Shepherds Of The Flock, Part 3 - Frank Brancato

In Titus Chapter 1 and verse 5. The Apostle Paul told Titus, the

Titus 1 · chapter mention

reason that he left him in Crete.

In fact, the Bible says for this reason, I left you in Crete that

you should set in order the things that are lacking and

appoint ordain Elders in every city.

I have commanded you now interesting about Crete.

You remember this by way of review, it was it was the fifth

largest island. In the Mediterranean Sea, it was

185 miles long and at its widest place, it was 35 miles wide,

there were over 100 cities in Crete and there was over a

million people at this time of this writing and yet the Apostle

Paul told Titus, I'm leaving you in.

Concrete, because there's something very important that

you must do. And that is number one set in

order the things that are lacking, and one of which of

those things would be ordaining, Elders in every city.

Now, every city, there means really every congregation now,

the names of the office are these.

In fact, we can find in the word of God that the office of an

elder is described in three names.

All With the same office, he is called an elder and that word

simply means older and with experience.

In other words, the very definition of the word.

Elder would disqualify a young man, an inexperienced man from

being in that office of an elder, he is also called a

bishop and a bishop is the same office as an elder.

That word means overseer, and that describes his duty to the

congregation. Thirdly, he is called A pastor

and a pastor in the word of God is not a preacher of Pastor is

an elder meaning. Shepherd, describing his task to

feed the flock. So why three names for the same

office, they all describe various aspects or different

aspects of his title and responsibilities as an elder,

he's to be older and with experience.

He has the duty to the congregation to be an overseer

and he is a task to feed the flock of God.

God and therefore he is a Shepherd, all right?

As important as it is to have elders.

And they have elders and deacons in the body of Christ.

There are requirements and qualifications.

In fact, the Bible describes there are 24 qualifications for

a man to be an elder. What have we known so far?

What have we studied so far? Number one, a man must desire,

the office and it ordered the desire, the office.

He must eagerly desire, the work.

So, in other words that's not a man that just wants the title.

I'll sometimes in life, I'm not talking about the church that I

was talking about in life sometimes in life.

People want to be a figurehead or people want to have a title

but they don't want the work. They don't want the

responsibility of rolling up their sleeves and going to work

very hard in the position that they've been given, they just

want the title. Now when Paul uses two words

desire in the same passage, he means this if you desire the

title you must also eagerly. Fire.

The work number two. What else?

Not a sinless, man? But Paul says, I got to be

blameless. That's a man that's clean.

I guess you would say. That's a man that has no

sustainable charge against. He's a man of reputation, not

only in the body of Christ, but even outside of the body of

Christ, we noticed last time he is to be the husband of one

wife. In other words, he is a one

woman, man. Now you know what that means

really a one woman man. That means that a man is

faithful and true to his bride. As Jesus Christ is faithful and

true to his bride. The church, he is a one-woman

man. Nobody else enters into the

picture. And finally he must have

regardless of how many he has all of his children.

Need to be faithful Christians. And that brings us to the Fifth

one, and our first today, and that is this.

He must be vigilant as found in the King James version Vigilant.

Now if we notice the passage in 1st Timothy Chapter 3, and verse

to the King James calls, it Vigilant, what does that

actually mean? The word Vigilant by Debbie,

even means temperate. Or watchful the new King James,

just simply, says, temper. It's the same word.

It's what it means to be vigilant is to be temperate, to

be temperate, is To Be watchful. Now, by the way, do you remember

when I said that many of these things, many of these things,

apply to every Christian In fact, a very safe word.

Vigilant is a word that Peter uses describing, all Christians,

and the warning, that all Christians have listen to this

first, Peter five and eight. In First Peter 5:8, Peter says,

1 Peter 5:8

be sober and be vigilant. Now, why would Peter say that?

Why would we need to be sober and Vigilant or watchful?

Peter says, why listen to this? Because your adversary the devil

walks about Like a roaring lion seeking Those whom he may

devour. So, every Christian has to be

what watchful. Now, one of the qualifications

or requirements of an elder, he is to be temperate.

He is to be vigilant. He is to Be watchful.

Interesting word, the word temperate, it comes from a word

that means wine lists. And I looked that up and I tried

to study that from the root meaning from the original.

