Wednesday, June 11, 2025 PM

Titus 3:9-11 and the Warning Against False Teachers

Came home tonight, and I felt really queasy, and it wasn't because of this so Praise the Lord. I'm here. I feel I feel all right, but uh. Hey, we're back in Titus chapter 3. And like I said last week I was assigned verses 9 through 15 so if you would open your Bibles with me to Titus chapter 3 verses 9 through 15 the close of the book.

Tonight we'll be kind of centering around verses 10 and 11. I'm gonna read Verse 9 through 15, so if you would follow along with me but avoid foolish disputes genealogies contentions and strivings about the law for they are unprofitable and useless.

Rejected divisive man after the first and second admonition. Knowing that such a person is warped in sinning being self condemned. When I send Artemis to you or Titicus be diligent to come to me at Nicopolis for I've decided to spend the winter there.

Send Zenith the lawyer and Apollos on their journey with haste that they may lack nothing. And let our people also learn and maintain good works to meet urgent needs. That they may not be unfruitful. All who are with me greet you.

Greet those who love us in the faith. Grace be with you all amen. Please pray with me. Father we thank you so much for our time tonight, and we ask that you be honored by the reading of your word we ask that you would just Open our ears and open our hearts to the truth of it that we would be obedient to it.

Father words cannot express the love that we have for you. We thank you so much for your precious son Jesus for the gift of your Holy Spirit and the word that you've given to us. We bless your name, and it's in your son Jesus's name.

I pray amen the title of the lesson tonight false teachers refused. Division rejected and you'll see that I've put down here in my third grade handwriting. Verse 10 this is the sentence the decree of judgment of false teachers and verses 11.

This is the state of false teachers. Some of you may not be able to see that sorry brother Dwight. If you'll remember with me last week in Titus 3 9 Paul told Titus that he's to avoid foolish disputes.

Genealogies contentions and strivings about the law and that they were unprofitable useless. This is a command. To protect the doctrine of the church to preach the gospel to avoid dissension. This is the high calling of the church.

To protect the Word of God to share the Word of God to obey the Word of God to love the Lord our God. Also shared with you that there was a noticeable descent into error and rejection of the truth that we see from verses 9 and 11.

And that's what happens when false doctrines and divisions begin to make their way into the church. They have a bad ending and I want to note something about endings. Verses 9 through 11 in Titus chapter 3 are right at the end of the book of Titus.

This is some of the last instruction that Paul's going to give to Titus and it's of the utmost importance. Paul's gone through this whole letter and given Titus direction after direction appoint elders.

Titus Titus this is what an elder should look like. Titus teach our people what their conduct should be. Titus preach the gospel. Titus defend the gospel and This is the father to the son. This is Paul to Titus urging with him pleading to him in a much the same way.

As I was kind of meditating upon this. In in reading other passages that correlated I read the end of the book of 1st Timothy and and Paul ends the book of Timothy the first book and within chapter 6 verses 20 through 21.

And I believe it frames kind of the same thing that we're talking about. From last week and tonight very well, and this is what he says. Oh Timothy guard the deposit entrusted to you. Avoid the irreverent Bible and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge.

For by professing it some have swerved from the faith. Grace be with you. It's kind of sobering to hear that so the focus tonight shifts from the false doctrines in Verse 9 to the teachers and followers of the doctrine in verses 10 and 11.

So in verse 10, we're like I said, we're going to specifically see the the sentence the decree of the unrepentant false teacher. So I'm gonna read verse 10 to you again rejected divisive man after the first and second admonition.

Now there's an order to verse 10 that I think we need to acknowledge and understand the sentence structure is very unique. And it's called an imperative sentence. Which is meant to give clear and direct commands and its form is this action subject main action in this case reject is the action.

A Divisive man is the subject and the main action is found at the end of the sentence after the first and second admonition. So I had to dig pretty deeply to find out about this because I'm not an English major.

But it shed great light on the on the text though in which while it's obvious to you and I that there's a command From Paul being given here. We have to be careful to follow the command closely and it's in and it's in its sequential order.

So there's a chronology to verse 10. In an order in an order to understand that chronology. I want you I want to give you greater context to this verse. So if you would turn in your Bibles over to the book of Matthew chapter 18 verses 15 through 17.

Now as I'm reading in Matthew chapter 18 verses 15 through 17, I'm going to give you some commentary About what's happening in Titus 3 10 and hopefully this will help you to see exactly what Paul saying to Titus.

So Matthew chapter 18 verses 15 through 17. Moreover if your brother sins against you go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. This is the first admonition out of Titus 3 10. If he hears you you have gained your brother.

This is the goal. This is what we're after verse 16. But if he will not hear you take with you one or two more that by the mouth of two or three witnesses. Every word may be established. This is the second admonition out of Titus 3 10.

