Loving the Church, Part 1.

Steve Gentry

[0:00] Well, let’s go ahead and get biblical open your books to Titus chapter one [0:04] One of these days we’re gonna make it through the whole first chapter [0:07] It seems like it’s taking a while but the book of Titus lends itself to that where Paul begins [0:14] With such a thick and deep [0:18] Theology of the church and I’ll tell you what we’re gonna talk about today [0:23] Lends itself really well

[0:25] To teaching so we’re gonna be doing a lot of teaching we teach from God’s Word every week [0:30] But today leans a lot to teaching and then at the end we’re gonna apply that [0:36] But the teaching aspect is gonna be a lot longer than the application aspect today [0:42] We’re gonna cover really [0:44] What God is doing [0:47] Through church being in a certain order

[0:51] Because if you ask five different people who claim to believe in Christ [0:55] what a church in the New Testament era should look like and you’re probably gonna get five different opinions and [1:03] Probably none of them right [1:05] Because typically we gauge what the church should look like on life [1:10] Experience rather than allowing God’s Word to really tell us what the church should look like and part of that is because [1:17] The New Testament has a lot of allegorical things and

[1:22] And metaphors for what the church is and what the church is becoming and what the church should look like [1:29] But then what so beautiful about the gospel is is that when the gospel creates the church God [1:35] Works it in such a way that the church will fit in any culture and [1:41] So churches are going to look differently [1:44] Determined by what the culture should culture actually looks like around it [1:49] And we talked a little bit about the gospel and how the gospel is the same message

[1:53] But it’s gonna be delivered by a different method if you go to Russia [1:56] It’s gonna look one way if you go to Zimbabwe [1:58] It’s gonna look another way if you go to Alabama [2:02] It’s probably gonna have a drawl if you come to Virginia. It’s probably gonna be pretty uppity. All right, not that you’re uppity [2:10] I’m from here too [2:11] So I can say that but the gospel is in such a way that it can

[2:17] contextualize to [2:18] Culture heard a man one time say that if you don’t believe the gospel and the way that it’s delivered should change [2:24] Then you can never say it because the minute you begin to speak you’re contextualizing the gospel [2:29] Because it wasn’t originally in English [2:32] All right, it started out with God creating a language for his people the Hebrews [2:37] All right

[2:38] So today what we’re gonna do is we’re gonna take a look at the church and then we’re gonna unpack [2:42] what an elder in the church should look like and [2:47] Right there a few of you have thought we’ve gone into where the Mormons are and you’re gonna have to start calling me elder [2:53] Steve or you think that we’re going to where the Presbyterians are because typically if you’ve grown up in a Baptist or a [2:59] Charismatic background which we have people from all different backgrounds in the village [3:03] So beautiful if you’ve grown up in a Baptist or a charismatic background a Pentecostal background

[3:07] You’re used to having deacons and then you have the pastor [3:11] Well in the New Testament it unpacks this office in the church called the elder board [3:17] All right in the New Testament. We have three different offices inside of the local church [3:21] You have elders you have deacons and you have church members [3:25] All right now in the Baptist churches in current modern era [3:32] Deacons

[3:32] Typically do the job of the elders [3:34] But somewhere along the line we change their name to deacons [3:38] And I’m not really sure why we did that because it’s two different words in the New Testament [3:42] All right [3:43] And we’re gonna unpack this as we unpack what the church should look like and I’m probably going to have to work on some [3:50] Of you because it’s gonna look a little different than some of you think and it’s gonna be way more beautiful than others of you

[3:56] Because if you’re coming here today you’re coming to a church plant a church that hasn’t existed [4:01] For even a year yet, so you’re not really established in this church [4:07] You don’t know what the behind-the-scenes looks like [4:10] All right, and maybe you’re coming into the village with a bad background in churches [4:16] Which if you’ve been in church for any period of time I guarantee you’ve had at least one bad experience with the pastor [4:22] All right, it doesn’t take very long either he was weak willed or he was domineering

[4:27] All right, and both of them are not biblical [4:30] So today what we’re gonna do is we’re gonna take a look at what a biblical pastor or elder [4:35] Looks like in this modern era of the New Testament era [4:40] But the problem is is I go through this list a lot of you are gonna be measuring me up [4:45] All right [4:45] And so what I’m gonna ask you to do today is I’m gonna ask you to reserve

[4:49] That type of mentality until you get home and you talk about me behind my back [4:53] All right, you’re free to do it then [4:56] Just be a little teachable right now and let’s look at what a biblical elder looks like but before we can even do that I [5:05] Think we have to uncover what the purpose of [5:08] Having elders and pastors inside of the church is in the first place in Matthew chapter 16 verse 18 [5:15] Jesus looks at the his disciple Peter and he says I will build

[5:20] my church [5:22] All right [5:23] So right then we have this concept of the church for the first time in the New Testament [5:29] Where Jesus says he is going to call out a people to be his assembly [5:36] All right [5:38] The New Testament word here is the word Ecclesia

[5:40] And what it means is it means assembly or better yet a called-out assembly for the past two weeks [5:47] We’ve been unpacking what the purpose of the church is in the first place [5:51] All right [5:51] And we started two weeks ago and we said the purpose of the church is to be the people who from eternity past [6:00] God has planned the [6:02] plan of redemption through the sacrifice of his son Jesus and has called them out of

