Strong Warnings Concerning False Teachers

Transcript

GR 2285
03/03/2020
Strong Warnings Concerning False Teachers
Titus 1:11-16
Gil Rugh


That song says it all, that Calvary covers it all. That's what our great hope is, that's what our great confidence is.

I thought it would be good for us to go back to where we are in our normal studies in the word of God so we're going to Titus 1. We want to maintain a certain normality even as things are not normal, as they normally would be. But we are moving through the book of Titus and I think it is very appropriate where we are. You can turn to Titus 1, we're going to look at some other verses before we go into Titus 1. I was thinking this week we are living in a time when the world's attentions turn to the issue of physical health and we're concerned about it. We are concerned about it in our city, we have all kinds of regulations and we appreciate the work that our leaders do and so many working to keep us healthy and deal with us when we are not healthy. But the Bible has something to say about God's concerns about our health and it's our spiritual health. And that's what we are dealing with in Titus 1. As we come into these kinds of health crises, we're concerned about the health of our family and how is everyone doing, and we pray for one another and we pray for our church family. God is concerned for the health of his family, we remember that we are God's family.

Turn back a few pages to 1 Timothy 3:15. The Apostle Paul writes, “I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.” So this is God's household, God's family, and he is concerned about the health of his family. This was impressed upon me as I was studying in Titus and thinking about . . . You can't turn on the news without being confronted about physical needs and physical concerns. But how concerned God is about the health of His own family, His people. Looked at the word that is going to be in our study today, we get the English word hygiene from it, it's a word that means to be healthy, physical health. It is used eight times in the book of Titus, it is used twelve times in the Bible, four of those times refer to physical health. Three times in the gospel of Luke it is used of the physical health of people that Jesus is dealing with, and one time in the epistles of John and it is used of physical health there. But all eight times in the pastoral epistles,1 Timothy, 2 Timothy and Titus, it is used of our spiritual condition.

Look at those with me. Come to 1 Timothy 1:10, he is talking about the Law and that is going to come before us in Titus 1 as we look into that today. In 1 Timothy 1:8, he is talking about the Law is good if you use it lawfully and it wasn't made for a righteous man, it is made for the unrighteous to reveal their character, their unrighteousness, to show their need for God. And then you come down to verse 10, it was made for “immoral men and homosexuals and kidnappers and liars and perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound teaching.” And that word translated sound is the word healthy, healthy teaching, teaching that produces good health. God is concerned that His people be taught things that are good for them spiritually, that will nourish their spiritual health.

Come over to 1 Timothy 6:3, “If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness, he is conceited and understands nothing.” You'll note that, “does not agree with sound words,” healthy words, words that develop health in our body. God is concerned about those things that come in our life and into the church that may hinder spiritual health and the health of His people.

Come over to 2 Timothy 1:13, “Retain the standard of,” here is our word again, “sound words,” healthy words, words that produce good health, “which you have heard from me, in the faith and love which are in Christ Jesus.” These are words that come from God that were communicated through Paul as well as others of God's servants, they are health-producing words for us spiritually.

Over in 2 Timothy 4:3, “For the time will come when they will not endure,” here we are, (healthy) doctrine,” and that word doctrine is simply the Greek word “teaching.” They will not endure the teaching, put up with the teaching, that produces good health. We still use that word sound that way, we say they are sound in body and mind, it means they are healthy, they are in good condition. That's the word here, teaching that produces good health. There will come a time when people won't be interested in that, they are impatient with it, they are looking for something else, have their ears tickled, and so they will have teachers that they like because they say what they want to hear. They are looking for something more than just what God has given to keep us healthy spiritually.

Come over to Titus 1:9 where we will pick up in our study in a moment, “Holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that you will be able both to exhort in” healthy teaching “and to refute those who contradict.” Down to verse 13, “This testimony is true, for this reason reprove them (sharply) severely so that they may be (healthy) in the faith,” the faith which is healthy, sound.