Verse 17 and if he refuses to hear them tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen in a tax collector. This is rejection out of Titus 3 10. So what Paul's commanding Titus to do in Titus chapter 3 verse 10 is to follow the instruction of our Lord Jesus and apply church.

Discipline to those that would cause division within the church. Now I want you to flip back to Titus 3 10 and I want to break down the verse and in the way the Apostle Paul by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit wrote it so Remembering that it's starting with the final step of church discipline first reject.

So Titus 3 10 Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition reject it's defined as to refuse to accept or believe something or someone to discard something as useless or unsatisfactory to shun to refuse to avoid to decline and This is interesting right here what I was reading about this in the medical context.

Rejection is Referred to when the body shows an immune response to a transplant in other words What was placed on to or within the body is refused and must be removed for the sake of the health of the entire body.

So.

You know.

Reading widely on this. I want I want to read to you what Romans 16 verses 17 and 18 say about rejection. Now this is Paul writing to the Romans and it's because once again divisive or false teachers and those that would divide the church Have pervaded it or tried to pervade it and they're inevitably going to show up within our fellowship.

And this is what he says to the Romans. Now I urge you brethren Note those who cause divisions and offenses contrary to the doctrine which you have learned and avoid them. For those who are such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ.

But their own belly and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple 2nd Timothy 3 5. Paul's talking to Timothy and he's he's got one of his famous lists again. And this is what he ends the list with having a form of godliness.

But denying its power and from such people turn away reject them shun them avoid them. That's what the continued message from Paul. How about 2nd John? 10 there's only one chapter. We don't get we don't go there very often.

Let's see what John says if anyone comes to you and does not bring this doctrine. Do not receive him into your house nor greet him. Rejection revolves around sound doctrine versus unsound doctrine. This is protection of the truth.

This is defense of the truth. We take note of those who cause divisions and offenses and those that Teach unsound doctrine and we avoid them. They're deceivers and this is rejection. Now that we know what we reject.

What do we reject. We reject divisive men a divisive man. Divisive is interesting. Divisive means to cause disagreement or hostility between people. The root of divisive a divisive is important for us to look at.

In the Greek it's hereticus. Sounds familiar because it's heretic. That's what we refer to today. That's where we get the word from in the in the Greek hereticus means schismatic factious or a follower of false doctrine and That's probably what we assume the most about the word hereticus that their followers or purveyors of false doctrine.

But in the sense of Titus 3 9 going back to that the whole definition would be true schismatic factious Followers teachers of sound doctrine. Let's break apart Titus 3 9 real quick foolish disputes contentions schismatic factious Genealogy strivings about the law followers purveyors of false doctrine.

So heretics and. Remember what these people do. Remember Titus 1 11 they subvert whole households. That's what they do. This is what the job description is for a false teacher. They lead people astray.

They destroy the unity of the church. They wreck fellowship and after all this is something brother Michael brought up the other day. And I thought this was very interesting. I never considered this. We got to remember this.

The devil's a preacher too, and he has a doctrine. It's just not a true one. And he will lead you astray. Divisive men are completely contrary to true elders. Remember Titus's task and creed that Paul gave him in chapter 1 verses 5 through 10.

This is a summarization. Titus appoint elders in every city set in order the things that are lacking. Elders must hold firm to the trustworthy word as they have been taught so that they may be able to give instruction and sound doctrine and Rebuke those who contradict what Paul is saying to Titus that is that elders must be able to reject divisive men hereticus.

So lastly for verse 10 admonishments. Rejected divisive man after the first and second admonition. Now, what's an admonishment? It's a calling of attention to something or a mild warning or rebuke. It's not always negative.

It's a calling of attention to something. Now see what an admonition in the context of church discipline looks like. Admonishments are gentle and loving but straightforward. They are a truthful presentation of facts or events seeking to correct those that are an error.

And Remember the order of Matthew 18. First go alone and tell your brother his fault by God's grace. He may hear you and that's the goal. If he does hear you and agrees with you. That's the answer to the prayers that you and I should have prayed before we ever went there.

Have you ever seen the gospel in church discipline? I?

Haven't.

I was reading Charles Spurgeon one of his sermons and This is his insight and these aren't his words. I've had to kind of add to it some body to it, but um hear this. The desire of the offended party and going to the offender first is always the desire of our Lord Jesus Christ repentance and reconciliation.

Gentle admonishment is always in the fashion of our Lord Jesus Christ who sought us out While we were yet sinners and enemies of him. It is the command of Christ in the example of Christ that the injured one Always must go and offer forgiveness and it is in the pattern of our Savior to seek out the one Who must be forgiven.

Brothers and sisters let this mind be in you which is also in Christ Jesus. He seeks us. Before we ever seek him He went and found us and in church discipline is the same way. We go after the one that's offended us and we take them the truth.

