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"Mouths That Must Be Stopped" • 9.18.16 • Calvary
Christian Fellowship, Sunday Morning Service
Intro.
- Titus has been given the task of setting
things in order for a group of believers on the Greek island of Crete. The
first major part of this has to do with the appointment of elders.
- We looked at their qualifications and
characteristics last week. You can skim over your own page of scripture and see
that he is blameless, even tempered and the like.
- As you come to verse 9, you see the final,
non-negotiable item on the list, which refers to a staunch commitment to God's
Word as the final authority in encouraging or challenging ideas.
- Today we will understand why men like this
were needed then and why the same need presses upon us today. Let's begin in
verse 10.
Text
•
Titus 1:10,11 : "For there are many insubordinate,
both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, whose mouths must be stopped, who
subvert whole households, teaching things which they ought not, for the sake of
dishonest gain." : God's assessment was that there
were many who were insubordinate on the land of Crete. This was not all and maybe
not the majority, but enough to warrant attention.
-
Paul used this word in verse 6, referring
to children who would not arrange themselves under the proper order of their
parents, who could be termed "uncontrollable."
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When the military used this word it describes a person who would not come to
order under a commanding officer. These men then will not submit to the godly
leadership of the church.
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How did this rebellion manifest itself? These men cast aside what they had been
taught and exchanged it for idle talk and deception.
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The church is based upon certain declarations which find their focus in the person
and work of Jesus Christ. The biblical goal of the church is to declare Him and
expose His desire for His saints.
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These men would rather utter senseless, empty things. Their words sound as if
they should be impactful, but upon arrival, fall short. Their words have no
lasting, redeeming force behind them.
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Today, these are the ones who use "God" language or
"spiritualese." The words are similar, but there is no objective
truth or source of authority behind what they say beyond their opinion.
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Generally, such a person will pick a maxim or a scripture which fits their
thinking. If it's a scripture, it's divorced from it's context and strengthened
with an inspirational and subjective story.
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This is, as the NIV terms it, "meaningless talk." That is the first
tactic of the many on the Island of Crete. The second is straightforward
deception.
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There are also many seducers of the mind or quite literally,
"mind-misleaders."
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They are not interested in exposing people to the truth, but introducing adherents
to their own brand of "truth." What is the distinction between the
two groups.
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The first group contains vacuous "God Talk" and might hold to
beliefs in energies and spirits. It is religious in nature, but not necessarily
Christian in it's base or only minimally so.
-
This second group however employs the same words and stories that the Christian
community uses.
-
They hold to the same general background of the Bible and even use the Bible,
but then they come up with wildly different conclusions as to the meaning of
the texts in question.
-
One of their favorite phrases might be "That's not what that means! There
is obviously something deeper than 2,000 years of orthodox scholarship has
missed!"
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If the first group contains elements of the most liberal brands of Christianity
and encompasses new age thought gurus, the second group contains Mormons and
Jehovah Witnesses.
-
The first group might give a little credence to the Bible, but experience and
subjectivity are it's core value.
-
The second group claims Biblical fidelity, but often must additional material
to justify it's actions. The Mormons have Doctrines and Covenants. JW's have
the Watchtower, for example.
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These are examples from our day, but in Paul's day the example was even more
insidious, dealing with the group that he called "The Circumcision."
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This term applies to anyone that teaches that a Christian must enter into a
legal relationship with God through the Mosaic law.
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It began with the rite of circumcision given to the people of Israel which was
the entry point into that life. For a Christian, this is the polar opposite to
the truth of grace from and faith in Christ!
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Of all the significant statements that Christ made from the Cross, my favorite
is "It is finished!" The law is fulfilled and man's relationship to
God is restored through Him alone!
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Anyone who attempts to mislead a believer into believing that there is
something missing in their relationship to God is deceiving them.
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This is why Paul is emphatic: Their mouths must be stopped! Literally, put
something over their mouths. Stop them up! Keep them from emitting their sound!
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They are not to be tolerated in the church or given a platform to air out their
doctrinal differences. Titus is told to keep a lid upon their mouths
permanently.
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He is not to do this physically, though he may eventually have to remove them
from the fellowship. Rather, he is to choose men who will speak truth and thus
silence them with reason.
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Why is that so important? Because they subvert or overturn whole households!
People within the church have listened to them and have been spiritually
wrecked in the process!
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Idle, empty words and deception are not harmless teachings that bear little
affect upon households. It takes otherwise healthy households and brings them
to ruin!
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These households are destroyed because they are teaching what they should not
be teaching, and that, solely for
the purpose of dishonest gain.
