THE KIND OF PREACHING YOU WANT TO BE UNDER |
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Abraham Lincoln once said, “I don’t like to hear cut, canned, dried sermons. When I hear a man preach, I like to see him act like he was fighting bees.”
There are many kinds of preaching that you can be under. For example, you can be under longwinded preaching.
A certain pastor was known for his long sermons. One Sunday he was a bit more lengthy than usual. One of his members got up and started to leave. The preacher hollered at him and asked him where he was going. The man replied, “I’m going to get a haircut.” The preacher said, “Why didn’t you get one before you came to Church.” The man replied, “I did.”
A preacher came to the breakfast table with a cut on his cheek. His wife asked him what happened. He told her that he was concentrating on his sermon while shaving and cut his face. His wife said, “Maybe you should concentrate on your shaving and cut your sermon.”
It has been well said that he speaketh by the yard and thinketh by the inch, ought to be shown the door by the foot.
You can also be under boring preaching.
A church that loved fellowship always served coffee after the sermon. The pastor asked a little boy if he knew why they served the coffee. The little boy replied, “I think it’s to get the people awake before they drive home.”
An oil field worker once said to his pastor, “Once we start drilling, if we haven’t struck oil in thirty minutes, then we stop boring.”
Again, there are many different kinds of preaching you can be under. As we look at Titus 3:9-11 we see the kind of preaching we should not be under. Actually, Paul describes the kind of preaching we should not be under, but in so doing, helps us to understand what kind of preaching we should be under.
Let’s look at these three verses by first noticing:
1. TEACHINGS THAT ARE TO BE SHUNNED
In verse 9 we read, “But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and striving about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.” In chapter one we learned of certain false teachers that had caused much confusion in the Church.
This was one of the reasons Paul had left Titus in Crete. We read in 1:9, “For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee.” Titus was to remove the false teachers and ordain and put in the Churches preachers and pastors true to God’s Word.
We read in 1:10, “For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision.” Apparently there were several of these false teachers that were causing confusion and division in the churches.
In our text (Titus 3:9-11) we have some of their teachings identified. Paul tells Titus to “avoid” these teachings. In our last study we saw that there are teachings to be affirmed. Paul said in 3:8, “This is a faithful saying, and these things I will that thou affirm constantly.” Now he speaks of the teachings that are to be avoided. The word “avoid” simply means to “shun.” It literally means “to turn oneself about” for the purpose of avoiding something. There are certain teachings that a believer is to shun, walk away from and not listen to.
The teachings that are to be shunned are listed in verse 9 and described as:
A) Foolish Teachings
Paul describes these teachings as “foolish questions.” The Greek word for “foolish” is moros from which we get our English word “moron.” The word “questions” has the basic sense of searching or investigating. In time it came to be used for discussions or debates that were controversial and contentious.
These controversial and contentious teachings often involved “genealogies.” Of course, one’s genealogy was important to Jewish people. Jews took serious their genealogy tracing their lineage and from what tribe they belonged. It would appear that these false teachers made a big deal about such genealogies and made them a subject of their debates.
Such questions or debates often produced “contentions.” The word is translated “strife” on other occasions in the New Testament. These foolish questions only led to heated arguments and division. I can see and hear them yelling at each other with tempers flaring.
Also involved were “strivings about the law.” The word “strivings” speaks of disputes or fighting. They argued about the interpretation of the Law, what it said, what it did not say, etc. In this case, their disputes were probably about trivial matters, the many man-made traditions and rules that had been added to the commandments of God.
I have met a few people like this through the years. I preach in place to place and once in a while there will be someone who will stop me after the service and ask me some great theological question like, how many angels can sit on the head of a pin, or do you think angels ever loose their feathers. You know; those deep theological questions. And there are those who corner me after the service and want to get in a debate some subject on some difficult passage in the Bible. You know they are not seeking information. All they want to do is argue about something.
Paul defined such arguments and discussion as foolish. Why, because they are:
B) Fruitless Teachings
He says in verse 9 “for they are unprofitable and vain.” The word “unprofitable” means “useless” and the word “vain” means “empty.” Such foolish arguments and debates had no spiritual benefit to those who listened. They were fruitless.
They never led to spiritual growth. They never enabled one to grow in their knowledge of Christ or served as an aid to one’s spiritual development and maturity.
Paul says to Titus, you don’t have time for such foolishness. Shun this kind of teaching. Turn away from such foolish ramblings.