So our second admonition. It's just like the first but with faithful brethren as witness to the presentation of truth and once again It's the offended party reaching out and reasoning with the offender.

The witnesses are there to affirm that the discipline process has been properly followed, but the goal remains repentance reconciliation to gain your brother. So lastly on church discipline and I'm gonna remind you one of other more of brother Michaels recent points, and I hope I don't butcher this.

I couldn't write that fast, but it goes something along the lines of We will not murder truth in the streets for the sake of unity. Because without truth in the church there is no unity. We have to center around that and admonishments when concerning church discipline are centered around the truth.

Rejection when concerning church discipline is centered around the truth. Because the church is first Timothy 3 15 the pillar and foundation of the truth. So now moving on to verse 11 we see the state of the false teacher Titus 3 11.

Knowing that such a person is warped in sinning being self-condemned knowing. That means to see or perceive with the eyes by any of the senses. To notice to discern to see to observe so we can see this.

We can hear this we observe this. Brothers and sisters so much of what we know about being Christians. Especially at a young age or at an early walk with Christ is observed. Here this verse from Philippians 4 19 Paul says the things which you learned and received and heard and Saw in me these do and the God of peace will be with you.

Or in other words the things you observed the things you heard and saw the things you perceived and noticed the things you know. That's what Paul's saying to the Philippians. And that's the kind of knowing in Titus 3 11 that we're talking about the things that are obvious.

The type this type of knowing comes from the observance of conduct actions words and Conduct and Crete was paramount. Which is why in Titus chapter 2 is Chris taught there is a pattern for living as Christ's special people and a call to listen.

As his special people the conduct and obedience of Christians in Crete wasn't observed an Obvious conduct that Paul was concerned about and here we are now in Titus 3 11. After we've heard the unsound doctrine and observed the divisive Conduct of Titus 3 9 and 10 we now see the state of those people that practice such things in Titus 3 11.

And we know them. It's obvious. And what do we know? We know that they're warped and they're sinning.

So.

Warped.

Extrepo in the Greek in the Greek and it means turned inside out literally twisted corrupt perverted sinning. Paul saying this to Titus he's saying Titus you've heard and you've seen and you know that this person is Twisted and perverted they're corrupt.

They're warped. This called the mine Romans chapter 1 for me again, verse 28. God gave them over to debased minds. Warped is not the same thing as debased, but it's not the same word, but it's the same sense.

Titus You know that a divisive man is corrupted.

Debased.

Twisted warped and sinning.

So.

Lastly in verse 11 being self-condemned. This is a present state. This is what they are right now. It's active. It's Immediate. Being self-condemned. In the Greek they are and I'm sorry. I'm not a Greek person.

They are Otto Kata Kratos. Otto Kata Kratos. Self-condemned their actions their words. Their conduct has condemned them. Condemned means to pronounce judgment upon and here in Titus 3 11 They are presently and actively pronouncing judgment upon themselves.

They are self-condemned.

So.

What's Paul saying? I want to go back to Titus 3 5, you know, Ryan taught this. This is such the such a wonderful truth from God's Word. Remember their main point from Titus 3 5 the theme and truly this is the theme of the whole Christian life.

He saved us By his life. He saved us by his death. He saved us by his resurrection. By his grace by his mercy. He saved us. And because he saved us verse 8 go out and work be salt and light and creep and Because he saved us and his gospel is paramount to our salvation and our unity.

Verse 9 avoid these false doctrines. Because he saved us verse 10 go and admonish those that are being divisive if they won't listen. Bring others and admonish them again and ultimately finally bring them to the church.

And if they don't repent reject them. And verse 11 Because he saved us and the gospel changes those that are in Christ Jesus and we see them walking in newness of life. We know that those preaching and teaching and acting contrary to the gospel are sinning and self-condemned.

Brothers and sisters, I think these last three verses that we've studied in Titus are very difficult. They're heavy, but the gospel and the truth are worth it. Christ is worthy of it and You know, I was thinking how do you close this?

How do you close something like this? And I just went right back to my introduction with first Timothy verse. Chapter 6 verses 20 through 21 Paul says Oh Timothy. And I'll say this Oh sunny side. Guard the deposit entrusted to you.

Avoid the irreverent babble and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge for by professing it some have swerved from the faith. Grace be with you. Let's pray. Father thank you so much for our time together tonight.

I pray that you were honored. I Pray you protect our unity Lord help us to love one another help us to love you. With all of our hearts seek you and your kingdom first above all things. Lord, we bless your name.

Thank you for your word. Be with us as we go through the remainder of our week and let us gather together again to praise you this Sunday. Thank you father. It's in your son. Jesus name. I pray. Amen.

You.