[6:07] darkness into the light of his son Jesus Christ and he’s put them together as the church and then last week we took a look and [6:15] We said that the church is the vehicle that God uses as his plan [6:20] To take the gospel to the world to gather them and to build the church according to Ephesians 2 [6:27] Where we saw this beautiful picture and metaphor that the church is on the sure foundation of [6:33] Jesus and the Apostles and then we in this modern era are building the walls of the church so to speak [6:41] Which means that we are going out into culture and taking the message of the gospel

[6:46] Seeing lives change seeing people redeemed and then we’re bringing them so that they can be [6:51] Discipled and they can join with us as God’s covenant people the church [6:57] When we talk about at the village that we have a core value of community [7:00] That’s what we’re talking about and today we’re gonna move on to verses 5 through 9 which lay out [7:09] What does that look like? [7:12] Because there is a biblical way in which it looks

[7:16] sometimes we have them in the

[7:20] Mentality that where two or three are gathered in his name. He’ll be there too [7:24] So we think well if it’s me and a couple of buddies sitting in a room and we’re just talking about the Bible well [7:30] That’s church [7:33] alright [7:34] Unfortunately, that is not what the New Testament shows us as what the church is [7:40] All right. There’s a lot of movement in

[7:44] Certain circles today to leave the church and to say it took me leaving the church to find out who Jesus really was [7:52] All right, and I think by the end of today you’re going to see how warped and how wrong that [7:59] Mentality is because God has not chosen to be known apart from his bride [8:06] All right any more than I think you can really get to know me [8:11] Without also knowing how much I love my wife because we’re joined together as one [8:16] All right

[8:17] So when we have for the past two weeks been talking about how God has created this church [8:24] He’s called us out of darkness through the gospel. We have to first understand that the gospel [8:30] Creates the church [8:33] All right [8:33] We have to understand this mentality that the gospel does not just take me and redeem me on my own [8:40] And then it leaves me to work out my salvation by myself

[8:45] All right when you take the New Testament as a whole and even the scriptures as a whole [8:49] God did not look to Abraham and say Abraham. I’m going to use just you [8:54] No, he said Abraham out of you. I’m going to make a great nation the people of Israel [9:00] Then out of Israel comes his son Jesus Christ and out of Jesus Christ [9:04] We’re gonna see is birthed the church [9:07] and

[9:07] so when we come to know the truth of the gospel and the gospel takes root in our lives and we believe [9:14] In Jesus Christ for the redemption of our sins. We are then in the church [9:21] All right, and we think that sounds really good in a spiritual sense that we’re in the universal body of Christ [9:28] All right, but it goes way further than that [9:30] If you want to you can keep your thumb in Titus chapter 1 [9:34] But I want you to move over to the book of Ephesians chapter 1 for just one second

[9:38] I want to show you what I’m talking about when I say that the gospel creates the church [9:44] In Ephesians chapter 1 I’m gonna start reading in I believe it’s verse 19 [9:49] And what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe according to the working of his great might? [9:58] That he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him his right hand in the heavenly places [10:03] So right there we have what happened in the gospel that [10:08] Through the resurrection of Jesus God has redeemed us and he has worked his way into our lives

[10:16] All right. We were not seeking God. We were running away from him and he [10:21] Sought us through the gospel. He purchased us through the work of Jesus Christ. He redeemed us and [10:29] Then moving on he says far above [10:31] All the rule and authority and power and dominion and above every name that is named not only in this age [10:38] But also in the eight in the one to come right there. He’s unpacking the supremacy of Jesus [10:44] All right, you want to know who the senior pastor of the church is it’s Jesus

[10:47] All right [10:49] Then in verse 22 and he put all things under his feet and gave him as head [10:55] Over all things to what the church? [10:59] And then look at verse 23 which is his body the fullness of him who fills all in all [11:06] All right [11:07] So we see in the book of Ephesians this beautiful picture of Jesus

[11:12] Redeeming people to himself and then Jesus is put by God the Father in a supreme [11:19] authority figure over the church [11:23] All right, and that word church cannot be translated [11:28] Steve [11:29] All right, because our big temptation is to want to put our name there and say well Jesus is the authority over me [11:37] I only answer to him

[11:39] All right. The problem with that is in one aspect. It’s true. You answer to God, but in another aspect [11:48] It’s also not true in the fact that he’s not talking about you by yourself that word is [11:53] Assembly of those who have been called out of darkness [11:57] He’s talking about the church as a whole [12:01] You are not a lone ranger for the gospel [12:07] You’re a person that’s been redeemed to be part of what Paul calls here the body

[12:14] So the gospel not only transforms you as an individual [12:18] But secondly it puts you into the church. All right, and you’re still tracking me. You’re like, oh, that’s true [12:25] I’m in the universal church. All right. Let’s keep going. All right [12:29] I’m gonna unpack why I’m why I’m honing in on the fact that it’s not just about the church [12:34] Universal. All right [12:35] The second thing that you’ve got to understand is when he says part of his plan is that the people of the church are the

[12:41] fullness of him. All right down there in verse 23 [12:45] He says that he’s the fullness of him in other words God has designed the gospel in such a way [12:52] That those who have been redeemed

[12:56] Jesus finds his fullness in us [13:01] All right [13:02] Not that we did anything but he designed it this way to where we are the fullness of him [13:08] That’s why he uses the analogy that he is the head [13:11] What does the head do all right my hand can’t move unless my brain decides to do that [13:16] All right. Jesus is the decision-maker. He’s the head he guides he directs we live his mission

