Commitment #4: Protect God’s Flock

Transcript

JR 8
6/19/2022
Commitment #4, Protect God’s Flock
Titus 1:9
Jesse Randolph


“Salvation is not a one-time event but an ongoing relationship. Because it is an ongoing relationship, God takes the risk that we will decisively and ultimately break off the relationship.” John Sanders

“One may be ‘outside’ the church, but one can never be ‘outside’ of God’s love.” Clark Pinnock

“The New Testament Gospels are not a reliable historical guide to the life, work, and teachings of Jesus. In particular, they provide no convincing evidence for the bodily resurrection of Jesus.” Bart Ehrman

“there are people in other religions who are being led by God’s secret influence to concentrate on those parts of their religion which are in agreement with Christianity, and who thus belong to Christ without knowing it.” C.S. Lewis

What I’ve just read off for you are four of what could have been thousands of quotes of men and women promoting woefully-wrong, painfully-bad theological ideas in books, conferences, blog articles, podcasts, and all over the internet. Quotes like these barely scratch the surface of what passes for so-called “Christian theology” in our day. Theology that is confusing minds. Theology that is deceiving hearts. Theology that is destroying churches. Theology that is taking otherwise well-meaning believers wayward. And Theology that in some cases is condemning or damning souls. Sadly, according to a “State of Theology” survey that was taken a couple of years ago by Ligonier Ministries and LifeWay, those quotes are really par for the course for what passes as “orthodox” theological belief in our day. See, according to that survey, there are startling numbers of professing followers of Jesus Christ who reject the concept of absolute truth. Who reject the fact that people are sinful. Who believe that people are basically good. According to those same survey results, there are many believers, or people who claim that they are believers, that believe that salvation can be earned by good works. That same group believes that Jesus may have sinned. There are even more that believe that Jesus may have been the first being created by God. And yet, there are still more who believe that God accepts the worship of all religions, including Christianity, Islam and Judaism.

These are major problems. As each of these aberrant beliefs held by these so-called followers of Christ, as represented in these surveys that people are taking of their belief systems, they in various ways are colliding with various key components of the core gospel message itself. And that is a very big deal. Because if there is someone out there in evangelicalism that holds to one of those views that I’ve just rattled off, well, they’ve got the gospel wrong. And if someone has the gospel wrong, they don’t know Christ. And they don’t know God. And they don’t have eternal life. And what they face is a day on which they will stand before the Lord Jesus Christ—the one who by virtue of their fish sticker on their car, or the cross they have on their arm, or the Bible they carry in their lap—thinking they are ok. They think that their ticket has been punched to heaven. But the reality is, they will hear those bone-chilling words from Jesus in Matthew 7:23 – “Depart from Me, I never knew you.”

All this to say, we have major doctrinal problems in the churches of our day. We live in times in which churches, meaning, the people of God, have loosened their once-firm grip on theological truth and on sound doctrine. We live in the days of “mere” Christianity and easy believism. We live in days in which the average churchgoer’s creed goes something like this: Attend church. Be a good person. Keep my nose clean. Give a decent offering. Pay my taxes. Send my kids to AWANA or VBS. Otherwise, live free and easy and wait for heaven. Theology? No thanks. That’s for pastors and seminary professors and seminary students. Doctrine? Irrelevant, obscure, antiquated. It’s truly a sad state of affairs in Anychurch, USA, in the mushy middle of evangelicalism.

Now, thankfully, I’m standing in front of a church that has been well-instructed in the Scriptures over many many years. A church that is doctrinally attuned. A church that is theologically aware. A church that does know its stuff. A church that does know which meaty morsels to chew on and which bones to spit out. Now, and that’s great. Because in one sense, it makes my job a whole lot easier as I simply look to build on the rich heritage of faithful preaching that has happened behind this pulpit, and the nourishment and sound words that you’ve all received over many many decades.

But here’s the thing, truth is singular and static, and principles of sound doctrine are fixed and timeless. But the times in which we live are nothing but static. They are not static at all. We live in a time in which the Southern Baptist Convention, a few days ago, was unable to answer the question: “What is a pastor?” We live in a time in which a Supreme Court Justice nominee, not too long ago, could not answer the question: “What is a woman?” We live in a time in which, sadly, the average American churchgoer cannot answer the question: “What is the gospel?” The point being: there is no more important time than now to double down on our church’s conviction and commitment to robust theology and its commitment to sound doctrine, all of which must be and will be anchored in the perfect and timeless word of God.