And it means this, it literally Means holding no whines now.

What's that mean? One scholar said, it means that

this is a man that has the self-control To Be watchful, be

careful, and have the self-control to abstain, from

all manners of things regarding wine, or drinking or sin.

It's a man. That is why nameless it's

nowhere in his life. It has no place in his life, the

lifestyle, or the substance. In second Timothy 4 in verse 5,

But You Be watchful in all things.

Simply stated, keep your head Weist.

Said this, by the way, he said Vigilant means to be calm now.

I got to tell you my personality.

Is not necessarily that. It's not necessarily calm.

One time somebody said, man, you're excited.

He really excited. Yeah, I know that but an elder

that is vigilant. Which means temperate, which

means watchful is a man that has a calm demeanor.

You know, I could think of men right now, I can think of their

personality that I have known in the church in my lifetime where

I would say, you know what, that's the demeanor of an elder.

That's it right there. That's a calm guy right there.

Now, I'm going to jump down to this word and then we're going

to get back to this in just a minute circumspect.

Why said that? This guy means he is Sir

Circumspect. That's a matter of not taking

unnecessary risks. That's a man that evaluates

every possible circumstance of his actions before he makes the

choice, we get that. So he's a calm guy, he's making

good decisions. But what's that?

What is dispassionate. You know what that word means.

It actually means not influenced by strong emotion and because of

that he is able to be rational and And impartial.

Are you starting to get the idea of the mindset or the demeanor

of this man? That is called an elder in the

Lord's Church? He's calm, he's dispassionate,

he circumspect. In other words at Elder is a

straight thinker, he's keeping his head, he must not allow his

mind to become clouded and intoxicated one scholar said

with philosophies and doctrines that are strange.

He keeps straight about God's word.

He's a man, that is well, rooted and grounded in faith and

Doctrine. He's a man that can take the

sword of the spirit. That's the word of God, and he

can defend the truth and protect the flock.

A serious business, being an elder.

It's serious business. He's ever ever watchful

remembering the warning that Paul laid down in Acts, 20 and

29, you know, why you got to be watchful, you know, why that an

elder needed to Be watchful. You know why Paul talked about

the qualifications of an elder because this is what they had to

do Acts, 20, and 29 for. I know this that after my

departure, Savage wolves will come in among you not sparing

the flock, you know what they needed?

They needed an elder. They needed an elder.

To defend the word of God. So a Vigilant or temperate, man.

Is one who keeps the faith and also keeps his head while get

this while all others are losing theirs.

Did you get that? He keeps his head when all

others are losing theirs. Remember when that happened in

Acts 27? Remember when Paul exercised his

right I'm going to go and appeal to Caesar.

You can go to Rome and appeal to Caesar.

He was in prison about two years and all of a sudden.

Now, he's going to go before Caesar.

He's got to get on a ship. He's got to go a long distance.

Remember that there was two hundred and seventy six men on

that ship. And you know what they were

doing. All of them had lost their

minds. There's a great storm.

They're panicking. All this may be one of the jump

out the back and getting the skiff for the dinghy.

The little boat and get out of there.

You know, Paul said be of good cheer. for, I believe that if

she'll be as it was told me he was keeping his head.

When everybody else lost there's you know, I am 50 now.

But when I was 18 Tanner's, getting very close to this time.

I was 18. And my father before I left home

to go to college. My father gave me something that

meant a great deal to me in my lifetime.

Means a lot more now than it at 18.

My father gave me the poem If by Rudyard Kipling.

And it's very beginning. It says, if you can keep your

head, when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on

you, If you can trust yourself when all men doubt, you but make

allowance for their doubting too.

At the end of this poem as he talks about all the aspects of

being a man, he says that if he could do all this he said yours

is the Earth and everything that's in it.

And which is more. You'll be a man.

My son. You got to keep your head when

all about you are losing theirs, and maybe even blaming it on

you, an elder. Folks, is calm, he's cool.

He's collected in all of his relationships and like I said

before, not just in the church, but all of his relationships,

even in the community. So he's to be vigilant King.

James says he's to be temperate. That means watchful.

He has a calm dispassionate. Demeter, that's an elder.