[13:22] All right, but my head is kind of pointless if it has no body attached to it [13:29] All right [13:30] So we are the body of Christ. He finds his fullness in us [13:35] But then notice how it brings it around full circle. It says we’re the fullness of him who fills all [13:41] in all [13:42] All right, so we’re his fullness, but it’s only by his power that we can be that way

[13:50] He designs the church in such a way where he finds ultimate delight in us [13:56] But it’s only when we’re functioning the way that he desires for us to function [14:00] All right if my right hand starts doing some crazy stuff that I didn’t want it to do [14:06] I’m gonna stop finding delight in that right hand [14:09] All right some weird stuff is gonna be going on and I’m gonna go to the doctor really quickly because I’ve lost control of my body [14:16] So the body of Christ all right using that metaphor is

[14:22] The fullness of Christ, but only when it’s filled with Christ all right so the gospel [14:28] Creates the church and then secondly God loves the church [14:33] All right, just scoot over a couple pages do Ephesians chapter 5 [14:38] All right Ephesians if you if you want to know [14:40] About the church and what it we should look like [14:44] Whereas God’s grand scheme and how much he wants to lavish his love on us read through the book of Ephesians all right Ephesians chapter 5

[14:51] God shows us [14:53] What the church really means to him all right look in verse 29 of Ephesians chapter 5 [14:59] For no one ever hated his own flesh [15:02] All right if you have been through marriage counseling in a church situation [15:06] You’ve been to a bunch of weddings you’ve heard Ephesians chapter 5 talked about where marriage is concerned because Ephesians chapter 5 talks about the [15:13] Relationship of a wife to a husband in chapter 6 talks about the relationship of children in that marriage to their parents all right

[15:19] And you notice it says wives submit to your husbands, and then it unfortunately tells me later husbands [15:24] You got to die for your wife all right so so the burden of marriage is in there all right any wedding that I perform [15:32] I talk about Ephesians chapter 5 because it really lays out what a biblical marriage should look like but when he gets to verse 28 [15:39] He starts changing it and saying because he’s talking to the husband here [15:42] He’s like you need to love your wife as much as you love yourself. No one hates his body all right [15:48] You’re not gonna come to my house and ever find me in the backyard hitting myself with a baseball bat

[15:53] All right crazy people do that if you’re here, and you do that you’re crazy you need help all right [16:00] I avoid physical pain at all costs if it means I’ve got to throw one of the guys in the band in front [16:07] Of the car to get away. I’ll probably do that. I don’t want to hurt [16:12] All right, and that’s what Paul’s talking about here. That’s the mentality is talking about no one ever hated his own flesh [16:17] But nourishes it and cherishes it just as Christ does the church [16:24] All right you see the direction that Jesus is taking it here

[16:28] And Paul’s writing that Jesus sees the church as his own body that he takes care of [16:35] All right because we are members of his body [16:37] Therefore and he goes back to marriage here really quick a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife and [16:44] The two shall become one flesh this mystery is profound [16:47] And I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church all right so here [16:53] We have this amazing revelation

[16:55] That God from the beginning of the foundations of the earth designed marriage [17:03] So that it would be a picture for us of how God [17:08] Desires to relate to his church when you get married [17:12] All right in the Christian sense you say things like these two shall become one all right these two are one flesh [17:21] All right, so what basically what it’s saying is is you see if something happens to your spouse you feel like it’s happening to you [17:28] Right, but then he unpacks it and he says the love and sacrifice that a husband has towards his wife is

[17:36] The love and sacrifice that took Jesus to the cross [17:40] Because that’s how much God loves his people that he gives himself for her and the church [17:46] Then is seen as the bride of Christ throughout the New Testament [17:51] You see these metaphors that the church is the body of Christ and it is the bride of Christ if you’re a husband here today [17:58] All right, I want you to remember way back when for me [18:01] It was five years ago all right

[18:03] And I’m standing up on the altar at this church in Santa Fe, New Mexico [18:08] And the back doors of the church open and there is my bride [18:12] All right, and she begins to walk down the aisle towards me all right if you’re a husband in that moment

[18:21] You never loved her more

[18:25] She never looked more beautiful [18:28] It’s this perfect moment where all of the things that have been going on while she was planning the wedding and fussing at you [18:36] For not planning things right they all go away [18:40] All right, and in that moment. She’s this perfect pure [18:46] Picture of your life and in that moment you would do anything for her [18:54] All right the New Testament gives this allegory and metaphor that the church is the bride of Christ

[19:01] Because that’s how God sees his church [19:06] Right even in our tradition all right the bride wears white [19:11] All right for purity that this is the purest of unions about to happen all right [19:18] Even in that you see how God sees his church as Jesus because of all that he has done [19:25] He has imputed his righteousness to us making us this pure white to him [19:32] There’s not a spot not a blemish on his bride

[19:36] All right, I heard Matt Chandler a pastor down in Texas say there’s also a reason. He doesn’t call us the wife of Christ [19:43] Because soon after the honeymoon she becomes your wife [19:48] And there’s a big difference between the bride and the wife the moment for me [19:53] Was that day that I didn’t help her clean our first apartment

[19:58] And she hated me [20:00] And I didn’t understand why [20:03] And I said this isn’t like it was in the church that day [20:07] She’s yelling at me and crying, and I don’t know what to do [20:11] All right, and all husbands have had that and those of you that are in here that are engaged. It’s coming [20:16] All right, I got two couples that are engaged in here today