So tonight, we’re going to look at a fourth commitment I’m making to you as you new Senior Pastor, which is this: A commitment not only to preach God’s word, that was last Sunday morning, a commitment not only to pastor God’s people, that was last Sunday evening, not only a commitment to proclaim God’s gospel, that was this morning, but a commitment to be a pastor who protects God’s flock. That’s our fourth commitment or conviction that we’re going to go through tonight. A pastor who is committed to keeping our church within the guardrails of biblical orthodoxy. To be a pastor who is committed to laboring in the study, who is committed to being steeped in theology, both to remind you of your own theological moorings, but also to warn you against dangerous teachings and movements and heresies that might seek to pull you away, the way that 2 Corinthians 11:3 puts it – from “a sincere and pure devotion to Christ.”

Turn with me, if you would, in your Bibles to Titus 1. We were in 2 Timothy this morning, just one page over in my bible, is Titus 1. As we turn there, let’s go back in time to a land far, far away. We’re going to go across the globe, back in time about 2,000 years ago, to a sun-splashed island known as Crete. It’s not the home of Doane College, 25 miles southwest of here. I’m still getting my bearings. No, this is the island sitting right in the heart of the Mediterranean. Crete is just north of Africa and just southeast of Greece. At this time in history, Crete was a significant trading port. In fact, in his famous poem “The Iliad”, the ancient Greek poet Homer referred to this island as “Crete of the hundred cities,” which was a reference to its bustling seacoast even in those days. Crete was—and to this day is—a naturally beautiful location. It’s surrounded by crystal-blue waters. It’s marked by mountainous terrain. It has valleys, natural land bridges, and gorges. But as externally beautiful as this island was during the time of Christ and the Apostles, morally, it was rotten. See, because of its strategic location there in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea, Crete had been deeply exposed to secular Greek culture and then later to secular Roman culture. While the Greeks and the Romans during this time were known for turning out beautiful art and literature and architecture and poetry, morally speaking, these civilizations were absolutely putrid. They were steeped in idolatry, greed, over-indulgence, lust and lasciviousness, homosexuality, and various other forms of sexual immorality.

Well, in the decades following Christ’s ascension into heaven, Crete was also the home to a cluster of early Christian churches. And one of the Apostle Paul’s pastoral proteges, Titus, had been sent to Crete to minister on this island. Now, Titus had accompanied Paul to the Jerusalem Council. We see that referenced in Galatians 2:1-3. Titus had also previously ministered with Paul in Corinth. In fact, there are nine references to Titus in the book of 2 Corinthians alone. So, while Titus would have been younger in years and younger in the faith, he was not at all an inexperienced pastor. And that was a good thing because there were major problems surfacing in the churches here in Crete.

I’m finally at Titus 1, our given text for the night, and let’s just look at the various problems and problem people that were plaguing these early churches in Crete. Look at Titus 1:10, it says, “For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision.” Or then look at Titus 1:12, “One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said ‘Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons’.” Verse 14 refers to “Jewish myths and commandments of men who turn away from the truth.” And then verse 16 says they “profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed.”

And who was it that Paul was charging with bringing these Cretan churches back into line? Titus, or specifically, Pastor Titus. You know, earlier in Titus 1, Paul lays out the qualification of the pastor-elder. Look at verses 7-8. “For the overseer must be above reproach as God’s steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain, but hospitable, loving what is good, sensible, just, devout, self-controlled…” And then look at what Paul says to Titus in verse 9. “Holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.” Paul is saying here to Titus that there are problems there, in your churches in Crete. You need to fix them. You need to get these churches back in line. You need to instruct them in sound doctrine and bring them into conformity with what God has revealed in His word. And then, Paul says, you need to refute those who contradict the sound doctrine that you are responsible, Titus, for instructing these churches in.

This text, this verse Titus 1:9, is where we’ll be camped out this evening. And Lord-willing, the sermon will break neatly into two parts according to the two-part nature of the admonition that Paul gives Titus here in verse 9. We’re first going to unpack the central charge that Paul gives to pastors like Titus “to exhort in sound doctrine.” And then we’re going to look at the responsibility of the pastor to “refute those” it says, “who contradict.” As we’re going to see, there’s a sense in which the pastor is called to play offense and there’s a sense in which he’s called to play defense. There’s a sense in which he’s called to be a workman, like 2 Timothy 2:15 says – “Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.” But there is also a sense in which he’s to be a watchman, like the shepherds of old, in Ezekiel 34. We see both laid out in our passage for this evening.