What else? He has to be sober minded.

And by the way, this actually branches off of this, you're

going to find these kind of Stack Up on one another one

leads to another. So in other words, if I'm this

Vigilant guy, guess what? It's going to do, it's going to

translate in Being Sober minded. Now, what does that work sober?

Minded mean, we go to our passage again and in the Greek

dictionary for the word sober, in actually means this, it means

sound mine. It means, Self controlled or

simply put sober-minded. So when Paul is talking about a

sober minded, man, he's talking about somebody that is under

control. You ever lose control?

This is a man that's well-behaved folks, get this in

actions and reactions. sometimes we make the right choice, if we

have a period of time to prepare ourselves for the action, But

sometimes we lose our mind when we don't have time to prepare

for the action. And our reaction is not what it

ought to be. Sometimes we sin and sometimes

we say things, we regret later. I'm not above that, by the way,

not above that. I lived most of my life with a

really big mouth. You learn, you learn you shut

the mouth and it keeps you out of trouble.

This man here by the way, there's sober-minded, man, you

know what he is? He's a guy that makes the right

decisions with self-control in all of his premeditated actions

and his non premeditated reactions.

Ever known somebody like that, their reactionary.

They're always reacting. Not this guy, this guy's got his

act together. This guy has prepared himself.

He is calm and watchful. So what he's free, he's sober

minded, premeditated actions and non premeditated reactions.

You know, a guy like this is a guy that doesn't fly off the

handle all the time. if he has self-control, you know, one

commentator said, If he demonstrates self-control in

other words, a self-controlled man is what who is that guy?

He is a spirit controlled, man. Now, the way that you are a

spirit controlled, man, it's not miraculous today and it's not

direct. If you're going to be a spirit

controlled, man, you are a man that is guided and controlled by

the word of God. In other words, that is the

basis of everything you have in your life and everything that

you are want to be self-controlled.

You got to be Spirit controlled. And by the way, that is every

Christian, not just an elder, that's every Christian.

If we're going to be have self-control, All we have to be

Spirit control and you have to make the decisions in advance of

the kind of person that you want to be in advance.

So you don't have to make impulsive decisions.

Now, another scholar said that, this kind of a man is a man that

does not live in a dream world of emotions and impulsive

feelings. He's the kind of, man.

That we love to have in a church business meeting.

He's the kind of man that's not reactionary, he's a calm guy, he

sets a great example and regardless of what you're

discussing he is under control. He is under control a person

that's caught up in frenzies of irrational.

Emotionalism is not a sober minded, man.

Now, do you remember when Paul preached the gospel, The Festus

member that in Acts 26? He preaches the gospel, The

Festus, you know, they said about him.

They said, Paul you are out of your mind.

In fact, one translation says you are mad, you're nuts.

You're out of your mind. Now being out of your mind is

the flip side or the opposite of Being Sober minded.

You know what Paul said? Paul says no no no no that's not

me. He said this, I'm not mad, I'm

not crazy. I'm not out of my mind Noble

Festus. I speak the words of truth and

the King James says soberness. And in that regard, he's

basically saying I speak the words of truth and reason.

That's a sober minded, man. It's a man of reason.

He's the kind of man also that God uses to motivate others to a

more fruitful and Abundant Life. And because he self-controlled

he can calm the storms that come up in a congregation.

Now, more importantly, get this though.

Do you know why a self-controlled man?

Do you know why he's controlled on and calm on the outside?

The only way that he can be calm and controlled on the outside,

if he's common controlled on the inside.

And we talked about things, where people make choices and

all that, you know, it really comes down to something really,

really simple. And that is.

Where is your heart? Because whatever your heart is

where that is, that's where your treasure is going to be.

Jesus said, So, the problem isn't fixing, all the individual

things in our life. A problem is fixing what's on

the inside if we want to be, well, behaved you got to fix it

on the inside? If I fix it on the inside, guess

what? It will automatically manifest

itself on the outside and that's what it means to be

self-controlled sober-minded, he's already fixed it on the

inside, camper it. So it's fixed on the outside.

Sober minded. What else?

What else? A sober minded man.

Is the next one. Back up.