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If you take time to watch any cult group, you will find that this is exactly
the truth. People are encouraged to distance themselves from their families and
are left penniless for their spirituality.
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These men were not doing what they are doing for the sake of the truth or the
nobility of setting other people free. They simply see an opportunity to be
paid and paid very well!
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It is both dishonest to peddle their brand of truth and dishonest to receive
for it. Not many things have changed, but I remind you that this was the first
century!
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There were still men who carried apostolic authority and witnesses who were
alive during Christ's time.
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These false teachers grew up in the same period, with the same evidence before
them. They might have been indistinguishable due to the limited exposure, but
are today, an obvious group.
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There are countless televangelists peddling a consumeristic version of
Christianity for the sake of their own monetary gain, which any observer will
see when they watch their programming.
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This is a scourge and a blight upon the Christian faith that has been evident
from Paul's time and had a particular audience among the people that Titus was
ministering to. Verse 12.
•
Titus 1:12,13 : "One of them, a prophet of their
own, said, 'Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.' This testimony is true. Therefore
rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, not giving heed to Jewish fables
and commandments of men who turn from the truth." : Paul is not affirming this person as a biblical prophet. This
is a person that they, the people of Crete affirm to be a prophet.
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Most believe that Paul is quoting Epimenides, who was himself a Cretan. This
line appears in his work entitled "Cretica." The Apostle focuses in
on this statement within the poem.
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Epimenides called the Cretans perennial liars, evil, savage and wild beasts and
lazy gluttons! This doesn't mean that every Cretan deserved this description.
This was a generalization.
-
They were given to lying and tended to cater to their own desires as a wild animal
would. "Lazy gluttons" can literally be translated "slow
bellied."
-
In general, Paul affirms this to be true which means that the false teachers
had a plethora of built in adherents and Titus was up against a very difficult
task.
-
The people of Crete were susceptible to the teachings of the circumcision.
Those that were teaching this could find a great harvest if they were not
stopped.
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This is why Paul commands Titus to be in the habit of rebuking them sharply.
Paul has already commanded Titus to "stop their mouths."
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The person that God appoints to spiritual leadership in the church must not
take a passive role when it comes to falsehood. He must put a stop to it and
rebuke it sharply.
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Let me say that Titus is not given the charge of doing this universally. He is
to do this within the sphere of influence that he has.
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I am not inclined to take a trip to Texas and stand outside of the largest
church in America in protest to it's Pastor's lack of Biblical fidelity. I'll
stay here and utter, "as for me and my house!"
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While this applies directly to the church, I feel that there is certainly an
application that could extend to our homes. How direct are you with that which
is false in your home?
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Extending beyond that application, may I even go a bit further and ask what
sort of guard you have over your own heart and ears? How vigilant are you in
weighing spiritual thought by the Word?
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Titus was not to be a man that would mince words. He was to rebuke them straightaway,
to be curt or blunt with them.
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"Don't skirt around the issue. Don't prolong any conversations that move
in that direction. Cut it off quickly." What might this look like practically?
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First, there is a conversation wherein the error is addressed Biblicly. Here
is where the Bible contradicts your theory, statement or belief.
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If that person submits to scripture, then all is forgiven and that person is
restored.
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If the person persists in believing and insisting that others believe their now
obvious error, they are to be silenced and not allowed to have time to address
the healthy believers.
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Are we simply intolerant, unwilling to hear seemingly reasonable, but
alternative beliefs? No. Are we just mean and hateful? Not at all. What we
might do is indeed the most loving thing possible.
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Notice why Titus is to act this way. That they may be sound, healthy and strong
in the faith!
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Understand what is at stake. The church is the pillar and ground of the truth.
(I Timothy 3:15) It is the place
where one expects to hear sound, or hygenic, clean words for the soul.
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Titus was to be curt with these men because their words worked against this
goal. What especially worked against the healthy doctrine of the church?
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Those who had paid special attention to Jewish fables and commandments of men.
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These are myths that were propogated by men who sold the notion of the
observance of Jewish law for salvation.
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Because that is not in line with scripture, anything that they command is
necessarily of their own minds. Their command toward those that would listen is
necessarily "of men."
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And, it necessarily follows that men's commandments fail to lead men to the
truth given by God! In fact, in order to follow men's commandments, you have to
turn away from the truth!
-
Turn to Mark 7. The Pharisees
attempted to correct Jesus (a statement that belies the ridiculous nature of
legalism) about His failure to follow their prescripted way of washing His
hands.
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Jesus took the opportunity to teach about what Paul has just commented about.