Come down to Titus 2:1, “Speak the things which are fitting for (healthy) doctrine,” healthy teaching. Verse 2, “Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, (healthy) in faith.” So you see this repeated emphasis in what we call the pastoral epistles. So fitting for us, our minds are on being healthy, preserving our health, protecting ourselves from those things which would be dangerous to good health. That's why we are not able to meet together, because there may be people that have the virus that could be communicated to others, that would endanger their health. So God is concerned that His people be careful that they are not influenced and infected by teaching and teachers who will hinder their good health spiritually.

Come back to one passage in the Old Testament, Isaiah. Remember Israel was a nation God had chosen for Himself and they got infected with unhealthy teachings and beliefs that influenced them, God describes it as a sickness. Isaiah 1:5, “Where will you be stricken again, as you continue in your rebellion? The whole head is sick and the whole heart is faint. From the sole of the foot even to the head there is nothing sound in it.” And then He calls them in grace in verse 18, “Come now, and let us reason together says the Lord, though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool.” Somewhere along the line Israel got off the track and had allowed teaching to come in and influence them and change their thinking so that now they are corrupted spiritually and the judgment of God has brought physical affliction on them as well.

So come back to Titus 1. That's what we are talking about, we're talking about God's instructions for His church and His people to be healthy. It is good for us to think about this when we think about physical things. Everybody is overwhelmingly concerned about physical well-being in these days, and I am not criticizing that. We all want to be physically healthy and do those things which will keep us healthy and protect us as much as possible. But we ought to have an even greater concern about our spiritual health. And we as God's family should be very concerned that we are healthy as He intends us to be healthy. He has cleansed us, purified us, now He wants us to walk healthy, in a healthy way, take care of ourselves.

So He has made provision. We have noted that Titus was left at Crete, he was supposed to appoint elders in every city, every city which would have had a church. In those days there weren't as many as we have today, but there were to be elders leading those churches and he is giving qualifications for those elders, which are really the basic qualifications for being godly. These are to be men who manifest godly character, who can be entrusted with the oversight and care of God's people to help keep those people healthy spiritually. So he talked about some of their qualifications down through verse 8 which we have already looked at and we left off with verse 9. The men have to be those “holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching.” They are to have a good grasp on the word of God, the word which produces faithfulness. This is what the book of Titus is concerned about, godly living, faithfulness in our lives. They are to be men holding fast to this word, which produces faithfulness. “Which is in accordance with the teaching,” that's the standard, the truth that God has revealed that Paul is now further revealing, that's the standard, they are to hold onto this. Why? “So that he,” referring to each individual elder, “will be able both to exhort in (healthy teaching.) That's what will nourish and build up the believers, strengthen them spiritually, protect them from the disease and viruses and sicknesses that come from bad teaching, that have a detrimental impact on us and on the church spiritually. They must be able to exhort in healthy teaching, teaching that produces health, soundness spiritually. “And to refute those who contradict,” they have to be able to stand against false teaching, to rebuke it. Firm word. It is not to be tolerated. We live in a day of we're supposed to be open to everything, and that thinking begins to infect the church. Seems like the great sin that the world looks at if you say anybody else is sinning, doing wrong. The church begins to think we don't want to be viewed as narrow, as though we are the only ones who have truth, we're the only ones right. God is the only One who has truth, His word is truth. Anyone who disagrees with it is lying, is in rebellion against God. That's not because we are better than they are, it's because God is God and we are not.

So he must be able to rebuke those, so there has to be discernment. If a man is going to have the responsibility of oversight and protecting God's people, they must be able to teach that which will produce health and to stand against and rebuke and refute false teaching. Now you note why this has to be, this is the kind of teaching that is coming into the church, that is impacting believers. That's why it is important that the elders be appointed and be men of godly character and biblical soundness, it is essential for the protection of the church.

We are going to look at a few passages, this is pervasive, we're going to limit ourselves to the New Testament. But some of that will refer to what went on in the Old Testament times. In the Old Testament Israel was constantly being influenced by false teaching, false prophets, in the New Testament false teachers come.