If I’m doing my job faithfully here, as the new Teaching Pastor at Indian Hills, I will be speaking with two voices from this pulpit. One to gather the sheep, and one to drive out the wolves for many years to come. Let’s go back to our text, and specifically the command that Paul gives Titus here in verse 9 to “exhort in sound doctrine.” Let’s read the text again. “Holding fast the faithful word which in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort, (we’ll camp out there) in sound doctrine.”

Paul says to Titus, and now he’s speaking through His word to me, that I am to exhort you, just as Titus exhorted the churches in Crete, in sound doctrine. We looked at that word, that verb “exhort” last week, and we saw that the word in Greek is parakaleo. “Kaleo” is a Greek verb that means to call, and then “para” means alongside. So, it’s saying to call alongside. That’s the literal, kind of wooden meaning of that word. But in the context of this passage, smoothing it out a little bit, it means to urge, to beseech, to encourage. To call on others to do something that you’re already doing. To be out in front of them with your leadership. Already doing the very thing that you’re now asking them to do. To lead them credibly and believably. To call on those who are following you, and in the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 11:1, to “be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.” So, the responsibility that I have to “exhort” you in sound doctrine starts with my own study of sound doctrine and my own dedication to be an ever-growing, ever-learning student of theology. I need to make sure that I am ever-growing, never stagnating, always striving in my knowledge of God and His word. I need to make sure, as your pastor, that I am always bolstering my understanding of the Bible and sharpening my tools in the shed of systematics. I need to make sure I’m reading the good stuff, but I also need to make sure I’m reading the bad stuff, to protect you from it. I need to make sure that I’m attending theological conferences and teaching on theological topics. Which by the way, is one of the reasons I’m very much looking forward to starting our Summer in the Systematics Series next Sunday night, a week from right now. I need to do all of this to remain on guard and keenly aware and on high alert for your spiritual benefit and for your spiritual protection. If I’m challenging you to be students of theology and to be sharpened in sound doctrine and steadfast in your pursuit of sound doctrine, I myself need to be modeling doctrinal awareness and doctrinal study for all of you.

So, Paul tells Titus here, and by extension, pastors like me, that he is to “exhort” the people of his church there in Crete. And what is it that he is to “exhort” them in? The text tells us. He is to exhort them “in sound doctrine.” What does Paul mean here by those words, “sound doctrine”? The word “sound” there, is hugiano, from which we get our English word “hygienic”, meaning something that is healthy or clean or wholesome. Something that’s preventative or preservative or protective. That’s the word, “sound”. And then the word “doctrine” is the word didaskalia. You think of the word, didactic, like teaching, it comes from that word didaskalia. In the pastorals, we see that word “doctrine” used interchangeably with various other words, like teaching or the faith in 1 Timothy 3:9, or the truth in 1 Timothy 2:4 or the treasure in 2 Timothy 1:14. Now, in our day, the word “doctrine” often will get used interchangeably with the word “theology.” But technically, the two terms, doctrine and theology, are distinguishable, though they are closely related. The word doctrine refers simply to what the Bible teaches, regardless of what the Bible teaches or how it’s taught or it’s organized. So, doctrine is Bible teaching. What does the Bible teach? “Theology” is a term that describes the logical ordering of those teachings, those doctrines as taught in the Scriptures. I’m going to use the term somewhat interchangeably tonight, simply for the sake of ease and making the points I hope to make tonight, through Titus 1:9.

“Sound doctrine,” then, could literally be thought of as healthy teaching. Smoothed out a bit, I think a better way of thinking about it for us today is right teaching. Or to borrow from 2 Timothy 1:14 “sound words.” We’re going to look tonight at The Source of Sound Doctrine. We’re going to look at The Purpose of Sound Doctrine. We’ll look at The Profit of Sound Doctrine. And then we’re going to look at The Drift from Sound Doctrine as we unpack this section of Titus 1:9.

The Source of Sound Doctrine

Where does our doctrine come from? Where do we get our theology? Does it fall like manna from the sky? No. Both doctrine – if sound—and theology – if correct—ultimately are sourced in the Bible. Look at the first few words, actually, of Titus 1:9 where is says, “holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching.” The faithful word here is referring to Scripture. All theology—at least all good theology—all sound doctrine derives from Scripture. Not Scripture plus tradition. Now Scripture plus a catechism. Not Scripture plus creeds. Not Scripture plus a confession. Not Scripture plus the church fathers. Not Scripture plus your favorite commentaries. Scripture alone.