[20:19] It’s coming and every husband’s like not wanting to shake his head. Yes, because your wife sitting beside you, but inside [20:26] They’re shaking their head. Yeah, it’s coming buddy [20:29] All right, you’re gonna leave your underwear on the floor and it will be as if you declared war on a country [20:35] All right, she’s not gonna like it all right guys do your laundry

[20:41] Bad days all right [20:44] But the scriptures use the metaphor of the bride because God never loses that [20:50] All right, you want to find out how sinful you are guys get married [20:53] Your wife will tell you [20:56] All right [20:57] But in God’s eyes

[21:01] We never go past that bride stage [21:04] We’re the bride of Christ God loves the church. He finds his joy in the church, but here’s the key likewise

[21:14] The wife [21:15] loves the husband [21:18] All right, I just in my mind. I’ve got this picture of my wife coming down the aisle seeing me up there [21:25] Looking pretty GQ had to rent a suit to look GQ, but I did [21:30] All right, she never loved me more [21:32] All right, I just I don’t know that’s what I think ask her

[21:35] Maybe maybe she walked down the aisle and immediately thought I’m making a mistake [21:38] But I just imagine she didn’t do that all right [21:42] We must as his bride look to him as our groom and be enraptured in the satisfying love [21:50] relationship [21:51] God loves the church, but the church must love God [21:54] All right, so as we unpack this do you see how God sees his people?

[22:00] All right, it’s a beautiful relationship [22:02] All right, but then [22:05] There’s a problem [22:07] All right [22:08] the scriptures full of these [22:12] Commands and demands that those of us that have been changed by the gospel. We’ve been put in the church

[22:18] All right [22:19] Paul says and Peter kind of echoes it in a similar fashion that we have to work out our salvation [22:25] That we have to make sure our election [22:28] So in other words as we walk down the path of our life in relationship with God [22:35] We’re gonna be working some things out [22:38] Along that road. That’s why here at the village we use language like we go from being redeemed

[22:45] to the process of redemption [22:48] All right, the reason that sometimes I leave my underwear on the floor is because I’m working my stuff out [22:53] I’m working my problems out. I’m working my sin out [22:57] None of you are gonna go home today and not sin in some way the rest of the day [23:03] All right, if you think that way if that’s the sin of pride [23:07] All right, you know, that’s the sin of lying to yourself

[23:10] All right [23:11] So what we’re doing on this path as a church is is we’re coming together to be the people of God [23:17] To work out our salvation with fear and trembling to grow in our relationship with Jesus Christ [23:24] That’s why Jesus says things like go make disciples. All right, that’s a process [23:31] That’s not something that just happens and you get saved and you know Jesus and you love him and it’s like, okay [23:36] Honeymoon period the rest of my life and then I’ll be before the throne of God

[23:40] No, it is a hard long journey where Jesus says things like [23:45] Wide is the road that leads to hell but narrow and hard is the path that leads to heaven [23:51] He’s saying there’s going to be some struggle. He tells his disciples. He says I’m gonna go suffer [23:57] But guess what once I leave you’re gonna suffer [24:00] all right, and [24:03] If you are under the mentality that as a Christian our life is filled with nothing but health and prosperity

[24:09] And that our faith determines that then you do not know what happened to the disciples at the end of their lives [24:16] All right. I don’t want to say Paul didn’t have enough faith to avoid having his head chopped off [24:23] All right, the disciples at the end of their life were all martyred for the faith except for John [24:29] Who was exiled to an island all by himself?

[24:34] Throughout their lives they had struggles they had turmoil they had [24:38] Arguments the Apostle Paul and the Apostle Peter came together in Galatians chapter 2 and had it out over how they should treat [24:46] Gentiles in the church

[24:49] All right, so when we come together as the people of God guess what we’re coming together as [24:55] People who are learning how to follow God with their all people who are working out their salvation [25:01] People who the gospel is beginning to take root and it’s going to be a long journey [25:06] Until we are fully set apart for the purpose of the gospel and that’s something you have to work out

[25:14] All right, so we love the church universal [25:18] This invisible church where we’re all connected under Jesus and we can just in our in our homes [25:24] We can say I’m part of the church. Let’s sing kumbaya [25:27] All right, but that’s what people you’ve never met before the problem starts happening when we have to come together [25:33] Like this or even more we come together in relationship [25:37] And then we have to work out our salvation side by side and our sin clashes

[25:44] People get offended and you hurt somebody’s feelings or your feelings get hurt or somebody’s not paying attention to you [25:51] Or you’re not paying enough attention to somebody else [25:53] All right, because the bride of Christ guess what she’s got some warts that she’s working off of herself [26:00] All right, St. Augustine if you get offended by this realize I’m not saying it he was in the first century [26:05] All right. This guy was in the first century. He was saying Augustine. It was a church father from a place in northern Africa [26:10] It’s called hippo. All right

[26:12] He said this is great phrase. He said the church is a whore, but she’s also my mother

[26:19] All right [26:20] In other words the church is the bride of Christ, but guess what? She’s also full of sin [26:25] Because guess what she has people in her the church is not an organization or an institution [26:31] It is an organism of people gathered together growing in their faith in Jesus Christ [26:36] And it’s gonna get down and dirty sometimes just like family does

[26:41] Because that’s what the church is it’s a family I have a sister guess what we fight like cats and dogs still and we’re in [26:46] our 30s [26:48] alright [26:49] The church is gonna look a lot like that sometimes [26:51] All right, so what we do is is when these bad things happen [26:55] We want to divorce ourselves away from the church and say I’m a part of the universal church