Come back to Matthew 7. When the virus that we are presently dealing with started, many, and I could probably say many of us, thought this will be brief and pass quickly and we'll get on with our lives. And then it turns out to be more serious and it begins to affect and permeate all areas of our lives and have a lot greater impact and influence in ways we wouldn't have thought. It has a devastating impact on our economy, then people's ability to work and the pressures build. We didn't see that coming. Often we are that way with spiritual things and negative things that are negative for our spiritual health. I don't see it as that serious, I don't think we need to make it a big issue. Now we look back and say we are thankful for those who had the perception to say we have to deal with this in a serious way early. So that's where we are spiritually.

In Matthew 7 Jesus is speaking what we know of as the Sermon on the Mount. And He exhorts them in verse 13 to “enter through the narrow gate,” and note this, “the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction,” and many are going on that road. “For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few.” True believers are always going to be a small minority, not because God's grace is not enough but man in his sin rejects that grace. Then note verse 15, “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing.” This is the danger, this is what was going on at Crete, this is what was going on at Ephesus when Paul wrote 1 and 2 Timothy to Timothy. False teachers had influenced, but they are disguised as believers. They come “in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” And we are going to see some very strong language used to identify these false teachers. “You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad fruit produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” That fits with the broad gate that leads to destruction. Doesn't matter that they dress up as sheep, they are not; doesn't matter that they present themselves as genuine, they are not. You will know them by their fruits. It's not enough to say Lord, Lord, we did all these great works. He'll say, I never knew you. The standard is God's Word. Not being religious, not looking good, but having a heart that has been transformed and a life that is now transformed as a result of a heart that has been transformed. But false prophets will come in among you, they are dressed like sheep. That's why the elders have to be discerning, they have to have a firm grasp on the word of God so they can teach truth and recognize and refute error.

Come to 2 Peter 2:1, and this follows the end of chapter 1 as we have it in our Bibles, where he talks about the truth that was revealed, that we have as our scriptures. And verse 21 tells us “No prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.” That's why this word is authoritative, it's the word of God, it has one author -- God. And He used a variety of men but the Spirit directed those men so what we have is the very word of God. “But false prophets also arose among the people,” they are not genuine prophets. 2 Peter 1:21 said but prophecy that came from God. Now we are going to have men who come, and they did through the Old Testament, there will be such men during the church time, too. “False prophets also arose among the people,” note this, “just as there will also be false teachers among you.” He doesn't say there may be, there will be, this is a reality the church must face. They “will secretly introduce destructive heresies.” That's why it takes men who know the word, who can instruct in the word and who can recognize error and refute it. They will even deny the Master who bought them, their end will be destruction. Verse 2 says “Many will follow their sensuality.” Isn't that sad? It comes in among believers and many are deluded and deceived and follow their teaching. “Because of them the way of the truth will be maligned” and spoken against. They will be greedy. All these things are going to come up in a moment in Titus. “They will exploit you” and they are headed for judgment.

Come over to 1 John 4, note the instruction. “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.” But you can recognize by the truth of the word of God what is the work of the Spirit and what is not. If it agrees with this, if they do not agree, as Isaiah 8 says, with the word of God it is because they have no truth in them. Too many believers . . . I think they are good people, I think they say some good things. Well, how would they present themselves as genuine if they didn't say some good things, even some true things? It's the disease that is the problem, it's the virus that's the problem. It's not that there aren't some good . . . We've had this brought to our attention so many times, a person can have this illness but it's not manifested yet. What we are trying to do is devise things that will enable us to detect this before it becomes so evident. That's what God does with His word and that's why the leaders and godly men as elders have to be very discerning so we catch this early. One of the things that impressed me, I can't say at the very beginning of the ministry because it took me a while, I can be a little dense, was at one of our major battles I sat and reflected what happened And what I thought was, I didn't catch it early enough, I didn't think it would be that serious, I just thought it was a little aberration. Before it was all said and done it had affected hundreds of people, they were confused and led astray. And we as elders must be careful to be examining these spirits which Paul wrote to Timothy and said it's doctrine of demons that is being taught. That's why he is talking about spirits here in contrast to the Holy Spirit. The spirit forces of evil, the devil's demons working, and Paul wrote to the Corinthians and said the devil, in 2 Corinthians 11, “disguises himself as an angel of light.” This is serious matter, God is very serious about the spiritual health of His people so we must take it seriously.