There’s a growing movement in our day known as “theological retrieval”, which is being led by a group of popular theologians who are saying that we need to go back to the “great tradition” to rightly understand the teachings of Scripture. What they are really saying is we need to go back to the church fathers. And sometimes go back to the medieval, often Roman Catholic, theologians like Anselm and Aquinas to obtain the proper historical “keys” that we need to “unlock” the real meaning of what God has revealed to us in Scripture. Now, church history is great. I’m fine with reading figures from church history. Church history is important. I love church history. I love reading faithful accounts of those men and women who have served the church over the annals of church history as they have stewarded and passed along the truths of Scripture from one generation to the next.

I also love theological scholarship. I wouldn’t be pursuing advanced theological studies if I didn’t think there was value in pursuing advanced scholarship. But even with a love for theology and a love for church history, I recognize contra to theologians I just mentioned a second ago, that I have to continue to show you that sound doctrine does not come from John of Damascus, or Basil of Caesarea, or Gregory of Nazianzus, or Gregory of Nissa, or Anselm or Aquinas or anybody else. Rather, the purest source of wisdom is that which we hold in our hands, the Bible. Our theology must begin and end with this book, because ultimately, our theology is the study of the God revealed in this book.

If you have your sights set on growing in your knowledge of God without bathing yourselves in the truths of this book, you’re not going to get very far. It has to be Genesis before Grudem. It has to be Lamentations before Lloyd-Jones. It as to be Matthew before MacArthur. We are not called to be students of theology in the abstract. We are called to be students, primarily and first, of God’s Word.
2 Timothy 3:16-17 tells us, “All scripture is inspired of God [literally, “breathed out by God”] and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate; equipped for every good work.”

Drilling down a bit further though, the reality is we can even look to Jesus Himself. The red letters of your Bibles, so to say, not only is our Chief Shepherd, but is our Chief Dispenser of Doctrine. He’s our Chief Theologian. Consider the words of Jesus Himself as recorded in the pages of Scripture as it relates to these topics of sound doctrine.

John 4:24, these are all red letters, “God is spirit.” That’s Jesus teaching on the nature and character of God—what we would know today as Theology Proper.

Matthew 5:18, “For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.” Or John 10:35, “Scripture cannot be broken.” Those quotes are Jesus teaching on the nature and characteristics of the Bible, Scripture—what we would call in theological circles today Bibliology.

John 8:34, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin.” That’s Jesus teaching on the reality of sin—what theologians today would call Hamartiology.

Matthew 16:24-26, “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever whishes to save his life will lose it; but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” Or John 3:16, “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” That’s Jesus teaching on the way of salvation—what theologians would call Soteriology.

Matthew 18:10, “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven continually see the face of My Father.” That’s Jesus teaching on the nature of angels—which a theologian would call Angelology.

Matthew 16:18, “You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it.” That’s Jesus teaching on the spiritual organism known as the church, which would eventually be birthed later at Pentecost. The study and nature of the church is what theologians today would call Ecclesiology.

And finally, consider what Jesus taught His disciples in Matthew 24:1-14 about the signs that would be connected with His second coming—what we know as Eschatology. If these aren’t theological teachings, I don’t know what is!

So, we have looked at The Source of Sound Doctrine, which is God’s Word, and the Word Himself, Jesus Christ.

Now, let’s look at The Purpose of Sound Doctrine.

The purpose of theology and the deepening in our understanding of sound doctrine is simply this: To know God and to know Him more. That’s it. Dear brothers and sisters, there is no greater study than that. Why would we want to spend hours and hours upon hours week after week with our noses buried in our phones, looking at stock prices, or Facebook or Zillow, when those same hours could be devoted to studying the inexhaustible riches of our great God. The same God who created you. Who’s been unbelievably patient toward you. Who spared you. Who rescued you from Himself. Who appointed you unto salvation. Who granted you faith in His Son. Who now upholds you as He sanctifies you, and who has now prepared a place for you, with Him, in glory. Oh, that we would be increasingly resolved to grow in our knowledge of God in a more faithful and intimate way! Our church would be strengthened. Our worship would be more pure. Our ministries would be more consistently anchored in what matters most. Our families would be fortified. Our marriages would be strengthened. Our children would be blessed. Our unsaved neighbors would be impacted. The benefits of us, as a church, growing increasingly devoted to our understanding of sound doctrine, of right theology, are immeasurable.

