Sound doctrine silences
error
Key Verses: 5, 9, 13-14, 16
Every
group of Jesus-followers needs structure. They can exist for a short period
without structure, without leadership, without an acknowledged leader, but not
for long. When small groups are connected to a larger group, say flowing out of
and tied to a large church, they can work, and work well. But in the absence of
that connection to a larger structure, they often disintegrate. OR they grow to
the point that structure emmerges.
Human
beings are wired for structure, and God designed structure into the Church. So
those who say, “I can be a Christian without going to church” are sorely
mistaken. We need to be connected, under authority, and accountable. Paul shows
this my telling Titus to set up just such a structure in Crete. It was part of
his unfinished business that he wanted completed.
Now the
character of a leader is important, if we are being asked to join the
structure, and so Paul lays out briefly some qualifications. I think this is
where people get side-tracked. They have been part of an organization with
unqualified leadership, and that leadership failed to live up to their
expectations. And so now they reject leadership. Or the pervious leaders came a
little too close to home with their preaching, and conviction caused them to
run rather than to repent.
Paul
faced a group of people who decided to gather followers to serve themselves and
not God. They saw leadership as a way to get rich. Their particular teaching
centered around the need to keep the Jewish ceremonial rituals as a means to
gain God’s favor. Of course this is contrary to the Good News, that Christ’s
death, burial, and resurrection brings God’s favor. But that didn’t matter to
them. They just wanted to be in the limelight.
Paul has
some very harsh words for these deceivers, doesn’t he! Sometimes strong words
are needed, getting right to the heart of the rebellion. Sometimes we leave
churches because we don’t like what the preacher has to say. Perhaps they were
speaking to our heart, our rebellion, and we didn’t want to listen to the
Spirit. And so we switched churches. I am sure we came up with a good reason,
one that sounds good to those who ask, something spiritual.
But the
real reason is that didn’t want leadership in our lives. We want to be in
charge of our own destiny. But have our actions improved since we threw off the
“poor leadership”? Is our life more in line with the character of God? Or are
we slipping, slowly into self-deception and disconnection?
Sound
faith includes structure and connection. Don’t try to be a lone ranger. Even he
had Tonto!