the federal vision stuff? They're the they're of the circumcision
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They are false teachers in that group Roman Catholicism John Piper and a whole host of other nuanced versions of the same old thing
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Because of this the correct knowledge of God Revealed in Scripture is always in need of defense.
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And as I've said before and will emphasize again now The single greatest danger that the Church of Christ faces at any moment is not persecution
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It's not persecution and it's not harassment from without it's deception inside It's always deception from inside the church.
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That is what kills churches In fact, usually when local churches are persecuted they're purified and strengthened big -time
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So our our fear is not persecution. It's deception. It's false teaching. What would kill the church here in this building?
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Not persecution not the attacks of secularists. What would kill it? Failure on the part of elders to hold fast the faithful word, which is in accordance with the teaching
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Failure to exhort in sound doctrine failure to refute those who contradict it and a failure to recognize and rid ourselves of the many rebellious men and women the many empty talkers and deceivers and the many modern manifestations of the
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Circumcision those who add requirements to faith as the means of justification As one elder said to me recently, you'd almost have to be insane to want to be an elder
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It's not for the faint of heart and the option to retreat is not something that's on the table
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There is a vigilance that must characterize the men who hold this office they must have a passion for the glory of Christ a passion to evangelize the loss a
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Passion to teach and defend sound doctrine and they've got to be willing to intervene in very difficult and painful situations at times
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Paul warned the church at Rome in Romans 16 17. He said now I urge you brethren note those who cause divisions and offenses
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He's telling the church at Rome. Notice the people that stir up strife in your church. Notice the people that cause defenses or Offenses contrary to the doctrine which you learned and avoid them for those who are such do not serve our
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Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple now notice from Titus 2 11
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Who must be our 1 11 excuse me Titus 1 11 who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families
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Now the New King James translates that is whose mouths must be stopped Who subvert whole households?
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Why else must false teaching be refuted by elders and bishops because false teaching destroys not just individuals but whole families whole households are ruined by false teaching the text tells us and so the elders duty is
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To hold fast to the truth. He must be a Bible man a man of sound theology He needs to always be reading good theology
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Studying and reading his Bible from cover to cover all the way through over and over and over again
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Throughout every year of his life reviewing the confessional standards of a church reading good books on theology reading
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Memorizing praying through God's Word on his knees why so he can exhort the sheep of Christ with sound
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Doctrine and also refute and silence those who bring false doctrine This fixation on sound doctrine and theology, please hear me.
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It is not a reformed distinctive People think yeah, those are the people that focus on sound doctrine.
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No, we're just trying to obey the Word of God That's all it's not a reformed distinctive or a Presbyterian hobby horse.
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It is a biblical requirement. Nay a biblical command to us Look at point number two.
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He must defend biblical godliness verses 12 and 13. Listen carefully to this One of them a prophet of their own said
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Cretans are always liars evil beasts lazy gluttons Verse 13 this testimony is true for this reason reprove them
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Severely So that they may be sound on the faith. He's not there for a moment among these insubordinate idle talkers and deceivers
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Rebellious people idle talkers empty talkers and deceivers were some who said what verse 12 says
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Cretans are always liars Evil beasts lazy gluttons Now, although it might be a bit of a harsh blanket statement to make about Cretans verse 13 tells us that this testimony is true
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Titus had been left in Crete Among these people to set in order the things there and to appoint elders in each city as Paul had commanded him
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Titus was ministering in an area that was filled with moral vices like the ones described here
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There is such a thing as moral heresy Gross immorality must be rebuked by who the elders the elders of a church have to rebuke
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Immorality remember these are the duties of elders is what they have to do
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To rebuke those who are liars who are evil beasts lazy gluttons. We need to recognize that Severe reproofs are sometimes necessary for people who are rebellious men empty talkers deceivers there will at times be people in churches who are rebellious against scripture and Rebellious against submission to the elders of the church.
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There is no way around what this text in Titus 1 13 is saying Some people respond well to gentle correction
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But the severely wicked must be rebuked with harshness Sternness, it's a biblical command.
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It's right there in your Bible. There will at times be people who are obstinate arrogant Unteachable and relentless and stirring up strife and the bishops and elders of the church must rebuke such people harshly severely relentlessly
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That's what the Greek term a patomas means I looked that term up in every lexical source
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I have all seven of them and read the entire entry because I'm thinking how does our how would our effeminate?