Come over to Jude 3, “Beloved, while I was making every effort to write to you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith.” You have to step up and do battle “for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints.” What's the problem? “Certain persons have crept in unnoticed, those who were long beforehand marked out for this condemnation, ungodly persons who turn the grace of our God in licentiousness and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.” We often don't recognize the seriousness of what is happening in the early stages. This is not that serious, it will pass, you have the sniffles and you'll get over that, don't worry about it. False doctrine comes in that way to corrupt us spiritually, bring disease to us spiritually, they've crept in unnoticed. How do you get in unnoticed? We are teaching a doctrine that ends up turning the grace of God into an excuse for my licentious life and really denies our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ. This is serious business with God. How many times has He do it?

Come over to Revelation 2:14, he is writing to the church at Pergamum, this is the last of God's revelation to the church and to the churches, the book of Revelation. And he says to the church at Pergamum, after saying they had some good things, “But,” verse 14, “I have a few things against you, because you have there some who hold the teaching of Balaam, who kept teaching Balak to put a stumbling block before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit acts of immorality. So you also have some who in the same way hold the teaching of the Nicolaitans. Therefore repent,” you better deal with it or I will come and deal with it. This is serious admonition. What do you mean, you tolerate this? This is not my church, it's not your church, only in the sense we belong to it by God's grace. But this is His family, Christ is the head of the church. Shall we tolerate that kind of destructive influence?

Look down in verse 20, this is to the church at Thyatira and he says some good things. But we often say, it's not just what you are doing right, it's that you are doing something wrong, that's what has to be dealt with. Verse 20, “I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads my (slaves) astray so that they commit acts of immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.” She doesn't want to repent, I'm going to come and deal with her and you better have it straightened out. This is serious business, this is God's family. He is saying I don't tolerate that in My family, I want godly men appointed who will hold the line.

Come back to one more passage, we will get to Titus but we will move a little bit quickly because we have covered much of what we are going to see there. Come back to Acts 20. Paul calls the elders from the Ephesian church to meet with him, you are familiar, he doesn't have time to go into the city of Ephesus so he is going to meet them at the seaport there and give them some final instructions. Remember he wrote the letter to the Ephesians to this church, then he wrote to Timothy about getting things in order at that church. So it is a church that has serious issues to deal with. It's addressed also in the letters to the churches in Revelation 2, as you are aware, it's the first dealt with and they have departed from their first love. But here he calls the elders, Acts 20:17, “From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church.” And you'll note again the plurality of the elders in the singular church. And he tells them that his life is a pattern, he conducted himself properly in his conduct. He wasn't characterized by greed, but with humility and a love for them. Verse 20, “I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you publicly and from house to house, solemnly testifying to Jews and Greeks of repentance toward God and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.” Now I know, the Spirit has made clear to me, I am going to be imprisoned and so on. Verse 24, “I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I might finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to test solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.” He said, “I am innocent,” verse 26, “of the blood of all men. For I didn't shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God.” It's what we have to keep in mind, this is what every elder has to keep in mind, we are to imitate this, we will be measured. Were we faithful to the Word? Not did we please every person, but were we faithful to the Word, did we stay true to exhorting in health-giving teaching and rebuking opposition.

Why is this necessary? Verse 28, “Be on guard for yourselves.” First of all I have to make sure that I am where I am, my commitment to truth. Then “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.” You see that, He purchased us for Himself with His own blood, it's His church. It's not mine to do with as I please. The Holy Spirit appoints the elders and they are given a solemn responsibility. They may be the most unpopular people around because it's not popular to adhere to truth and rebuke error. Verse 29, “I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock.” Now note this, “From among your own selves men will arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be on the alert.” Verse 32, “Now I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified,” and so on.