[27:01] But I’m gonna gather by myself [27:03] And I’m gonna get my family and we’re gonna stay in our house and we’re gonna have church there because when you get churches [27:07] Together it becomes about nothing, but people’s personal vendettas. They’re all greedy. They just want power and it’s sinful there

[27:15] And there’s a problem with that the problem is that you can’t love the church universal big-sea church [27:21] Without loving the local church [27:23] You can’t do it. It’s impossible as soon as you divorce yourself away from the local church [27:30] Which is what’s going on right here? [27:33] And you say I’m gonna work out my salvation by myself without any authority over me without any of those dirty greedy [27:40] Pastors trying to get my money and get my pockets all right the minute that you do that

[27:45] You have divorced yourself away from the church universal [27:48] Because you’re saying you don’t love the church [27:50] All right, here’s what I mean turn over to first Corinthians chapter 12 if you have your scriptures [27:56] Told you gonna be a lot of teaching today

[28:00] First Corinthians chapter 12 we’re gonna start reading in verse 14, but let me set it up for you first all right [28:06] What’s going on right now is he’s gonna start talking about the church as the body and using that metaphor [28:11] But he’s been talking about the church up until now and the spiritual gifts that everybody has these gifts given by God [28:17] And what we’re supposed to do is we’re supposed to come together with those gifts [28:20] And we’re supposed to go reach the world with the gospel together all right then in verse 14 [28:24] He says for the body does not consist of one member, but of many

[28:31] All right, so by yourself you are not the body of Christ [28:37] If the foot should say because I am NOT a hand I do not belong to the body [28:42] That would not make it any less a part of the body [28:44] Because I am NOT an eye I do not belong to the body that would not make it any less a part of the body [28:51] If the whole body were an eye where would be the sense of hearing if the whole body were in ear [28:56] Where would be the sense of smell?

[28:59] But that but as it is God arranged the members in the body each one of them as he chose [29:05] If all were a single member where would the body be? [29:09] And then in verse 20 puts a cap on he says as it is there are many parts yet one body [29:17] All right, he’s talking about the church universal as a whole [29:20] But he’s also writing this to a local church in the city of Corinth [29:26] Because inside of that church they were warring they were splitting off some of them were saying I follow Paul

[29:31] Some of them were saying I follow Apollos and Paul writes him and he says don’t say stuff like that you follow Jesus [29:37] All right [29:40] Basically we’re all going to have different talents [29:45] different abilities [29:47] different sins [29:49] different baggage

[29:51] different problems [29:53] But when we come together we’re the body some of us function the way a mouth functions I talk [30:00] All right [30:02] So I would say I function as a mouth some of you would be very uncomfortable in front of this crowd all right I’m not [30:10] Right that’s my spiritual gift [30:13] All right, but some of you have other spiritual gifts

[30:15] And I pray you do if all we had was a guy that could talk [30:19] How much trouble would we be in because guys that talk say bad things sometimes all right hypothetically speaking sometimes I offend people [30:27] All right remember hypothetically speaking [30:30] All right [30:32] So I need somebody who is an ear who’s better at listening than talking [30:39] Because the listeners can calm the offended down where talkers we just make it even worse

[30:45] All right, we need hands [30:49] All right people that have abilities to work with their hands that I certainly do not have I’ll burn houses down if I try to [30:56] Fix them [30:57] We need feet [30:59] People who have the ability to go [31:02] Who have the ability to bring more people in because they’re just goers, but the whole point here is the analogy

[31:08] That just because the mouth offends the ear the ear can’t then say I’m out of here [31:15] Because the minute the ear says I’m out of here guess what? [31:20] It’s not functioning the way that it’s supposed to function [31:23] Because Paul’s saying unless we come together [31:26] We’re not gonna function as the body of Christ is supposed to function [31:30] Do you see the grand vision that God has for his church?

[31:35] different people with different lifestyles with different things coming together for the purpose of [31:41] Spreading the gospel of Jesus in obedience to Matthew chapter 28 [31:45] All right, you can’t love the church unless you love the church [31:51] All right, so we’ve kind of unpacked what the church is gonna look like according to the New Testament [31:58] All right now

[32:02] The important thing that we have to see here is all the way back in the book of Titus all right [32:08] We’re just getting started so we’ll be here till about three o’clock this afternoon. I hope you guys packed a lunch. I’m just kidding [32:15] So let’s go back to the book of Titus and [32:19] See what Paul and how in the world is Steve gonna connect all this back to the book of Titus [32:24] Well, I’m glad you asked let’s get to that all right Titus chapter 1 [32:29] We’re gonna start reading in verse 5

[32:30] And then I’m gonna stop for a second and then we’re gonna keep going Titus chapter 1 starting in verse 5 [32:36] This is why I left you in Crete [32:39] So that you might put what remained into order and appoint elders in [32:46] every town as I [32:49] Directed you [32:50] Alright, so Paul tells Titus right off the bat

[32:54] He says Titus and he’s just given Titus in verses 1 through 4 the grand narrative of scripture [33:01] That God is redeeming for himself a people who in the book of Revelation chapter 7 will gather around the throne [33:08] Worship him all right so now what he’s telling Titus is he’s saying Titus [33:13] I left you in Crete so that you could take the people that we saw [33:19] Redeemed and put it into an order so that the church will function in an orderly manner

[33:29] Right [33:30] Basically what he’s saying is if you just leave them all out there nothing good is ever gonna happen [33:36] Because they’re just starting to work out their salvation [33:40] So the first thing he wants is he says there needs to be order [33:44] But then notice how he told him to create it he said [33:49] at the end of verse 5 he says appoint elders in every town as I