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Feminized culture want to try to defuse what this is saying and there's just no way to get around what it says It says rebuke them sternly rebuke them harshly rebuke them
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Relentlessly one of the last con says you could translate it relentlessly with harshness The only other place this term is used is in Paul's final warning to the church in Corinth at the end of 2nd
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Corinthians 2nd Corinthians 13 10 for this reason I'm writing these things while absent so that when I when present
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I need not use severity Harshness I'm telling it to you straight in my second letter here because I don't want to have to be harsh and put on My bishop hat while I'm there
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Paul took the time to write them in the hopes that they would be submissive and Teachable on all the matters that he addressed with them but he was ready to be harsh and severe if he had to be and When he wrote
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Titus about what bishops need to be in all those cities in Crete that needed bishops he said that these men needed to have the stomach and the
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Constitution to harshly and Severely rebuke the many Rebellious men empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision that would most certainly find their way into their churches
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Elders have to be men capable of having the hard conversations and capable of saying what no one else wants to say
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They can't be passive They can't be people who avoid conflict and but they also can't be men who seek out conflict either.
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That's what the term pugnacious They're not always looking for a fight They can't be that either
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But when you've got bad people in your church, the elders may have to be harsh In fact scripture commands them in these sorts of situations to not just reprove them but to severely harshly reprove such people especially in this moral cesspool of Crete There would likely be a lot of rebellious people empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision
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Now one might say well, yeah, that was in Crete a long time ago But we need to ask the question.
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What are the vices in our day in our society in our culture? These are the things that elders need to be aware of.
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What are our cultural sins? What are the things that people are used to now in our culture today? What do we need to be willing to rise up and rebuke people for?
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How about pornography? How about laziness? We have the highest percentage of people on welfare right now that we've ever had in this nation's history sexual immorality immodesty
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Perversion our culture is saturated with the stuff and it is a huge problem Divorce we must uphold and speak as highly as we possibly can about the sanctity privilege dignity and seriousness of marriage vows
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Hatred of children is a problem in this culture. America is right now at its lowest birth rate ever
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We are officially dying as a country now. We're not replacing ourselves anymore One third of children conceived on American soil will be aborted and we're seeing a shortage of children now
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Even for people that want to adopt can't find them Mental laziness entertainment has almost completely ruined our ability to sustain a thought about truth for more than five minutes at a time
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Feminism the rejection of biblical gender roles. We're seeing a presbytery in our own denomination
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That's overture the General Assembly to rewrite huge sections of the Book of Church Order to allow for the ordination of women deacons
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But I just want to remind you that Deacons are to be according to the Holy Spirit speaking in Scripture the husbands of one wife
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And I don't care how many study committees you get to study that phrase. There's no way to make that into a woman
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Couldn't we say about America in 2019 They're addicted to immorality. They don't like to work hard They have little respect for marriage and their gender distinctions little desire if any for children
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They don't like to read or think hard and are awash in a vast tsunami of feminism therefore elders elders rebuke them severely rebuke them harshly
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Be willing to be called a hater a bigot an evildoer It's gonna happen if you stand for the truth if you're willing to Experience the antithesis it will happen to you if you're not a coward
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These are the ideas that we cannot allow to infect our churches if we do not keep such ideas out
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They will slowly but surely Overrun and then destroy our church. It is folks.
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Please hear me. It is from Those vices that the Christian has been delivered
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Isn't it? We are no longer the slaves of all those things But this but the slaves of righteousness elders must and their pastoral care of the congregation be always
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Reminding people of their new position in Christ and elders must be always rebuking wickedness not just in others, but especially in themselves and here again is why elders must themselves be exemplars of godliness piety devotion
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Self -control and righteousness Titus 1 8 says that the bishop must be hospitable a lover of what is good sober -minded just holy self -controlled now think about those three things just holy and self -controlled and Remember Peter's exhortation in first Peter 5.
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We just did this as a scripture reading a few weeks ago About the bishops of the church not as being
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Lords over those entrusted to you Listen being examples to the flock. You are an example to them.
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We must Exemplify the life that everyone around us is aspiring to live
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It's a tall order, isn't it? It's very convicting and ourselves we fail, but we will overcome these things in Christ Elders and bishops must be theologically and doctrinally sound and morally sound as well.
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They really have to be the total package Remember how Paul exhorted Timothy in the passage quoted earlier take heed to yourself.