However, we also need to consider the risks, the downsides, and the detriments of not being such people. One commentator [John Gerstner] put it this way: “There is no shame in a layman’s being told that he does not know carpentry, or plumbing, or medicine, or law, or teaching, or the ways of a housewife; but there surely is the greatest of shame in a layman’s being told that he does not know God. Furthermore, there is more than shame; there is a very great danger.” Do you get the point that he is making? It will be surely true that some of us here will not know how to run an IV, or how to use a bandsaw, or how to heat a can of soup. Or in my case, how to drive through a thunderstorm, three nights ago on 84th Street. I learned my lesson. But it’s a major problem if we don’t know who God is. And why is that? Well, because the human heart, as John Calvin famously noted, is an “idol factory.” And without an ever-growing, ever increasing, ever sharpening vision of who God truly is, as He has revealed Himself in scripture, our natural tendency will be to create a so-called god, who we have created somehow, in the most insane act of rebellion imaginable, in our image. If our idea of God deviates from what He has described Himself in the bible, we run the risk of creating in our minds, in our hearts, an idol. Plain and simple.

A.W. Tozer gave us a stark warning about having wrong views of God in his work “The Knowledge of the Holy”: he says – “Among the sins to which the human heart is prone, hardly any other is more hateful to God than idolatry, for idolatry is at bottom a libel on His character. The idolatrous heart assumes that God is other than He is – in itself a monstruous sin – and substitutes for the true God one made after its own likeness…A god begotten in the shadows of a fallen heart will quite naturally be no true likeness of the true God.”

Ratcheting it up a level, there’s another A.W. – A.W. Pink had this to say on this subject of idolatry and our temptation to create a god cast in our image, rather than the other way around, in “The Attributes of God.” This is A.W. Pink: “The god of this century no more resembles the Sovereign of Holy Writ than does the dim flickering of a candle the glory of the midday sun. The god who is talked about in the average pulpit, spoken of in the ordinary Sunday school, mentioned in much of the religious literature of the day, and preached in most of the so-called Bible conferences, is a figment of human imagination, an invention of maudlin sentimentality. The heathen outside the pale of Christendom form gods of wood and stone, while millions of heathens inside Christendom manufacture a god out of their carnal minds. In reality, they are but atheists…”

If you’re a Christian here this evening, at the heart of your confession of Christ is that you know God. You know God salvifically, through Christ. You know God historically, meaning you know that you were once His enemy. You know God relationally now, as His child. You know God experientially through various Christian disciplines, including the ministry of the Word, prayer, and fellowship with His people. And you know God intellectually—you have some conception of who God is, based on what He has revealed about Himself in His Word.

But here’s the thing. If you are intentionally or consistently in error about what the Scriptures teach about God, well, your claim to truly know God is actually in jeopardy. You may be one of those people that we referred to earlier from Matthew 7:21-23. That terrifying scene where many will face the Lord Jesus Christ on that last day, thinking they are good. Thinking they are secure in the family of God. Thinking they’ve got eternity in the bag. And what does He say to them? “I never knew you. Depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.”

Friends, we’ve got to make sure that we are worshiping the right God. That only happens when we have a correct view of who He is. And we can only have a correct view of who He is when we are committed to studying who He is, as He has revealed Himself in His word. Meaning, you can only have a correct view of God if you are a resolute student of theology and a firm adherent to sound doctrine.

So, we’ve looked at the Source of Sound Doctrine. We’ve looked at the Purpose of Sound Doctrine. Now, we’re going to look at The Profit of Sound Doctrine.

According to 1 Corinthians 8:1 – “Knowledge puffs up.” And as the Bible’s account of the Pharisees of Jesus’ day remind us, it is entirely possible to know “sound doctrine” and to know “right theology.” You can even make a career of studying theology and working as a theologian, and entirely miss God. That’s frightening.
No, the pursuit of theological knowledge and sound doctrine and biblical doctrine should ultimately result and be all about heart-level transformation, which is brought about by what we know and are continuing to learn about our great God. Romans 12:2 tells us that it’s the mind that is “renewed.” And our conduct is “transformed.” Theology, theological studies, the pursuit of right doctrine, ought not lead to stagnation. Rather, it ought to lead to transformation. And that’s because the pursuit of theological knowledge is not about filling the brain with random data. No, the study of theology has its purpose of being growth in the Lord.

