Order in the House of God

Order in the Lord's Churches

Book of Titus 1

The Book of Titus was written to Titus and the Church sometime after Paul had written the first Book of Timothy to Timothy and the Church. Titus was a Gentile whereas Timothy was a Jew according to the bloodline of his mother. A Jew can only be a true Jew if they are from the bloodline of Sarah the first wife of Abraham.

Abraham is the father of many nations but only those from the bloodline of Sarah can be considered to be the true Israel!

Paul wrote to Titus to warn against false teachers. Many but not all those false teachers were Jews.

Paul wrote to Titus to set in order the organization of the church and the behavior of true believers.

Paul wrote to Titus to encourage him to proclaim the "Apostle's Doctrine" the "Gospel" of the Lord Jesus Christ.

It was also Paul who had led Titus to the Lord.

The Book of Titus is the third Book of Scriptures that are known as the Pastoral Epistles!

The Pastoral Epistles deal with the Pastor's care of the church, the oversight, and the organization of the Church that has the foundation of Jesus Christ.

There is no church if Jesus Christ is not the foundation of that church!

These books teach us all how we are to behave in the House of God!

These books also teach us how we are to defend Christianity! This is where we Christians fail the most today. We are too lazy to stand up for the Lord Jesus. What a shame!

Let's begin:

*****Tit 1:1 Paul, a servant of God, and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect, and the acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness;

Tit 1:2 In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began;

Tit 1:3 But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Saviour;

No building can exist for any length of time if it is not established on a solid foundation. Each Christian has become a Temple of the Lord but even this Temple cannot exist if it is not laid upon a solid foundation and that foundation is the Lord Jesus Christ!

Only when the proper foundation is laid, then that building can grow to its full potential!

Every child of God is called to serve in the House of God and be a messenger of the Lord Jesus Christ. All functions of the Church are secondary to these two things.

In a sense we are all to become slaves to our new Master, Jesus Christ!

In other words, we have given up our own will and serve at the will of our Lord and Master, Jesus.

A man once wrote: Our own will is to be swallowed up in the sweet will of God"

No doubt the modern-day church has forgotten these things. The modern-day church has forgotten the purpose of the church and have allowed the world to dictate the work of the church.

Those who have undermined the foundation, which is to be Christ, are beginning to crumble and fall and this will continue until the Lord returns.

Only when we obey the Words of our Savior can the church properly to do the work that is intended!

Joh 12:26 If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.

Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

1Co 15:58 Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.

There is no excuse for any place where God's people gather, to be confused about the purpose of the Church!

Eph 6:6 Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart;

Eph 6:7 With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:

There were only 12 Apostles specifically chose by the Lord but, after our own salvation we are all to do the work of the apostle.

As believers we have been chosen to be God's holy and beloved people, a people set apart from this world and away from our old life of sin which brings only death, to a new life and life eternal based upon the righteousness of our Savior!

These things can only take place according to our faith and our knowledge of the truth, which comes only by the truth of God!

God says we must repent from that old life that rejected, ignored and denied and was constantly cursing in the face of God!

Think about that for a moment and try to understand, that it is only by God's love, which is the means of God's "grace", that we can be forgiven of these things!

Our only hope is in fact the Lord Jesus Christ, the God who cannot lie, who took it upon Himself to provide the only path to forgiveness!

Jesus Christ did all the work to allow us to be adopted into the family of God, no more to be separated from Him.

Joh 6:28 Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God?

Joh 6:29 Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

Our only work is to believe, have faith in the work that the Lord has done for us, to restore fellowship with our Creator!

Our job then is telling someone else the wonderful things that Jesus has done, so that the Holy Spirit will convict them to know the truth and then they too must make a choice to believe the truth or to reject the truth.

God then will guide us to live godly lives, that is, to follow in the ways of the Lord Jesus Christ.

God shows the world that He is real by showing how He can change lives. We as believers are to be a portrait of God's Mercy and Grace.

God has promised an eternal life of amazing wonders to those who trust Him but, also an eternal life of misery to those who reject Him.

I still have a very hard time believing that so many supposedly smart people fall into that trap of evolution!

The hope of eternal life is revealed in the Word of God many times and it is still true today!

Joh 5:24 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

As Christians we are to show the world our "faith"!

As Christians we know that no one is out of reach to the truth of God!

Isa 12:2 Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.

The Lord has chosen specific men to go out and "PREACH" the Word of God!

God is not somewhere off in space, unconcerned about His creation.

God is not sitting in His place ready to punish mankind for the least thing.