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What why is he saying that? What does it mean to take heed to yourself? St. Timothy watch yourself, man Watch out for sin watch out for the things that could lead you off the path
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Watch out for the for false teaching watch out for temptation to take you in a different direction temptation to compromise
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Temptation to fear the faces of people that you preach to to not want to say certain things because they might not like you for it
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Etc. Watch out for that Timothy Take heed to yourself and to the doctrine watch out with what you teach
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Timothy Continue in them for in doing this you will save both yourself and those who hear you The qualified ruling elder has the duty to make sure he holds fast the faithful word
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That he might be able to exhort and refute both the doctrinally unsound and the morally unsound
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Okay, thirdly finally, he must defend Christian Liberty He must defend
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Christian Liberty verses 14 to 16 And here we come to the third leg of the tripod of what the elder is called upon to defend the faith
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Righteousness and now Christian Liberty of conscience. What is this and why is it so important and John Calvin's?
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Monumental wonderful work the Institute's of the Christian religion in book three after he treats chapter after chapter after chapter about justification
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What is justification? How does it come to pass? What is it? What are the passages that teach it? He then has one little chapter.
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He calls Christian Liberty. Listen to how Calvin describes it quote We must now discuss
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Christian freedom after addressing justification. There is nothing we can do to save ourselves or justify ourselves
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It is Christ righteousness Christ cross work that is imputed to our account We are saved entirely by faith alone not by our works
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Calvin then after huge treatment of justification says We must now discuss
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Christian freedom He who proposes to summarize gospel teaching ought by no means to omit an explanation of this topic
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And I would submit to you that is why Paul under the divine inspiration of the Spirit goes into it after he describes the qualifications of elders elders have to hold fast to the faith the doctrines of Scripture to Moral uprightness and integrity and they've also got to defend
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Christian Liberty. Why because it's a necessary appendix to the gospel Calvin says for it is a thing of prime necessity and apart from a knowledge of Christian Liberty Consciences dare undertake almost nothing without doubting
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They hesitate and recoil from many things They constantly waver and are afraid but freedom is especially an appendix of justification
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That's where I got the phrase and is of no little avail in understanding its power Indeed those who are seriously those who seriously fear
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God will enjoy the incomparable benefits of Christian freedom What is Christian Liberty Westminster confession of faith in chapter 20 summarizes it in this wonderful paragraph.
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Just listen to this God Alone is Lord of the conscience and hath left it free from the doctrines and commandments of men no matter where you go, you will always have the doctrines and commandments of men trying to bind your conscience and God alone is
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Lord of your conscience It says which are in anything contrary to his word or beside it in matters of faith or worship
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So that to believe such doctrines or to obey such commands out of conscience is to betray
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True liberty of conscience and the requiring of an implicit faith and an absolute and blind
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Obedience is to destroy liberty of conscience and reason also So look at verse 14 there in your
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Bible Titus 1 14 Not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn from the truth.
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They stop there The godly elder is a sola scriptura man. What is he telling
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Titus here to do Titus? The only thing that can bind your conscience is the Word of God Don't give heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men
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Are there commandments of men that try to pass themselves off as laws and churches? Oh sure
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But he's telling Titus and telling all elders of all ages do not give heed to those things
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The godly elder is a sola scriptura man He does not accept as authoritative
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Jewish fables or the commandments of men who turn from the truth No, he holds fast the faithful word as he was taught
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He does not deviate from it and he proves all things by it Just as Jesus taught us in Matthew 15 and Mark 7 when he was confronted with the
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Jewish Corban rule which claimed to be divine in origin passed down orally outside of Scripture by the rabbis
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Jesus confronted them with Scripture and said you have made void the Word of God for your tradition
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The bishop and elder is wise and discerning and will not bow to arguments
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Which would seek to overthrow the scriptures clarity sufficiency or exclusive God -breathed
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Authority and as such he is a protector of Christian freedom Verse 15 to the pure all things are pure but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure But even their mind and conscience are defiled
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By the pure he means believers here to the pure all things are pure to the believer
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Everything is pure meaning all foods There are no longer dietary restrictions upon us at all
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Christ has fulfilled all the dietary laws pointed forward to and yet there were still those among the
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Jews who were extremely cautious About observing those dietary laws and Paul is saying that such observances are useless
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We have been purified by faith We are justified and pronounced righteous before God just as all foods have been pronounced clean by Christ Remember Acts chapter 11 listen to the passage
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Now the Apostles and brethren who were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received the Word of God And when
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Peter came up to Jerusalem those of the circumcision contended with him saying you went into uncircumcised men and ate with them
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But Peter explained to them in order from the beginning saying I was in the city of Joppa praying and in a trance
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I saw a vision an object descending like a great sheet Let down from heaven by four corners and it came to me when
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I observed it intently and considered I saw four -footed animals of the earth wild beasts creeping things and birds of the air
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And I heard a voice saying to me rise Peter kill and eat But I said not so Lord for nothing common or unclean has at any time entered my mouth
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But the voice answered me again from heaven what God has cleansed. You must not call common
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Verse 15 you see it again But to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure But even their mind and conscience are defiled
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Elders must protect the church from legalism in all of its forms legalism in all of its forms congregational blue laws
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You know what I'm talking about? Go to different churches. You got to find out. What are the blue laws here?