•
Mark 7:9-13 : "He said to them, 'All too well you reject the commandment of
God, that you may keep your tradition. For Moses
said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him
be put to death.’ But
you say, ‘If a man says to his father or mother, 'Whatever profit you might
have received from me is Corban'—’ (that is, a gift to God), then you no longer let him do anything for his father or his
mother, making the word of God of no effect through
your tradition which you have handed down. And many such things you do.'" : These are the same people that Jesus condemns for traveling
over land and sea to make a proselyte only to make him twice the son of hell! (Matthew 23:15)
-
That is the testimony of all the religious cults of the world: They have gained
a convert to their beliefs, but have left a soul in double danger by being
deceived and then deceiving others!
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A person who follows the man made structure of legalism feels as though they
are moving toward the truth of God, but are in reality turning back again from
it!
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It is no height of spirituality to follow Jewish myths or teachers who forego
the scriptures for their own gain. It is in fact, rank apostasy. Paul
illustrates this for us in verse 15.
•
Titus 1:15,16 : "To the pure all things are pure,
but to those who are defiled and unbelieving nothing is pure; but even their
mind and conscience are defiled. They profess to know God, but in works they deny Him, being
abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work." : Verse 15 is one of
the most often misquoted and misapplied verses in scripture.
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Generally, a person who wants to justify sinful behavior turns to this verse
and claims their authority. "I can live with my significant other because
our relationship is pure."
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Nothing sinful can ever be considered pure, unless it is considered purely
wicked!
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This verse speaks to the concept of ceremonial purity. To those that are clean
according to God, everything has been purified.
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There isn't any food that can be eaten that will make a person more or less
acceptable to God. This was a cornerstone belief in the early church.
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Peter's vision in Acts 10 teaches
this plainly. Peter, waiting for lunch, sees a blanket with a variety of ceremonially
unclean foods. God commands him to "Rise, kill and eat."
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Peter says, "Not so" and the Lord commands him three times saying,
"What God has cleansed you must not call common." What does that
mean? Peter later explains.
•
Acts 10:34,35 : "Then Peter opened his mouth and
said: 'In truth I perceive that God shows no partiality. But in every nation whoever fears
Him and works righteousness is accepted by Him." : I'd encourage you to review the teaching that we did in I Timothy 4. Paul tells us there that
every food is good and sanctified as we give thanks for it!
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Therefore, a person who is pure doesn't need to worry about what comes into his
mouth, in terms of his relationship to God. It's not what goes into a man that
makes him unpure says the Lord!
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But there are those seeking to be pure by external actions who cannot be pure,
even if they follow every word of the law! Why? Because they are defiled and
unbelieving!
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They are soiled and contaminated in their souls, to the very core of their being
as are all who refuse to believe in Christ! They believe by their external
action to motivate the heart of God.
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In essence, they are saying to God, "You owe me for my act of
righteousness!" That is pure defilement and utter paganism. God does not owe
you anything for any action you perform.
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A person who bases their life upon such beliefs is necessarily an unbeliever.
They have not placed their trust upon Christ, but upon their own ability to
appease God through ritual.
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These false teachers would object and claim to know God. They talk the talk but
in their actions, they contradict what it means to know Him!
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Notice this carefully: The claim to know God is only validated by a life that
conforms to Him!
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You cannot speak the same words as a believer and hope to be saved if your
actions contradict who He is!
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The teachers from the group of the circumcision sought to connect themselves to
the community of believers, pretending to believe the same things that they
did.
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They only emphasized a few different things. Their teachings might have had the
appearance of orthodoxy, but when their lives were examined, they were found to
be abominable.
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The concept behind the word "abominable" is unbelievable. The word
refers to a person who suddenly smells very bad. Metaphorically, they are
polluted by idolatry.
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I think that this might have a reference to the Levitical sacrifice. When it
was offered before the Lord, a pleasing aroma was experienced by the Lord. That
isn't the case with these people!
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They have perverted the truth of God and are guilty of a life that is
contradictory to scripture. That isn't anything but the smell of rotting trash
in the nostrils of God!
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Paul continues adding that they are disobedient. This is translated this way
throughout all of the major translations. We get our English word
"apathetic" from this Greek word.
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A person who is apathetic will not be persuaded to change from their position.
They refuse to believe that they do not hold to the truth and will not hear
anything to the contrary.
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When it comes to good works, these people according to God, are reprobate. They
cannot withstand the test of godly authenticity. They will fold under scrutiny.
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Jesus told His disciples that you will know false teachers by their fruits. (Matthew 7:15-20) Eventually, a false
basis of belief will issue in an uncertified life.
Conclusion
- What is the
prescription of God for the prevalence of error? Godly people willing to cling
onto the truth that has been taught to them!
- May He give
us the grace to be such people in our time! Let's pray!
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