[33:55] Directed you [33:56] He says the only way order is gonna come about is if you train and equip people to lead the church [34:05] All right, so Paul gives us this vision throughout the New Testament of what the church is [34:13] and then he says the church has to function as a [34:18] Body and this is how you’re going to do it [34:21] This is why I struggle with the mentality that you leave the church in order to find Jesus

[34:29] So you’re saying you’re gonna offend Jesus’s wife bride and then you’re gonna find him without her [34:38] It’s fill you in guys you offend my wife [34:42] You’re gonna find me without her, but you’re gonna find my fist [34:46] All right [34:48] Jesus does not forsake his bride to make you feel better about your [34:56] disobedience and arrogance towards the church

[35:00] Has the church done evil throughout the centuries sure that’s what sinful people have a tendency to do when they’re working their salvation out [35:08] Are there churches that are probably less than? [35:12] Something you should be a part of [35:14] Sure, there are plenty of churches. I wouldn’t go to all right [35:19] But what I’m saying here is is you cannot choose to divorce yourself away from the local church in [35:27] Order to grow in Jesus Jesus has ordered it in such a way that you will grow inside of his church

[35:34] This is why if you don’t like the church that you’re in and think bad things are going on [35:39] All right find somewhere else to plant some roots in [35:43] All right, but don’t go home and say I’m done [35:48] Done too much corruption in the church [35:51] I’m just gonna do my own thing the rest of my life. That’s an unbiblical attitude [35:57] All right

[35:57] And it’s hard to say to this crowd because I think the reason some of you are here is because you’ve had bad [36:03] Experiences in church, and I’m not standing up here right now telling you that there is no such thing as having a bad experience [36:08] In church I’ve been saved for for a lot of years [36:11] I’ve been in ministry as a full-time thing for a little over a decade and trust me [36:17] I’ve had a lot of bad experiences [36:18] I used to work at a church that had a regular deacons meeting just so that they could fuss at me

[36:23] All right, I’ve had some bad experiences [36:26] And I’ve been to some churches that did not have the gospel as the center of their purpose [36:31] And they had impure motives as a center of their purpose, and I’m sure you have too [36:37] All right, and I’m not saying you need to go back and be a part of that all right [36:41] Certainly, I want you to stay here. That would be nice [36:45] But what I’m saying is is if you have a bad experience at one local church you cannot say I’m never going to be

[36:51] A part of the local church again because in order to grow the universal church all right [36:57] physically you have to do it through the local church and [37:01] He’s telling Titus Titus [37:03] You need to help the local churches in your area grow by appointing elders who will protect and [37:11] Defend that church all right [37:14] Like I said earlier there are three different offices in the church you have the office of the elder you have the office of the

[37:20] Deacon and you have the church member [37:22] All right [37:23] Somewhere along the line we started calling deacons elders deacons for some weird reason [37:28] I don’t know why they’re two different words in the Greek the term that Paul is using here is the term Episcopal [37:34] All right, that’s where we get the term pastor. That’s where we get the term elder [37:39] They’re interchangeable that the exact same thing

[37:42] All right, it’s where we get the term overseer. It’s where we get the term [37:46] Superintendent the idea here is that there must be people put in place who will oversee how the church [37:54] functions all right the main responsibility of an elder is to set the direction of the church [38:03] So that it will go towards the mission of Jesus and so that people will be [38:09] Discipled by the gospel [38:12] All right the main purpose of the elder is not to line his pockets

[38:17] All right, if you have that mentality you’re already disqualified [38:23] So let’s keep going

[38:28] If [38:28] Anyone is above reproach the husband of one wife and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery [38:35] or in subordination for an overseer same word as [38:41] God’s steward must be above reproach [38:43] He must not be arrogant or quick tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain [38:50] But hospitable a lover of good self-controlled

[38:53] Upright holy and disciplined he must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught so that he may be able to give [39:00] instruction and sound doctrine and also rebuke those who contradict it [39:05] All right, so he gives qualifications for what an elder is supposed to be [39:10] before [39:12] He goes to the position of elder being an elder is not a place where you work out what you believe and how you think [39:19] about the church

[39:20] All right being an elder being a pastor is a place where you’re supposed to be [39:26] Having worked that out have a set path where you believe this is what the scripture says [39:31] This is where we’re going and I’m gonna take the church over there [39:34] All right the reason that we have negative qualifications things you can’t be and then you have positive qualifications things [39:41] You’re supposed to be is because the church when you’re an elder you have two different [39:47] Functions whereas some of its gonna be negative and some of its gonna be positive the negative aspect is that an elder?

[39:53] protects the church and the positive is that the elder purifies [39:59] The church so the position of an elder is for the protection and the purification of the church as a whole [40:08] All right, and in order for that to be true these things must be true of you for the most part [40:15] All right, because let me fill you in there is no person in this room or on this stage right now [40:22] Who 100% of the time this is what he looks like [40:25] All right, if that were the case

[40:29] We wouldn’t need the gospel [40:31] All right [40:35] Our danger in reading this list is that we’re gonna look at this and we’re gonna say [40:40] Well if you want to be an elder you’ve got to work harder you’ve got to earn it [40:44] You got to tough it out you got to earn the grace of God you got to earn your keep in the church

[40:51] That’s not the gospel [40:55] The mentality must be this is what the gospel is producing in your life [41:01] All right the first thing we got to see is how does an elder set a direction by his qualifications? [41:07] All right, let’s just start looking at him a little bit all right [41:10] back in verse

