Titus 1:5-9

“I left you on the island of Crete so you could complete our work there and appoint elders in each town as I instructed you. An elder must live a blameless life. He must be faithful to his wife, and his children must be believers who don’t have a reputation for being wild or rebellious. A church leader is a manager of God’s household, so he must live a blameless life. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered; he must not be a heavy drinker, violent, or dishonest with money. Rather, he must enjoy having guests in his home, and he must love what is good. He must live wisely and be just. He must live a devout and disciplined life. He must have a strong belief in the trustworthy message he was taught; then he will be able to encourage others with wholesome teaching and show those who oppose it where they are wrong.”

As we continue in our series, “Firm Foundations” in the book of Titus Paul moves from introductions to instructions, as he charges Titus with completing the work and appointing elders in each town. Verse 5 starts with Titus’s task, to “set in order” or “straighten out what was left unfinished.” Some have wondered how Crete could be evangelized so thoroughly if Paul never preached there during his earlier missionary journeys. The key is found in Acts 2:11, where we read that some Cretans were present on the Day of Pentecost, and after hearing the gospel in their own language, were converted and went back to the island where they spread the good news. And you thought I made the word Cretans up!! This word to “set in order” is where we get the words orthodontist and orthopedist. Their job is to correct what is crooked whether that be teeth that need straightening or bones that need bracing with a cast. It literally means “to set right. Titus just like a doctor, had the tall task of correcting what was crooked. What needed attention was the lack of leadership in the local churches. As we read this verse, I am reminded of all the things that are still unfinished around me and I’m thankful that God will complete what He has begun (Philippians 1:6). No church has completed its chore and no ministry is without messes. It’s here that Paul provides us with more than just a list of qualifications but with a litmus test for leadership. If Titus is going to set in order the things that are lacking then he needs to start with leadership, because the leadership of the church affects the life of the church. If a church has lax leadership, it will have a limited impact for the Lord. Today as we tackle the topic of Eldership in the church, it would be easy for many of us to zone out because we are not Elders. But I want you to understand that this is more than just a list for leaders it’s a litmus test for all of our lives. You see what Paul does is provide us with a list of virtues and vices and as we go through these I want you to be asking yourself are you living a virtuous life or are you being controlled and consumed by the vices? Now one of the things that 3 decades of ministry has taught me is that people have many different expectations when it comes to their church leaders. But more important than pleasing the people in the church the pastor should seek to please the Lord. But we need to ask ourselves is the Bible going to be our basis for both belief and behavior or is our bias? When it comes to church leaders are we going to make it about what we want or are we going to make it about the Lords Will?