Come back to Titus 1. That's what we are dealing with in Titus, the spiritual health of God's people, the church, their well-being. We cannot ignore it, we cannot say I know this is about that but I have a lot of things on my mind these days. There is nothing more important than your spiritual health, well-being. So you see the importance of verse 5 when Paul told Titus, “I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city.” But really who appoints the elders? The Holy Spirit, Timothy is to recognize those men the Holy Spirit has raised up, and we talked some about that. And here are some of the indications a man is qualified, they are just the marks of godliness, every man, every believer in that sense ought to aspire. We'll get into individual men and women when we get into Titus 2. But now we are talking about this is a mark of godliness, you want godly men who have a good, firm grasp on the truth of God's word, who teach healthy, health-producing truth, the word of God. They are not teaching men's ideas, they are not looking in the world for things that will entertain and please people and hold their interest. If you are not interested in what God has to say, I have nothing to say to you except repent and believe while you have opportunity. But the church isn't where you go and hear things, have your ears tickled, as Paul said it would come to, when they don't want teaching that produces health, they want to hear what they like. We're a fun-loving world and we turn the church into a place where we like to be. Young people have to battle this. I want a place where young people can enjoy it. First of all you are looking for truth.

So we have the elders in verse 9 who are ready to exhort and to refute. Why? Verse 10, “For there are many rebellious men.” Now he takes this seriously. The churches in Crete were being influenced, not by one or two, there are many rebellious men. They tend to overwhelm and we begin to think, there are quite a few people here and quite a few teachers that hold this, so if you can hold a bigger rally with more people and popular teachers that all join together, then it must be true, we don't want to be left out. There are many rebellious men, at heart this is where they are. If you are not teaching the truth . . ., that doesn't mean we agree on every verse, we're growing in our knowledge and understanding, but we have to be faithful to this truth. Those who are not are rebellious, rebellious men. That's why in the elder you don't look for rebellion, up in verse 6. Again people are always fighting against the truth, these are “rebellious men, empty talkers, ,and deceivers.”

Sometimes people have gotten concerned, maybe in the way Indian Hills (not to make it personal regarding me) but maybe say too harsh things about other teachers. If they are twisting, distorting or undermining the word of God you cannot be harsh enough, they are rebellious, they are empty talkers, they are deceived. Now the particular problem affecting the churches at Crete were those of the circumcision, Jews, and this was the great difficulty. Not the only one, but the great one for the early church because remember you come out of an Old Testament background, the church is not Israel, but God dealing with the nation Israel. And then the Jewish Messiah comes and dies on the cross and is raised from the dead. And then Israel, being put under judgment for the rejection of their Messiah, the church is started in Acts 2. But how does it start out? Comprised of Jews, we don't get Gentiles included until Acts 10. So in all of this you have Jews that have professed to come to Christ but they have never their faith and confidence in the works of the Law and what they try to do is create a mixture. We believe that Jesus is the Messiah and His death is necessary, but that's not enough. Remember Acts 15, the Jerusalem Conference. And this confusion, these Jews claim to believe the Bible, they claim to believe in Christ. Is the difference that great? As long as they believe in Christ and want to join with us, we can overlook the differences, we cannot overlook the differences.

He calls them rebellious men, empty talkers, deceivers, and note verse 11, “who must be silenced,” they must be muzzled. Now you can't deal with everybody out in the world, but you can deal with what is going on in the church. But I'm not after every error that goes on in our city in a religious context, but I am committed to the protection and preservation of the purity of the church, this church. That's what these elders are to be in every city. Like the elders at Ephesus, “from among your own selves.” How did they get in? We're Jews, we believe the Old Testament and we have come to believe that Jesus was the Messiah of Israel and we honor Him as the Savior. We also want you to understand you must be circumcised and keep the Law.