The next one is he is a man of good behavior.

A man of good behavior. Going back to our passage.

He not only is temperate and sober minded that we just

noticed, but he's also a man of good behavior.

Good behavior. Now we Vine, says this word

means orderly and it means modest.

His deportment is good. It is kind, it's considerate.

In other words this guy's a gentleman.

He's not abrasive, he's a gentleman, he is orderly and

modest. He is a man of good behavior and

when a man is of good behavior, there's another word that is

attached to that. And that's a man that is

respectable. Now, this is a man that not only

respects, God and respects himself.

He respects himself so much because of his inner feeling of

respectability. And what does that going to do?

It always reflects itself in outward conduct.

And by the way, it comes from the root word for the orderly

world that is around us. In other words, things that are

in order, It denotes inward orderliness seen in outward,

adornment of beauty. You see how it's all connected.

Ones building on the other. After you fixed it on the

inside. And by the way, the same word is

used by Paul describing how a woman should dress in first,

Timothy 2 and 9 in like manner, also that a woman Adorn.

Them is women Adorn themselves in modest apparel and other

words respectable. So what that means in Greek

literature, it describes one who disciplines himself, and who may

thus be regarded as genuinely moral and respectable.

But what does it mean to be? Respectable, you know, there's

another word from that original root word that we have today,

you know what it's called. Cosmetics.

I'm going to tell you something, ladies.

You're going to have to cut me a little slack.

I'm not an expert on makeup, not maybe there'd be something wrong

with me. If I was I'm not an expert on

makeup and cosmetics. But I'm going to tell you

something. That's what this word means.

And there's two kinds of Cosmetics.

There's two kinds of makeup. One is used to cover up.

And the other is used to reveal. Talk about cover up, cover up.

In other words, you are taking something and you are covering

up a blemish, you're covering something up that you really

are, you example by this, by the way?

This really happened. For 24 years, I was a painting

contractor and I painted all manner of buildings and what

have you? And we we had a contract with a

funeral home. And one day, the funeral

director had me come in and walk inside this Slumber room there.

And there was a fellow that was laid out there in his casket and

we walked in and I'm not kidding.

This guy was greater than the Jolly Green Giant.

This guy was as green as green could be.

You know what they did, they took cover up and they spackled

this guy and they booked him that they got so much of this on

his face. There wasn't one Speck of green

left. In other words, they covered up

what he really was. That's not the kind of

Cosmetics. I'm talking about.

I'm talking about the kind of Cosmetics here that is

demonstrated in your behavior. In other words, it reveals who

you really are on the inside, that's what behavior is.

It reveals what we've are already on the inside.

If you want to liken that to make up today, which I'm not an

expert on at all. It would be something that

reveals the beauty that you already are.

Not something that's traveled on, with a spatula, to cover up.

What you really are. Respectable.

Two kinds of cosmetics. But the one that we're talking

about is the kind that reveals and highlights, what is there?

So, what's there? What's this man?

Revealing here it is. He is with.

The revealer being his, what being his good behavior

cosmetic. You know, it's do.

It it's revealing or highlighting and bringing out

the character of Jesus Christ, that is already in his heart.

That's what that means. Again, we're building one on the

other, he's calm and watchful, at least two self-control with

his actions that are premeditated and non

premeditated reactions and he demonstrates that in good

behavior, which reveals Jesus Christ and his already in his

heart of who he is. What about the next one?

Not only is he a man of good behavior?

But he's a man that is hospitable. the King James

simply says, given to hospitality Interesting word

here, going back to our passage. This passage actually is

translated from a word. That means a lover of strangers.

A lover of strangers. You know, I talk to people in my

life. This one person said that long

ago, I don't like people. Okay, I don't get that purse

next to the and Frank. My problem is I really don't

like me, I don't really don't like people. but I think you got

to like people And an elder has to be a lover strangers.

I know there has to be hospitable.

And you know, when Paul wrote this, they would have understood

that. You know why?

Because in ancient Oriental culture and custom at the time,

you know what they would have understood, they would have

understood that even separate from the church.

I'm just talking about culture of the day, you know what they

would have understood, they would have understood that.