I’m going to run through a few of these specific benefits of studying theology as we grow in the Lord when we are rightly committed to learning about and growing in sound doctrine. I think I have five of these listed out here. Five benefits or five profits of studying theology, growing in sound doctrine.

1. The study of theology, the commitment to growing in sound doctrine, will increase our love for God. Pursued rightly, it will increase our love for God. Charles Spurgeon once said this: “nothing will...so magnify the whole soul of man, as a devout, earnest, continued, investigation of the great subject of the Deity. The most excellent study for expanding the soul is the science of Christ and Him crucified and the knowledge of the Godhead in the glorious Trinity.” Spurgeon is right! I disagreed with Surgeon this morning, so now I can say I agree with Spurgeon tonight. Think about it. Could you say that you had a meaningful friendship with somebody if you hardly knew anything about them? Could a man say he truly loved his wife if the only thing he knew about her was that she is his wife? Of course not. So, why would it be any different with God? You can’t say you love the Lord your God if you don’t know anything about Him, or if your views on Him are askew or off. And you certainly don’t love the Lord your God as you ought if you’re being lazy in your pursuit of Him. Growing in the knowledge of God, through our theological study of God, will breed a heightened love for and affection for God. It’s as simple as that.

2. Here’s the second profit of theology. The study of theology, when pursued rightly, the study of sound doctrine, will help us to worship God rightly. The study of theology, growing in our knowledge of God, authenticates and fuels true worship. What did Jesus tell the Samaritan woman at the well? “God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” John 4:23-24. The clearer our understanding of who God is, the more pure our worship will be of our Creator. Having a right view of Christian theology, being committed to sound doctrine, will lead to a correct doxology, which is just a fancy way of saying “worship of God.” Our commitment to sound doctrine here at Indian Hills should lead us to a place where we are sincerely making proclamations like Paul in Ephesians 3:20-21 where he says – “Now to Him who is able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think, according to the power that works within us, to Him be the glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations forever and ever. Amen.” It should lead us to that place of outburst of praise, like Paul in Romans 11:33 when he says – “Oh, the depths of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!” A heart for God, stirred up by the truths of God, will produce a right and reverent worship of God. This idea of theology producing sound doxology is captured in Psalm 119:7 where it says, “I shall give thanks to You [or “praise You”] with uprightness of heart, when I learn Your righteous judgements.” You see, God cannot be rightly worshiped if He is not truly known, if His “righteous judgments,” meaning His word, is not known. We need right theology to worship rightly. We need sound doctrine to form sound doxology.

3. Here’s a third profit of the study of theology. It will produce humility. Acquiring knowledge about God through the study of theology, developing a growing and firmer grasp on sound doctrine, learning about God’s character and His attributes and His promises, both fulfilled and unfulfilled, learning about the nature and character and person of His Son, learning about the nature and character and person of His Spirit, learning about the great love He has for us, which underlies His offer of salvation, and the future plans that He yet has for us, will only serve to grow us in the fear of the Lord. As we grow to more greatly appreciate the wide gulf that exists between ourselves and the God described in Scripture, that, in turn, will produce in us and grow in us greater and greater humility. As we come to appreciate more deeply the differences between His strengths and our weaknesses, between His holiness and our sinfulness, between His immutability and our fickleness... It is impossible to be proud or arrogant if one has truly been affected by sound doctrine. In fact, we’ll be humbled. I love how one commentator puts it. He said that the more we study theology and grow in the knowledge of God: “the more we will find ourselves in awe of Him. Like a great ship on the horizon, the closer we get, the larger He looms.” We really do realize how small we are, and how impossible it is to fathom how amazing He is and other He is, and it humbles us.

4. Here’s a fourth one, the fourth profit of theology, the study of sound doctrine. It will result in growth in holiness and sanctification. While it’s, of course, true that faith is a gift from God--Ephesians 2:8, “For by grace you have been saved through faith,” it’s also true as Philippians 2:12 says that we are to “work out [our] salvation with fear and trembling.” Salvation in every sense is a monergistic work of God. But there are elements of synergism in our sanctification. Meaning, we have some responsibility, albeit it is God, ultimately, Philippians 1:6, working through us – “He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus.” And our sanctification is tied to the theological truths that God has revealed about Himself in Scripture. Our sanctification is all about the grace that we’ve been shown, but that the knowledge which we obtained, as we grow in godliness. 2 Peter 3:18 says, grow in the “grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.” And our perseverance as saints in Christ, our growth as followers of Christ—or put it more simply, our sanctification—is vitally connected to our pursuit of greater knowledge of God’s nature, His character, and His works, which again, He has revealed to in His word.