Come back to 1 Timothy 1. We're in a different city, we're not in the cities in Crete, we're now in the city of Ephesus. And in 1 Timothy 1, and he is warning them. Timothy was left at Ephesus in verse 3, “So that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines,” things that are different than the truth that God has revealed that has been entrusted to you, “nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God,” what God has provided, “which is by faith.” All of this undermines the truth. Remember we studied in Romans, we talked about man's sin and the only solution in God's providing justification is it is by faith. At root all of this is eroding that.

Verse 6, “Some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion,” now note this, “wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they don't understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions.” This whole issue, now we may not have the same battle with the Law, although we have some in our city who do promote the Mosaic Law, not just Jews, also Seventh Day Adventists, Seventh Day Baptists, some of those, even some of the Reformed people are confused on the Law. Whatever the error is, the matter of dealing with it has to be the same. The biggest battles that we have had as a church have come from teachings. (Along the way I'm going to go through a list of these in our study of Romans.) Have come from men within evangelicalism who have begun to promote things that are contrary to the truth of God's word but somehow they have gotten a hold in seminaries, in churches, and the result has been disastrous. And how does it happen? We don't want to be too narrow, we don't want to make an issue out of everything. I want to make an issue out of everything that is contrary to the word of God.

I had a pastor from an evangelical church come to see me years ago in the midst of a conflict. He said Gil, our church often follows your church because we know you are doctrinal and we follow Indian Hills, but we're not going to follow you in this. He says, Gil, you'll fight over every doctrine. Well, yes, I said, what doctrines will you fight over? These are serious matters. Then the years go by and we realize that error, but somehow its like life goes on. Look in the world, they bring up things and they attack people for something and then you find out that was all false, but people forget about that, let's move on and attack about something else. You have to stay faithful to the truth.

This issue, the whole book of Galatians is written about it, we've seen it in the book of Romans, dealing with the Law. The Colossian heresy in Colossians 2 has much of the Law involved in it. It was relentless, the devil is an angel of light so today he may not particularly use the Mosaic Law, he'll use other things. But all of it to erode the foundation because if the foundations are destroyed what are we building on?

So back in Titus 1. They are rebellious, they are empty talkers, they are deceivers and we are particularly talking about Jews here who are not clear on the Law. So they think they can teach the Law and as 1 Timothy 1 said, they don't have a clue what they are talking about. They “must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things which they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain.” This is serious business. They must be silenced, they must exhort people in healthy teaching, teaching that will produce health, the word of God. And we must refute, rebuke. We're going to stand against anyone, you cannot teach that here, that will not be acceptable. The strength that God has blessed us with is godly people who stand for the truth, godly elders who through battles have said we will do what the scripture says and stand there, that's the protection of the church. And people who support that who have been discerning themselves. It's just not an elder's responsibility, but it is particularly placed upon the elders, the oversight. Just like in any order, we have country, we have leaders, they make decisions but then it depends also to have people who support and stand with those leaders in their decision. So it is in the church. They must be silenced. Not don't hurt their feelings, limit them, have them just teach . . . , keep their influence sort of boxed off. No, this is our doctrine, this is what we believe, this is the only thing that we will teach, and that has to be measured by the word. The elders can't create their own doctrine. That's the whole point here, it's God's word, the truth, the teaching of what God has revealed.

“They are upsetting whole families.” And you see here, this responsibility spreads out, not just in the church corporately but families within the church are being corrupted by this and it upsets whole families. The church is to be the pillar and support of the truth and then the families are strengthened in that. But individual families begin to be infected and influenced, that begins to spread because they have friends, they have contacts and all of a sudden . . . That's why the elders have to step in and say, no. That's why I, as a spokesman for the elders in public meetings, address these issues. They must be made aware so you are prepared as a family. And this . . .