God is not mad at any of us and He never will be.

God is love and it is His desire to save us, so we can spend eternity with Him wherever He is!

God has some qualifications that we must accept the main one being "Faith"!

Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:

Eph 2:9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.

God is seeking a Spiritual relationship with each of us, not just the church, even those who do not yet believe!

*****Tit 1:4 To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.

Every Pastor is a spiritual father to each one they lead to accept the Lord Jesus Christ as their Savior.

Titus was led to the Lord by the Apostle Paul, as was Timothy and countless others.

It is the "common faith" that we all believe in Jesus Christ just as Paul, and Peter, James, and John, and all the apostles did that brings eternal life to every believer, and this will never change.

Those that say they believe the Word of God but still try to adapt to the world of today, are those same ones who would like their own pet sin to be removed from the truth of God and this is not going to happen!

Grace, Mercy, and Peace can come only by the truth of God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior!

The Lord left us with His unchanging command.

Mat 28:18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.

Mat 28:19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:

Mat 28:20 Teaching them to observe all things "whatsoever I have commanded you": and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

Why would we ever want to fall away from the truth of our Savior, and He says He will never change!

Titus was left by Paul to establish and organize the churches on the Island of Crete using this same "common faith"!

*****Tit 1:5 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:

Tit 1:6 If any be blameless, the husband of one wife, having faithful children not accused of riot or unruly.

When we see the terms elder or bishop in these Scriptures, we should think Pastor, or Preacher, or Minister and the gift of Pastor-Teacher will refer to just one gift.

The word "elder" refers to the man's years of faithfulness and service to the church.

The word "bishop" refers to the man's duties and his work overseeing the church that God has assigned to him

These two words are interchangeable!

What are the needs of every church?

1) There is to be a certain order in the church and this cannot go undone or the church will be defective in its work.

It takes time with everyone working for one goal to remove the defects of any church. The church must be organized in the ministry that the Lord Jesus Christ has commanded. Leading souls to Christ and making disciples of them.

False teaching must not be allowed into the church which can only cause divisions and strife in the congregation.

The Church that is not growing in Christ Jesus, is not a true church! Leaning into apostacy.

2) Hopefully there will always be a need to ordain more men called of God into the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ.

No church should remain without a true Pastor for any length of time!

In the days of the Apostle Paul there was a great need for men like Timothy and Titus to ordain such men to be sure they were made up of the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ.

That same need remains today! Those who do not love the Lord Jesus Christ must be totally rejected. The church has no need of such men!

Every true man of God must also meet certain qualification.

Again, we will see that God created the family before He created the church and every family is to be a mini church for the family to work by God's design.

When Christian families can come together in one mind and in one accord, then those families become a church and then they have need for a Pastor.

Notice: first this man must be blameless. Blameless in his family and blameless as to his dealings with the world.

In other words, his dealings with the world should contribute to his Christian service rather than be a hindrance to him.

One who can lead his family according to the Word of God has a better chance of being able to lead a church.

A Pastor can be single but there is no proof of how they can lead a family.

Both Timothy and Titus were single as far as we can tell but they taught of the family because most all Pastors will also have a family.

Php 2:15 That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;

Php 2:16 Holding forth the word of life; that I may rejoice in the day of Christ, that I have not run in vain, neither laboured in vain.

A good family man will have a faithful and loving wife who can also guide the children to be faithful and loving children.

There is no place in the ministry of the church for those who would have more than one wife at a time!

There is no place in the church for anyone seeking to become rich off the "Gospel"!

Deu 17:17 Neither shall he multiply wives to himself, that his heart turn not away: neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold.

The Christian family will seek to glorify God in everything they do!

*****Tit 1:7 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;

Tit 1:8 But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate;

Tit 1:9 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.

Some words to describe every Pastor should include humility, self-sacrifice, simplicity of heart, undaunted courage, and moral faithfulness.

The true Pastor will not be Lord over his flock, but he will be the shepherd!

The true Pastor will be a good steward of God's tithes and offerings and will never seek riches for himself nor his family!

The true Pastor will seek to raise his flock above himself.

The true Pastor will see that the household of God is cared for.

On the other hand, the true Pastor will not be self-willed.

The Pastor does not own the church, the church belongs to God and His children!

The Pastor must never be self-centered, arrogant, haughty, nor self-pleasing.

The true Pastor will not easily become angry!

The true Pastor will not remain angry enough to sin at any time.

The true Pastor will not partake of alcohol of any sort.