It was the custom of the day that a stranger was coming

through town. Not only do you, bring them into

your house and feed them, give them a meal but It was their

culture that they that she gave him a place to stay overnight.

You know why they didn't have hotels and motels and all that

stuff that we have today. You could stop anywhere in the

middle of the night. You can find a place to stay.

Not then. What about Christians though?

How about Christians that were passing through town, you know,

when they want to stay, you know, where they would love to

stay, it would love to stay with other Christians that were given

to hospitality traveling by Elders as church leaders were

those that had to set the proper example, and they would show and

extend Hospitality to them. You remember, when Paul wrote

the letter to Philemon? It's one chapter long is so

powerful. It is largely.

We it is largely a writing about a man by the name of onesimus, a

runaway slave. Now Paul is writing to Philemon

and you remember what Paul said King James says this, in that

one chapter, when he talks about this, he says this King James

prepare for me, a lodging, the new King James.

I love this. It says, prepare a guest room

for me. In other words, I need a place

to stay. I need you Philemon.

To be hospitable. I need you to extend

Hospitality. Now I got to say this.

I know today, it's difficult because If you don't know the

person, I'm not talking about a crystal talking about just

people, in general, we don't have that custom.

It's it could be very dangerous. Might invite somebody in your

house and do terrible harm your family.

So Customs have changed somewhat regarding that but not

Christians. Not about members of the body of

Christ, how many people say, you know, one of the great things

about being a member of the church, you can be on the other

side of the country or the world and you can have Christians,

have you over in their house? Feed you and put you up for the

night. And treat you like a brother or

a sister. A lover of strangers.

Have you ever heard somebody referred to as they were?

So friendly that they never met a stranger?

I know people like that. Her lover strangers.

Now we get that right. But there's something else

that's connected to this, please get this.

And now I'm going to talk to every single person sitting here

in this room. Here it is.

You have the same responsibilities that all Elders

do in this regard. Here it is.

That is being a lover of strangers to those that are

brand new Congress. What ask you a question?

I love his congregation, I love. The direction that we are going

together. I've known you.

Most of my life, some of you. But I want to ask a question to

the congregation. Are you really ready to grow?

We want to grow. Which is baptized 10 people we

want to grow. Oh yeah, that's grow preach it.

Let's grow. Are you really ready?

You have a responsibility to You have a responsibility of doing

what? Helping to integrate these brand

new members, both socially and spiritually.

In the kingdom of God, that's all members.

I read one commentator and he said this.

And by the way, that's not this, that's not to folks, I'm not

taking a shot, that's not to folks, but I read this, and it's

probably this way and various places.

But listen to this, he said in our high-tech Society, men and

women who work with cold and personal machines all week long,

they don't need to find Cold impersonal, people at services

on Sunday morning. That's true.

He said, we need more than correct heads.

Filled with correct doctrines. We need Hearts filled with

correct. Christian love and extend to our

new members, an elder that practices Hospitality folks.

That's the guy that's warm. He's friendly, he's responsive

to others. He's this guy, he's the guy that

people feel at ease around. People want to be around.

Well, finally. Not only does an elder have to

be hospitable, a lover of strangers, but he also needs to

be able to teach. I'm going to tell you this.

Sometimes we talk about well what's actually teaching is it

public or private? Does he have to teach publicly

or can it just be privately and if he teaches publicly does it

erase every bit of his re obligation privately and these

are questions that often times. Come up.

Well, let's talk about that the word able in the King James just

simply means or is translated. Act.

And that word means able to teach is found in the very same

passage. It is our fifth point this

morning. What does it mean?

It literally means capable of teaching.

It means somebody that is capable of doing that.

The question is, why is that? Why shouldn't the Elder, teach

Paul gave the answer Ephesians 4.

Listen to this Ephesians 4 beginning in verse 11 and he

himself gave some to be Apostles, some prophets, some

evangelists some pastors which are elders and teachers for the

equipping of the Saints for the work of the ministry for the

edifying of the body of Christ. So teaching is necessary.

Now teaching isn't just public teaching of lessons from the

pulpit. It's not it also includes

private teaching, it includes the ability to talk to someone

and privately teach them. And I will tell you this.

Some of the greatest good in teaching is done privately.