Come back to 2 Timothy 3:1, “Realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money,” and all that list, but verse 5, They will hold “to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; avoid such men as these. For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women,” idle women, “weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.” Often these doctrines come into homes and I have to say a word to the men, we are responsible for the spiritual condition of our home, you cannot abdicate that responsibility. We won't get into this now but in 1 Corinthians 11 and then chapter 14 women are to keep silent in the church and if they have a question, they ask their husband at home. That means the husband is to be a godly man, the wife can look to him, he knows something, he has to have a handle on the Word to be able to help her understand why this is false. I'm not saying we don't have godly women, we do, we have many who are faithful to the Word. But the ultimate responsibility comes with us as men as elders and then as men in our homes and that requires men who know the truth. Some men, their wife is the theologian of the family. I don't know, ask your mother. I don't know, I don't have time for looking into this. Make time, this is important, we give an account for our responsibility. How do families get upset? In many of the battles and even people have left and I am told my wife is just upset, we're just going to have to move on. I'm not blaming it all on the woman. Where are you? Get a spine, plant your feet, I am the spiritual head of the house, when you are rebelling against me you are rebelling against Christ. That's Ephesians 5. I'm not putting down the women but I'm saying its time the men realize the responsibility and the seriousness.

How do these houses get upset? First, the elders must not allow this teaching in the church, but we have social media and all kinds of printed material and everything. You don't have to leave the home to read the wrong stuff. That's why we like having the bookstore here and help people to sort through. The ladies were sharing with me this week the help they got when they went to the bookstore and certain books were recommended for them and they're sharing them with other . . . We want good material. Sometimes, men, you might see what your wife is reading and pick that up and read it, too, then when she has a questions you'll say I read that, I think here is what you are looking for. That's another whole series of sermons.

Families shouldn't be upset. Part of what the men do is they encourage. God has appointed the elders, we follow the elders unless they are denying doctrine. If they deny the deity of Christ, you don't follow them anymore, you boot them out or leave. But the battles we have don't come to that, at least we haven't in my time here. People make up, I think the elders are not right here, I don't agree with what they did. You don't have to agree. And the men ought to encourage that by their leadership. It breaks down here. What did you abdicate your responsibility to someone else for? You are not a godly man, you are not submissive to Christ, quit pretending. The order established and Corinthians, Ephesians, Christ, the man, the woman, the children, the dog, whatever. That's the order God has established. You decide you are going to rebel against that, you are not being godly anymore. We act like well, you know . . . I don't honor God if I decide, well, you know I might be popular, I might get to associate with more important preachers if I would make some adjustments here. You'd say, that's not right. Where do men get away from thinking I'll take my wife's thoughts into consideration on everything? But I cannot abdicate my responsibility for the decisions that are made. And truth cannot be sacrificed. There is a line that is drawn that I must help her hold and I must hold myself.

Verse 11, “They must be silenced,” muzzled, “because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach” and they are doing it for gain. They write another book. I was reading a book, one of those I'm going to use as an example, the man acknowledges this is new teaching and it takes a while to adjust your thinking to something new and he is a recognized evangelical. It will take us the whole book, 300+ pages, it's hard for me to read that book because he is just massaging your mind. Now just stay with me because we are going to get to this in chapter 7. Now listen, just think . . ., and everything is just a little twist and then just a little twist. So by the end of this thing he has taken over your thinking and you are thinking like he is. Let's stop, I'm not open to that, I'm not going where you want to take me, I'm not the dog you are training. I'm looking to the word of God. You've come up with something new and you've gotten famous and you've gotten rich by selling it. But we're not going there.