[41:14] Back in verse 6 if anyone is above reproach [41:18] What does above reproach mean all right it means typically on a Friday night? You shouldn’t find me having drunken brawls [41:27] all right I [41:30] Should be above reproach, and I’m gonna use the eye because I’m an elder here

[41:34] All right [41:36] Being above reproach means that you’re not typically accused of just latent immorality [41:43] All right, nobody’s coming in saying I got videotape of that guy doing some pretty crazy crimes downtown all right

[41:52] The above reproach I should be seen and an elder should be seen as someone who is [41:59] Striving and I say striving because I’m not perfect and no one’s gonna be perfect [42:04] Perfection is not the key the gospel is the key I should be striving to live like Jesus I [42:11] Should be working my salvation out with fear and trembling [42:15] All right [42:17] Let’s keep going the husband of one wife

[42:22] All right [42:24] first thing about that [42:27] An elder has to be a man all right

[42:31] Now dear cannot be a woman all right we are [42:34] Complementarians here all right which means all right women are not below men [42:40] All right if you go to a church, and they treat women like second-class citizens [42:45] Like they’re supposed to be the servant of the man all right. It’s probably not a church. I’d be a part of [42:50] All right because the scripture does not set it out that way [42:54] Yeah, if he’s in chapter 5 when it’s talking about the relationship between wife and husband it does say wives

[43:00] Submit, but then it says husbands die

[43:06] All right

[43:10] The whole mentality that Ephesians 5 puts a cross for husbands [43:13] Is that we’re supposed to serve our wives and what did Jesus do when he said an example of what service looks like? [43:19] He got down on his hands and knees and clean poop off his disciples feet [43:23] All right, so if you’re sitting at home [43:25] And you think your wife needs to be your doormat you are not living a biblical gospel centered marriage [43:32] All right, and it’s the same thing in the church

[43:36] It’s not that women do not possess great abilities [43:40] It’s that God has determined that the picture of [43:45] Jesus is the picture of a husband and the elders serve as a picture of the husband to the church and [43:52] Wives can’t be husband [43:53] All right that doesn’t necessarily mean that wives are relegated to the nursery [43:58] All right, mostly we have women in the nursery all right. That’s just something because you don’t want me back there

[44:03] All right, you’re gonna go back there [44:06] And your kid has shaved half of his head and you’re gonna be like you can be like where did he get clippers in there? [44:11] I don’t even know I couldn’t just have his hair was gone [44:15] All right [44:16] For some reason my wife has a much better ability where children are concerned and if most men in here are honest [44:23] That’s typically true. Are there exceptions that rule sure

[44:27] But men and women have different gifts and God has determined the office of an elder to be for men [44:34] Men and women complement each other all right women can serve as deacons [44:39] All right some of you just thought I’ve got to leave here. They’re gonna have women in charge no [44:44] But Paul in Romans 16 he addresses a woman and he calls her Diakonos [44:50] deacon

[44:53] All right [44:55] I’m trying to be biblical with you here [44:58] All right, but the office of the elder you must be the husband of one wife [45:01] But here’s also what that doesn’t mean we’re gonna we’re gonna ramp through this really quick [45:04] Here’s also what that doesn’t mean it doesn’t mean that a single man can’t be an elder [45:10] Does it complicate things for a single man to be an elder push?

[45:13] I was a youth pastor and not married and trying to date and be a good example to the kids in my youth group [45:18] I got complicated sometimes

[45:22] All right [45:24] But you gotta understand in Jewish mysticism at this point they were having a struggle with polygamy and [45:31] Paul says if you want to be an elder you got to be a one woman kind of guy [45:35] All right, and I don’t go as far as to say one woman at a time all right if you’re going through women like you’re [45:41] Going through tic-tacs. I don’t think the elder board is a place for you [45:45] You’ve got some issues you got to work out where your view of women is concerned all right

[45:49] But you’re gonna run into a real complication when the guy who wrote these qualifications was an elder and he didn’t have a wife

[45:59] Paul wasn’t married so right there you’re gonna run into some complications saying single men can’t be elders [46:06] All right [46:08] It also doesn’t mean you and here’s where I do rub some feathers the wrong way

[46:14] Divorce does not disqualify you from being an elder [46:17] All right does it complicate it push up [46:20] All right a lot of reconciliation has to take place and that relationship [46:26] But here’s the problem. I have all right you have a man who comes to faith in Jesus Christ [46:32] Who had a turbulent marriage and his sinful past all right, and he got divorced in his past all right [46:40] And you look at him

[46:41] And you say the gospel doesn’t go far enough to completely forgive you of your divorce and the problems you had with that woman

[46:53] All right [46:53] That seems a little work workspace to me

[46:57] All right, but like I said does it complicate things yeah

[47:03] Yeah, a lot of meetings have to take place a lot of counseling would have to take place [47:08] And a lot of reconciliation [47:10] Where pain between two people is concerned would have to take place [47:15] All right [47:17] Let’s keep going [47:20] And his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination

[47:25] All right that means [47:26] That if I’m not a good father at home. How in the world could I lead God’s family?