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What are the things that they said that they have a quirk about you're not allowed to do this or do that or or whatever? The elders are to say the scriptures alone bind our conscience.
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We are not going to erect more laws We're not gonna put more things in place to try to protect you from getting close to disobeying
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God's commandments That's what the Jews did and Jesus rebuked them severely for doing it So the elder is a protector of Christian freedom
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God alone speaking in Scripture is Lord of the conscience And then finally verse 16 pretty harsh rebuke here.
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Listen, this is a severe rebuke They profess to know God but in works they deny him being abominable disobedient and disqualified for every good work
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Notice how rough God's Word is on individuals who teach fables as truth commandments of men as commandments of God and dietary laws as if they are pious the
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Holy Spirit describes such people in the church as abominable disobedient disqualified for every good work
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Such individuals say they know God but their own works deny him Always remember that what we do often speaks louder than what we say
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We believe if by our actions we act contrary to what we say We believe the scripture says we're abominable disqualified for every good work
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They deny God by undercutting the authority of God's Word and law Notice that in the mind of God and Scripture Denying the exclusive authority of God's Word is the same as denying
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God himself The two are exactly the same to undermine the authority of Scripture is to undermine
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God The elder is the defender of the exclusive authority of the Word of God over and against all man -made fables man -made restrictions
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Extra rules extra laws extra prohibitions about certain things and extra biblical teachings sola
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Scriptura to the elders of the church is no mere Reformation slogan. It is a way of life
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It's a way of life. So what must an elder do? We looked at what he must be in terms of his moral qualifications a man who has a blameless
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Reputation the husband of one wife is self -controlled. It's not given to wine not a fighter not violent not quick -tempered, etc
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But what must he do in that office? He must defend the faith what man is to believe concerning God He must defend biblical godliness what duty
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God requires of man and he must defend Christian liberty and not allow blue laws and extra commandments to come into the church and start creating legalistic
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Clicks in the church either he must defend the faith He must defend biblical godliness and he must defend
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Christian liberty and let's pray That God will raise up such men in the coming couple of months. Let's close in prayer
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Our God and Father we thank you that we can trust Jesus Christ to provide
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The godly officers that we need in this church you have for so long Giving us three new deacons.
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We're thankful for them and for the deacons that have served so well here for so long For the elders that we've had here the godly men who have overseen this congregation our departed brother
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Bob and Phil and Roger and Jim Thank you for them The Lord we with our growing congregation.
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We need a couple more men who meet these qualifications We meet we need men who will do as the scripture says
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Who will defend the faith and teach the faith who will exhort with sound doctrine or a few those are contradicted?
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Whose lives will be exemplary who will be godly examples for others to follow who will defend godliness
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And who will also defend the exclusive? Primacy and authority of scripture of the
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Holy Spirit speaking in scripture in church So as never to allow legalistic trends to make their way in Lord only
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Jesus can give us such men We would humbly ask that you would do that for us for this church of yours in Jesus name.
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We pray. Amen This is pastor
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Patrick Hines of brittle Heights Presbyterian Church located at 108 Brittle Heights Road in Kingsport, Tennessee And you've been listening to the
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Protestant witness podcast, please Feel free to join us for worship any Sunday morning at 11 a .m Sharp where we open the
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Word of God together sing his praises and rejoice in the gospel of our risen Lord You can find us on the web at www .brittlewellheightspca
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.org And may the Lord bless you and keep you the Lord make his face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you