“One of themselves (verse 12).” What to do? Because people always think that's just Paul, he is always the hardliner, he's always the one who can find a problem in everything. So he goes and says here is what the Cretans are like. “A prophet of their own,” this might be Epimenides, 600 years before Paul, he is usually credited with this instruction, that it doesn't matter. The point is, like I might say when I mention a person who is not a believer, nothing about him a believer, but what he said was true and it reveals. They talk about the moral decay of our country, I'll say even he recommends . . . That's what Paul is doing here. Those who you want to recognize as a prophet, you believe him, he says this about you, “Cretans are always liars.” And even the word to cretinize meant to be a liar, they are liars. “Evil beasts, lazy gluttons. This testimony is true. For this reason reprove them severely.” There is that word reprove, they are supposed to reprove, rebuke, correct, and here he adds the word sharply, this is cutting, it's what it means, sharply, to cut into something. Rebukes, if they are really coming from . . ., they cut in unless a person is hardened to it, won't be open. That's part of what happens with a rebuke, sometimes people get offended. You rebuke them sharply, this can't be tolerated. This kind of background is what is coming into the church. It doesn't come out in full blaze, it is working its way in and the truth . . . Well, we've made some adjustments to the truth, we've made some adjustments, we're not denying the truth.

We have a major denomination, they have churches in the area, when they met this year they decided to take premillenialism out of their doctrinal statement. Why? We want to be broader. How did that go? Well, we have a different view of the kingdom now. That means we'll have additional view of social action, we'll have a different view of political action. We're just showing how welcoming and loving we are. No, you are not, you are cowards, abandoning the truth to be popular. Reprove them severely.

“Not paying attention,” verse 14, “to Jewish myths, commandments of men who turn away from the truth.” Do I want to be connected to this? How did this get into the church? He is writing to what has to be dealt with that is infecting the church, like we read in all those other passages. These creep in unawares, and they are even denying our Lord and Master. How do you sneak in and deny Christ as the Lord and Master and that be a secret? It's like we warn our children, you don't pay attention, there are people who may try to lure you into something, they always do it with something nice, candy, something you'll like, something you'll enjoy. And it always starts that way. Don't even listen, turn, and run away. We should be so wise as Christians, we don't listen. No, I know what the Word says.

“Not paying attention to Jewish myths and commandments of men who turn away from the truth. To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure.” We saw this in Romans 8, for those of you who are with our study in Romans 8, those who are in the flesh cannot please God, they do nothing that is pleasing to Him. That's what he is talking about here. You don't make yourself pure by getting people, well if you do this and you do that, you conform to these external things, then you will be pleasing to God. For the Jews it was keep the Law, believe in Christ but you have to keep the Law. The transformation has to come from within. We'll look more about that as we pick up with our next study. The problem is “both their mind and their conscience are defiled. They profess to know God, but by (their works) their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed. But as for you,” the next chapter begins, “speak the things which are fitting for (healthy) sound doctrine.” You can't mix the two, you just can't, you mix the error. It's like these are cancer cells, but I have healthy cells and I think I have more healthy cells than cancer cells. Wait a minute, you know what happens, the error eats up and destroys the truth, every mixture that has been made. I went to schools where this has happened, whole seminary corrupted and destroyed. Is it that major, is that serious? The end result, nothing of value left.

So that's why this is serious matter. We pray about the physical health of our people, we're concerned. I pray for the leaders of our country and the medical people and God in His common grace has given wisdom to men and I'm thankful for that, that they'll use that wisdom and may come up with a solution to the present problem. But I want to understand the most serious issue is a spiritual one. It has to start with (Isaiah 1:18), “Come now, and let us reason together,” says the Lord, though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow, though they are red like crimson they will be like wool.” You can be cleansed and forgiven on the inside and then life changes. You start to change the life on the outside and then think you will work on the inside, you have undermined the gospel, you have denied Christ, you have corrupted the Word. And we can never be tolerant of that.

Let's pray together. Thank you, Lord, for the riches of Your word. Thank you, that it is a word that is alive and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, and it pierces even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and it's a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Thank you, that the gospel is Your power for salvation to everyone who believes. Lord, may we be faithful to this word, may we count it our most precious treasure, may we delight to feed upon it, to study it, to be taught it, to grow, to be a church that exhorts in sound doctrine and refutes any and all who contradict. Thank you, for the work You've done in our lives, individually and personally, in the life You continue to do in the church. I pray You will bless us in these days, protect us, keep us, use us to honor You wherever we are, in whatever situation. We pray in Christ's name, amen.