[47:37] Being an elder starts at home [47:40] That’s why divorce complicated [47:42] Doesn’t disqualify, but it complicates [47:45] Let’s keep going [47:46] My child’s seven months old so he’s gonna get a little crazy sometimes, and I’m sorry all right he cries for unknown reasons sometimes [47:55] It’s debauchery

[47:56] All right. He’s very he’s very insubordinate all right seven months old. He can’t even speak English yet [48:04] Be weird if you started speaking Chinese for no reason whatsoever [48:06] Draw my son [48:08] For seven I say things that sometimes it don’t make sense for an overseer same word as God’s steward must be above reproach [48:16] He reiterates that in other words. That’s a really important one all right [48:20] He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain

[48:27] Right I feel like these are not that hard to explain all right [48:34] If you’re an arrogant person [48:37] All right you have no compassion no empathy for other people all right [48:42] Why in the world would you want to be a pastor?

[48:47] All right [48:49] Doesn’t even make sense [48:51] If you have a picture of what the bride of Christ the body of Christ is how God sees his body [48:58] Where God sees his body wanting to go? [49:02] How can you bring arrogance into that and basically when you’re arrogant you’re saying it’s all about me, and you don’t measure up

[49:11] Then you don’t love the church

[49:15] And I know some of you maybe have a past in a church like that I [49:21] Can’t apologize for what he did, but I strive to not be like that [49:25] And every other person that’s either an elder or trying to be an elder here [49:30] strives to be compassionate [49:33] Strives to be loving strives to be patient

[49:42] Not greedy for gain I feel like quick-tempered drunkard and [49:48] Violent feel like you can kind of get what that means all right [49:52] Need to explain what if you guys come to church one morning [49:55] And I’m in here, and I’m throwing the pipe and drape, and I’m just like cussing everybody out all right [50:01] You might want to do some [50:04] Some background checks to see if I should be an elder all right. That’s what that means all right

[50:11] Hospitable

[50:13] All right here’s here. Here’s where we go wrong with that [50:17] Paul’s mentality of that had more to be with how he treated people outside of the church than how he treated people inside of the church

[50:24] All right now you got love people inside your church, but hospitable what that means is he’s setting an example for his church [50:31] How to treat unbelievers

[50:35] In other words if you see me at Starbucks, and you walk in and I’m not paying attention and somebody rubs like our arms hit [50:41] And I’m like ah sin

[50:45] All right, I’m not hospitable

[50:48] all right a [50:50] lover of good self-controlled [50:52] upright holy and disciplined [50:56] in other words an [50:59] Elder must be working the gospel [51:02] Into and out of his life in a manner that the people of the church could look and say I want to strive

[51:09] To have that type of discipline in my life

[51:17] He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as [51:21] Taught so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also rebuke those who contradict it [51:28] All right, and we’re gonna spend a great deal of time on that right there next week honestly [51:33] We’re gonna talk about preaching we’re gonna talk about knowledge [51:36] We’re gonna talk about theology, and why it’s all important, but the thing I want you to notice here while we close

[51:44] Is he starts the list showing what the gospel must be doing in that person’s life and [51:50] Then he goes to how much that person must know [51:54] All right, I’ve met a lot of people that know a lot about the scriptures [52:01] But I’ve also met a lot of people who were pretty arrogant about it [52:05] I’ve met a lot of people who didn’t care about anybody [52:09] I’m a lot of people who know the word and I’m telling you man

[52:12] They could tell you every Bible verse that you’ve ever heard before in your life

[52:17] But it did not reflect in their lives

[52:22] Being an elder of church

[52:25] The second [52:27] About being able to tell people what they should believe how they should believe what the scripture says [52:35] But it’s first [52:37] About are you working it into your life and is it changing the way that you live?

[52:48] The office of the elder is about nurturing God’s bride

[52:56] When Jesus left he said go make disciples and [53:03] Then he set systems in place [53:06] So that we could actually see that as a reality in our lifetime [53:12] All right, some of you have not seen the bride look much like the bride [53:17] All right, but here’s the key [53:20] Don’t give up on her

[53:24] I’ll give up on her [53:27] To be an elder you have to look at the church and all of her splendor [53:32] and all of her beauty and [53:35] all of her redemption and all of her transformation and [53:40] You have to celebrate what the gospel is doing in people’s lives [53:45] But you also have to see all of her warts

[53:48] all of her baggage [53:50] all of her sin all [53:52] Of the pain her people are going through all of the hard times all of the struggles

[54:00] And you have to look at her and keep loving her and keep nurturing her [54:06] Because it’s only in the church that people are gonna have victories [54:11] over that stuff [54:14] And if you leave the local church and say I want nothing to do with it

[54:20] And how are you obeying the command to make disciples [54:25] How are you obeying God’s covenant of community [54:28] Where he says come together [54:31] Under the banner of the gospel and reach the world

[54:37] Let’s pray father we come before you right now

[54:43] Lord your people [54:47] Need your word [54:51] Lord your people need your guidance and we still need the gospel

[54:59] Or do you have ordained that your church function as your body and that we look like your bride God [55:06] And you have set us an example through the Apostles of how that is to happen [55:12] God help us to be your church [55:16] God may we go from being a people who attend church to people who are the church we find our identity [55:24] in the body of [55:26] Jesus Christ

[55:30] Right now we’re gonna transition into a period where [55:33] We reflect on that sacrifice of Jesus where we respond [55:39] To Jesus quite often we have this mentality that we’re called [55:42] Into eldership in some mystical moment, but when you look at that list this list of qualifications [55:49] Shows what all of us should be striving for as God is working the gospel into and out of our lives [55:56] and as we come forward and we reflect in communion as

[56:00] believers in Jesus Christ [56:03] May we proclaim to one another [56:05] That we desire for the gospel to work in our lives