There are not only teachings that are to be shunned, but as we continue we see:
2. TEACHERS THAT ARE TO BE SILENCED
In verse 10 we read, “A man that is an heretick after the first and second admonition reject.” Such teachings are not only to be shunned, but those teaching such foolish things are to be silenced.
One of the things that the Epistle Titus makes clear is the importance of doctrine and the sound preaching of doctrine in the Church. That is why Titus was to ordain only men that were morally and doctrinally sound.
I would never attend a Church that had a pastor that was not sound in his beliefs and preaching. It wouldn’t matter to me if I had been there since I was a baby, half my family was buried in the Church cemetery, my great-grandpa had donated the land on which the church was built, and my momma had bought the piano. First of all, the church should get rid of a preacher that is not doctrinally sound. But if they didn’t, I would be finding me another Church home. I wouldn’t hang around a place like that for five minutes.
In 2:1 we read, “But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine.” Doctrine and preaching that is not sound is never to be tolerated by the believer or in the Church.
How false teachers are to be viewed is an indication of how important sound doctrine and preaching are to a Church. Paul calls them a “heretick.” The word literally describes someone who has determined to go his own way, has his own opinions, and factious in what they do and say.
Paul says that this person is to be rejected. In 1:11, speaking of false teachers, Paul states, “Whose mouths must be stopped.” In 1:13 he says “rebuke them sharply.” In simple words, such teachers are to be dealt with and not ignored.
Now as you look closer you see:
A) The Conditions of Rejection
In verse 10 Paul says they are to be rejected “after the first and second admonition.” The word “admonition” means “to call attention” and by implication speaks of a mild rebuke. They are to be confronted about what they are teaching, not once, but at least twice.
They are to be sat down and told that they are wrong and what they are teaching must be stopped. If they don’t quit, then they are to be approached again. If the second rebuke doesn’t stop them, then actions must be taken to remove them.
In a similar fashion Paul says in Romans 16:17-18, “Now I beseech you, brethren, mark them which cause divisions and offences contrary to the doctrine which ye have learned; and avoid them. For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.” The words “mark them” simply mean to keep your eye on them. They are not to be ignored but dealt with.
A first and second admonition implies that the first goal is to turn them from their foolish and false ways. Paul spoke of the goal of such discipline in 2 Timothy 2:25 when he said, “In meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth.”
That is always the first goal of Church discipline. The goal is the repentance of the believer. However, if repentance is not achieved, further steps are to be taken. In the case of the false teachers, they are to be rejected. The idea behind the word “reject” is to refuse to have anything to do with the person.
Now, there is a reason why such steps should be taken. Think with me secondly of:
B) The Cause of Rejection
Paul says in verse 11, “Knowing that he that is such is subverted, and sinneth, being condemned of himself.” A person who will not respond to such rebukes is saying a lot about themselves. They are really revealing what kind of person they really are.
For one thing, they are “subverted.” The word speaks of being “twisted.” He is turned out of the right way. His heart is not right.
He also “sinneth.” It is literally, he goes on sinning. He is wrong, but refuses to change what is wrong.
The result is that he is “condemned of himself.” By his very actions he is passing condemnation upon himself. He is bringing upon himself the condemnation of the Church by their rejection, as well as God’s condemnation. He is supplying the very rope by which he hangs himself.
The real cause of rejection is more than a matter of head. His teaching is wrong, but the reason his teaching is wrong is because he has a heart problem. His heart is not right.
Again, such actions reveal that sound doctrine is to be taken seriously in the Church. False doctrine and teaching must not and cannot be taken lightly or tolerated. God holds a Church responsible for what it believes and teaches.
Understanding what is said let me sum it all up by saying a word about:
3. TRUTHS THAT ARE TO BE SOUGHT
Such foolish teaching and false teachers are as stated in verse 9 “unprofitable and vain.” They are useless and worthless. The rejection of such indicates that there should be:
A) A Faithful Message
What is preached and taught should be Biblically sound. What is taught and preached should be faithful to the teachings of the Scripture.
It should also be a:
B) A Fruitful Message
The purpose of teaching and preaching is the spiritual growth and maturity of the believer. That should be the aim and objective of all teaching and preaching.
In Ephesians 4:11-14 this goal is clearly described. We read, “11 And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; 12 For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: 13 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ: 14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.”
Pastors, preachers, and teachers are ordained of God and given to the Church for the purpose of growing believers into strong Christians.
That is the kind of preaching you want to be under. |