Luk 1:15 For he shall be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink; and he shall be filled with the Holy Ghost, even from his mother's womb.

This was written of John the Baptist and it is good enough for every true man of God and of course every child of God!

The true Pastor will not be a violent man!

The true Pastor will not seek riches, nor worldly possessions, but this does not mean he is not have leisure time and hobbies.

The true Pastor will be a lover of hospitality!

The true Pastor will love the children God has presented to him.

Heb 13:1 Let brotherly love continue.

Heb 13:2 Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

Drunkenness brings ruin to everyone who is touched by it and this includes the Church that Jesus Christ has built!

Maybe the most important of all, the true Pastor will hold fast to the truth of the Word of God and never seek to change anything that God has already said!

(This one thing is abused more today than all the others put together).

When you must have multiple translations to get you point across, then you are only seeking to impress your will upon God's children rather than the truth of God's Word!

We all must have control over our bodies of flesh to be legitimate Christians. This one thing is the greatest battle we face every day and it is no different for the Pastor!

The true Pastor will hold fast to the truth of the Word of God and not allow the world to dictate what God meant!

If there is one thing true above all else, it is that God says what He means, and God means what He says!

We can be sure that God's will is done upon this earth always!

1Jn 5:12 He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

1Jn 5:13 These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.

1Jn 5:14 And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:

1Jn 5:15 And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

The Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ is not only "good news" to be told to everyone it is also the Faithful Unchanging Word of God, which is sound doctrine, much more than good advice but also will also bring Holy Ghost conviction to those who hear it when it is preached!

There are many more false teachers that we realize!

*****Tit 1:10 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:

Tit 1:11 "Whose mouths must be stopped", who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.

Who is a false teacher? All those who reject even one truth written down in the Word of God!

There will be false teachers in and around every true church!

To be unruly means: to be insubordinate against God and His truth! The violation of just one word in God's love letter is sin!

They were religionists, which is being a bigot to Christianity.

They refuse to submit themselves to the Word of God therefore, they reject God no matter what comes out of their mouths!

They will teach things that amount to nothing toward God's salvation plan!

Their teaching is not able to overcome sin and death!

Their teaching will not bring forgiveness of sin and therefore will not bring eternal life to those who receive it!

Job 15:3 Should he reason with unprofitable talk? or with speeches wherewith he can do no good?

Job 15:4 Yea, thou castest off fear, and restrainest prayer before God.

Job 15:5 For thy mouth uttereth thine iniquity, and thou choosest the tongue of the crafty.

Job 15:6 Thine own mouth condemneth thee, and not I: yea, thine own lips testify against thee.

The truth is they are all like their father Satan, the Deceiver

2Jn 1:6 And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.

2Jn 1:7 For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist.

Paul used the word circumcision, meaning that many of them were Jews demanding that the Laws of Moses be followed which is a works doctrine that cannot bring salvation!

Ecc 10:13 The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness: and the end of his talk is mischievous madness.

Ecc 10:14 A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him?

The refused to believe that Jesus Christ died for their sin because they claim to obey all the laws, written and oral, and therefore Christ Jesus need not to have died!

These false teachers are around today in even greater numbers, at least here in America!

These false teachers rejected that it is faith and faith only that can bring us close to God, even though they claimed Abraham as their forefather.

These false teachers taught that only man can make himself acceptable to God! Jesus said this cannot be true!

Joh_15:5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

What else does Jesus say?

Mat 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.

We find that most all these false teachers are in it for the money (filthy lucre). Does this mean we must stay away from Mega Churches?

We must stay away from every church that does not preach Jesus Christ, Him crucified, then raised from the dead, therefore salvation comes by the blood of Jesus Christ!

All false teachers must be silenced but not by physical force!

False teachers must not be allowed to turn people away from Jesus Christ!

Gal 1:6 I marvel that ye are so soon removed from him that called you into the grace of Christ unto another gospel:

Gal 1:7 Which is not another; but there be some that trouble you, and would pervert the gospel of Christ.

Gal 1:8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

One truth is that, a false teacher will have a bad reputation outside the church because everyone hates a liar!

*****Tit 1:12 One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.

Tit 1:13 This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;

Tit 1:14 Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.

It is said that Epimenides, a Cretian poet was this prophet who had written down these words "The Cretians are always liars"

Some Cretians even invented a new word "Cretize" meaning all those who played the part of a Cretian. In other words, they were liars as the prophet had said and were as an evil beast which can mean that they were very greedy.

We must understand that the speaking of lies is condemned in the Word of God!