Sometimes the greatest harm is done privately if it's false Oh,

don't downgrade or minimize private teaching.

An elder has to be a man that is able to teach.

He has to be skillful in doing, so he has to be capable of doing

that. But not only publicly, but it

has to be in private to what else he has to be able to impart

spiritual knowledge and advice quietly, reverently skillfully

and lovingly. That's responsibility.

Of an elder. You know, the idea of teaching

is actually described in this way as a sign of spiritual

maturity and spiritual growth. Hebrews chapter 5, beginning in

Hebrews 5 · chapter mention

verse 12, listen to this. This is and I believe it to be

the Apostle, Paul writing the Hebrew Christians.

And he talks about a puts on the same level able to teach along

with spiritual maturity and growth This is what he says for

though. By this time, you ought to be

teachers. In other words, you've been a

member of the body of Christ long enough.

There's times has gone by But you're not, you need someone to

teach you again, the first principles of the Oracles of God

and you have come to need milk and not have solid food for

everyone who partakes. Only of milk is unskillful in

the word of righteousness. For he is a babe, but solid food

belongs to those who are full age.

That is those who by reason of use, have their senses,

exercised to discern, both, good and evil.

They're the writer of Hebrews. I believe it to be Paul

describes a Teacher as someone that has grown to maturity and

it demonstrates. His maturity and growth in his

spiritual life. Well folks, I'm going to tell

you to teach well, you got to study well.

Got study. You have got to study.

I'm not talking about just study to get a lesson together.

I'm talking about studying to learn the word of God, study,

the Bible. And let me just say in passing

as a little bit of advice to all the teachers if you're

struggling with what the cues to teach on.

What topic should I teach, man? I've been teaching all these

topics. I've ran out of thoughts.

I ran out of theories. I ran out of ideas.

My advice to you is advice. That was given to me many many,

many years ago, don't do it that way.

Studying the Bible study the Bible and I'm telling you,

you're going to have topic sleeping off the page study the

Bible studying in the context and it was given written all the

circumstances surrounding it. You'll have a greater knowledge

of the word of God, and you'll have all kinds of ideas.

What to preach on? All right.

Why do you got to know the word of God Elders, Titus 1 and 9,

listen to this holding fast, the faithful word, as he has been

taught, that he may be able by sound Doctrine, both to exhort

and convict those who contradict the King James says, convince

the gainsayers, all that means is you have to be able to exhort

and convict those. That would teach things that

contradict the word of God. In order to do that, you got to

know the word of God. Paul told Timothy to commit the

word to Faithful Men that they may be able to teach others.

Also, second Timothy 2:24 25 and the servant of the Lord must do,

2 Timothy 2:24

this must not quarrel but be gentle to all able to teach

patient in humility correcting, those who are in opposition, if

God, perhaps will grant them repentance.

So that they may know the truth. There's a lot of things to be.

Worked on him, all of our life. In conclusion.

We've noticed, now, nine things that are requirements to be an

elephant. I know that Paul told Titus, I'm

leaving you, I'm leaving you in Crete to set in order the things

that are lacking and ordain Elders in every city or every

church. That's true, but make no mistake

about it. When they were ordained in every

city, they fit the qualifications all of them,

every qualification, there's 24, this is just 9.

What have we known so far in closing?

Guys, got a desired office and if you desire the position, you

got a desire to work. You got to be a blameless, man.

All that means is no, sustainable charge held against

you. You have a good reputation.

You have a clean slate, you need to be the husband of one wife

talked about that last time. That just simply means a

one-woman, man. You got to have faithful

children. That means that they're faithful

Christians. You need to be vigilant or

temperate which is calm and watchful.

That's going to lead to what having self-control in all of

Your actions and reactions. What else is it going to do?

It's going to lead you to demonstrate that.

What is on the inside in a respectable good behavior?

You're going to become a lover of strangers.

You're going to be a hospitable man and you will be skillful and

capable and teaching the word of God.

S9. Next time probably won't get

past eat a whole verse but next is not given to Wine.

Not violent, not greedy for money, but gentle not

quarrelsome and not Covetous. That's first Timothy chapter 3

1 Timothy 3 · chapter mention

and verse 3, that'll be next time.

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