Paul told Timothy in 1 Timothy 4:16 to watch his life and his doctrine, putting those concepts together. In 1 Timothy 1:10, Paul directly links the absence of “sound teaching” to certain immoral practices entering the church, such as those of “homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers”. See, pursuing a deeper understanding of Christian theology, of sound doctrine, will drive the Spirit-indwelt follower of Christ to an increased pursuit of holiness. Theology, when rightly pursued, goes beyond the mere theoretical and actually starts impacting the very practical parts of our lives. Our marriages. Our parenting. Our witness in the workplace. Our individual walks with the Lord. The two are intertwined. Another theologian writes: “The purpose of theology is not to tickle our intellects but to instruct us in the ways of God, so that we can grow up into maturity and fullness of obedience to Him. That is why we engage in theology.” Being theologically-minded helps us “grow into maturity and fullness of obedience” to God. Right doctrine produces right living. Sound doctrine produces sanctified living. Good theology produces godliness.

5. Here’s the fifth profit of theology. The study of theology, when rightly pursued, helps us with discernment. It protects us from being deceived. See, God has warned us many times in His word that there will be false teachers that will infiltrate and seek to penetrate the church.

Matthew 24:24 – “For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will show great signs and wonders, so as to mislead, if possible, even the elect.”
1 John 4:1 – “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.”
2 Peter 2:1-2 – “But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves. Many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of the truth will be maligned.”

The Bible not only warns us of false teachers rising up in the church; Scripture also tells us what we are to do when their teachings seek to make their way to the shores of our church. When unsound doctrine is being advanced. When bad theology is being taught. When ears are being tickled. Pastors like me are called to “preach the word,” 2 Timothy 4:2, and be ready to reprove, rebuke, and exhort. And what do we do that with? Do we do it with our gift of gab? Or our way with words? No, we do it with sound doctrine, with good theology. So, there you have it. Five benefits of being committed to theology or sound doctrine.

These are the five profits of sound doctrine:
It increases our love for God.
It helps us to worship Him aright.
It produces humility.
It produces holiness and sanctification.
It helps us to grow in discernment.

Sadly, many today, including pastors, ministers, leaders, churches, and even seminaries have failed to heed Paul’s word here about the importance of upholding and teaching sound doctrine. Which leads to our next point…

The Drift From Sound Doctrine.

The drift from sound doctrine in our day includes churches all over. It includes churches in this city. It includes churches on this street. It’s undeniable. And the consequences of this drift have been disastrous. Just think of the number of copies of “Jesus Calling” that have been sold to unsuspecting and undiscerning believers over the years. I didn’t look at the stats before this message, but it’s terrifying. Just think of the number of times “The Shack” has been recommended from one church member to another. I just think of the number of men who think that watching “God’s Not Dead” or “Courageous” or “Fireproof” is them fulfilling the Great Commission. Jut think of the number of men who can go to a Bible study at 7:00 p.m. and be at home watching pornography by 10:30 p.m. Just think of the number of upside-down homes where women are ruling the roost, rather than being lovingly led by a strong and godly protector of a husband. Without theology, without sound doctrine, without right and reverent views of God as revealed in His word, without accurate theological thoughts about our Creator, we are those proverbial lemmings, rushing headlong toward the cliff, deceived and potentially headed toward destruction.

So that’s a bit about those words “sound doctrine”—still in Titus 1:9—and the importance of maintaining that firm grip on sound doctrine. But as I said at the beginning of the message, mine is a twofold charge. I’m not only to “exhort in sound doctrine.” I’m also to “refute those who contradict.” So, for the next 45 – 50 minutes, I’ll get to that second part of the sermon. No, it won’t last that long, I promise.

We are those who “refute” those who contradict. And that word “refute” is on antilego, which means “to speak against.” Meaning I am, like any pastor is, to speak against those who contradict sound doctrine. The sound doctrine that I and other pastors are called to give you instruction in. See, it’s part of my job to speak openly and directly and boldly against those who may seek to sway, lead astray, or otherwise pollute the purity of the doctrine that we hold to in this church. The pastor is to be a polemicist as it relates to unsound doctrine that goes under the guise of sound doctrine in the church. The true shepherd is to be willing to go “toe-to-toe” against those who would dare lead His precious sheep astray.