What does God say? 1Ti 5:20 Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.

You see, it is the Church body that is put a stop to false teaching!

When we study the Word of God ourselves we will be able to discern the Word of God from false teaching.

Every lie causes harm to the Church because a lie is the enemy of the truth!

Lies are something that God just hates!

Pro 12:22 Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight.

It is well past the time when Christians need to take a stand, but we certainly must sharply address false teaching in our own church!

Fables can only distract you from the truth. There are no fables in the Word of God!

Fables are attempt of some human being to place themselves on a level with the Word of God.

God's Word is settled in Heaven, nothing on earth can compare to the truth of God!

Psa_119:89 LAMED. For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.

We already know it is the Holy Spirit who gave us the written Word of God!

Any Jew who compares fables to the Word of God has already left his own Jewish beliefs!

Jewish fables come from a false interpretation of the Books of Moses, the Pentateuch.

We must understand the Spiritual meaning of the Word of God and apply it to our own lives!

This is why the Lord Jesus Christ challenged Jewish teachers who put man’s laws before the Word of God!

Ceremonial laws cannot save but they also lead us away from the truth. Jewish fables have nothing in them to replace "faith".

Without faith we cannot even please the Lord, who came that we be saved.

Man-made religion has no answer for the truth of God and we live in a world full of man-made religion!

Christianity is being obedient to the will of God!

Joh 7:16 Jesus answered them, and said, My doctrine is not mine, but his that sent me.

Joh 7:17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.

Joh 7:18 He that speaketh of himself seeketh his own glory: but he that seeketh his glory that sent him, the same is true, and no unrighteousness is in him.

Joh 7:19 Did not Moses give you the law, and yet none of you keepeth the law? Why go ye about to kill me?

If we are not rooted and grounded in the truth of God then, we are subject to all fables, which are only the words of some man.

As Christians we are all required to warn all others that they will be eternally separated from God unless, we know the truth and teach others the truth.

Eze 3:18 When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

Our faith must be in the truth of God or we will attain purity enough to live with the Lord!

*****Tit 1:15 Unto the pure all things are pure: but unto them that are defiled and unbelieving is nothing pure; but even their mind and conscience is defiled.

No false teacher will ever be pure enough to stand before a Holy God!

Our salvation can never be based upon lies!

When we try to make up our own rules to please God, we will always fail.

God has given us His instruction manual and we must go by the Word of God to ever have a chance to overcome God's wrath. Remember all mankind has already been sentenced to eternal death from the day we are born.

When we cannot accept that we are sinners in need of a Savior we will remain under God's curse!

Our only question should be, "how do we become pure enough to come face to face with God"?

There are no works that we can perform to overcome our sad situation!

When God our Father in Heaven accepted the work of God the Son, only then did we become a Temple for God the Holy Spirit, which means we will be pure enough to stand before our Heavenly Father.

Only the purity and righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ can accomplish these things and then only when we invite Him to come into our heart and stay!

Joh 1:11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not.

Joh 1:12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:

Joh 1:13 Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.

The Jews rejected the truth of God when He first came. They will accept Him when He returns. There are no other nations that will get such a second chance as this promise to the Jews.

It is the truth of God that makes us free!

Unto them that are defiled, and unbelieving is nothing pure and they will remain caught up in their sin!

Mat 5:8 Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

What is wrong with the Church today?

*****Tit 1:16 They profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.

We live in a world ruled by reprobates!

A false preacher is no more than a professional atheist!

Their sermon may sound great but, in their everyday life they fail to apply the Word of God to their everyday existence!

Their witness outside the church will clearly show they are no more than hypocrites!

When we deny God's authority over our lives, we too are no more than professional atheist!

Truly a hypocrite is even offensive to those who do not know the Lord.

There are always those in the Church who are hypocrites, and still lost but, God will not remove them because they may see the error of their ways in the true Christian.

The hypocrite is always a great professor of religion, but religion will only lead to your death!

Some hypocrites are truly hard to see. Even Judas spent 3 years with the Lord, but the other disciples never did accuse Judas of hypocrisy.

The Lord knew all the while, even when He chose Judas!

We deny things in 3 ways:

1) With our tongues, the words that we use.

2) With our heart, that only God can see.

3) With the life we lead, that everyone can see.

Without submitting to God and His Word , we will never know salvation.

The false teacher will corrupt the church and to be honest, corruption will always leave a foul smell!

All these things are the fulfillment of prophesy!

Mar 7:6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

Amen

Let's Pray