In Titus’ context, this meant speaking against the men that he refers to in Titus 1:10-11, “For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain.” According to the writings of not just Paul to Titus here, but various other New Testament authors, pastors are called to call wolves “wolves” and tares “tares, “ and sparing no effort, sparing no words, in scaring off those who would dare seek to infect the purity of Christ’s church with their polluted and ungodly doctrines. Listen to some of these sharp, penetrating words that are used by various different biblical authors to call out false teachers.

2 Timothy 3:8 – “men of depraved mind, rejected in regard to the faith.”
2 Timothy 3:13 – “Evil men and impostors…deceiving and being deceived.”
Titus 3:11 – “perverted and…sinning, being self-condemned.”
2 Peter 2:1, we read this one already – “secretly introduce[ing] destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them.”
2 Peter 2:17 – “springs without water, and mists driven by a storm, for whom the black darkness has been reserved.”
Jude 12-13 – “these are the men who are hidden reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you without fear, caring for themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted; wild waves of the sea, casting up their own shame like foam; wandering stars, for whom the black darkness has been reserved forever.”
And let’s not forget what Paul said in his departing charge to the Ephesian elders in Acts 20:28-32. He says, “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood. I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them.”

Tracking with the words that I’ve just read to you, not from my copy of Jesus Calling, but from my copy of the Bible, a true pastor of God’s people speaks up as it relates to false teachers. Certainly, he cannot be pugnacious in his approach. That’s a requirement for the pastor in Titus 1. He cannot ride or course theological hobby horses until their legs fall off. He cannot come across as rude or unchained or full of himself. But at the same time, he does not allow what seems to be the most coveted virtue of our day – winsomeness – to cover his wimpiness. No, he is brave and he is bold to speak openly against false teaching and false teachers. He doesn’t shrink back from his solemn obligation to protect the dear people that Christ has given him to protect. He doesn’t operate from fear. He doesn’t worry about “cancel culture.” He doesn’t worry about the backlash that he’s going to receive from various political interest groups. He doesn’t worry about being arrested by the “tone police.” He doesn’t worry about being thrown in “Twitter jail.” No, he speaks up and he steps in the way of and he steps up to peddlers of error, proponents of false teaching, and purveyors of false doctrine.

Shepherds serve the flock of God by preaching the whole counsel of God. By giving them instruction in sound doctrine, as given by God. And by refuting those who contradict the word of God.

Here again is John Calvin, as we get ready to close. He says, “A good shepherd, we know, will speak softly and pleasantly when he calls his flock together… Still, it is not enough for a shepherd to call to his sheep and gather them together; he must also have a voice which frightens wolves and thieves, he must shout when he sees his flock attacked, and his dogs must bark to chase away those who would scatter the sheep. If we would do our duty, we must copy the gracious voice of Jesus Christ to draw the sheep to Him and to keep them safe. But we must have a fearsome voice to drive off wolves and thieves who seek to destroy the flock.”

With God’s help, I strive to be such a pastor. To please God and to bless you. A pastor who is not double-minded, but a pastor who is dual-voiced. A pastor who calls to the sheep gently, but who drives out the wolves fiercely.

It’s been quite a day. We’ve made it to the end. It’s been a great Lord’s Day; I say we call it a day with a word of prayer.

God, we thank You again for Your word. It is so clear. It is so timeless. It is so pertinent to everything we encounter in this world, in the church, in our lives. Thank You that You have laid out in Scripture such clear directives for men called by God to pastor churches like this. There’s no ambiguity. You’ve made it so clear who You call to be shepherds and how those shepherds are to conduct themselves with courage and conviction, with boldness, with clarity, all anchored in Your word. God, I pray for myself, that I would be such a man, tied to Scripture for the entire length of my ministry here at Indian Hills. I pray for every other teacher of God’s Word on this campus, that they would view their charge in a similar way. To hold fast and hold firm to the faithful word, as delivered by You to us. I pray that this church would always be a church who goes back to the hope that we have in Jesus Christ, that anchor that we sung about this evening. And that we would realize that You are not a God who has gone silent this generation. You are a God who has spoken perfectly, completely and sufficiently in Your word. And we have all in it that pertains to life and godliness as we navigate these darkening days. So, God, would You strengthen us? Would You equip us? Would You give us passion and zeal to share the gospel? To be resolute students of Your Word and adherence to sound doctrine and refuters of those who contradict so that Your bride, the church of Christ, will remain pure. We give You thanks and praise for this day. In Jesus’ name. Amen.