Wanted: Good Managers

One other thing, and this is going to be kind

of like a zero entry pool right into our text.

And that is some of you were paying attention when

about forty days ago or so, I said, hey, look

in your bulletin, we are looking to a point for

additional elders to this church, and we're planning to have

an installation service. I don't know, we'll probably do that

ceremony on March twenty second or so. And some of

you took that down and cause I heard from some

of you like, hey, March twenty second, that's in.

The rear view mirror what happened.

And apologize for that. Let me say what I should

have explained back then. We have decided to elongate this

process a little bit. We're going to elongate this process

a little bit. I was talking to a friend and

mentor who said, you know, when was the last time

you taught on elders And I was like, I don't

that's done. That was like nine years ago, taught the

whole book of Titus.

And he's like, yeah, you might want to do that again.

There may me need to be continuing sewing of understanding

in your church regarding pastor elders and build some time

in this process for the congregation to build some bridges

and trust and get to know some of the men

that you are going to consider appointing as elders. So

we're taking a little bit more time, and as a

part of that time, I'm going to teach on it.

That's where we're at with Titus Chapter one. And I'll

just go ahead and tell you this morning, we're gonna

be a little bit more like teachee than preachy. And

some of you are like yay, and others are like, okay,

I'll buckle up. Yeah, I heard you went long in

the last service.

Not a lie true. So we'll see how we do.

But Titus chapter one, verses five through nine is one

of the main texts in the New Testament about elders,

about elders, pastors, overseers. The Bible uses all of these

terms synonymously. There's not one group that are pastors and

another group that are church that are elders. This is

one office pastor, elder overseer in a church. And this letter,

if you read the you know the whole title there

in your copy of God's Word. It says, the letter

of Paul to Titus, we just call it Titus.

This letter to Titus.

Is it reminds me of like a general in the

army leaving behind a colonel to sort.

Of finish a job.

Paul is taking off from these like literally like helicoptering

out of this island of crete, not literally a helicopter,

but literally an island of crete, and he's saying, okay, soldier,

I need you to finish the job.

And he gives them this letter.

And this letter is not just about elders, although that's here.

It's really a more comprehensive set of written reminders and

some written justification for Titus to point to for setting

churches on a good trajectory, a good, healthy way to go.

And Titus is going to need it because Crete is

a rough place.

And he says, this is what I want you to.

Do, and he gives them this letter, and it includes

this section here about appointing elders. Let's read it, Titus

one five through nine. This is why I left you

in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order.

And a point elders in every town, as I directed you,

if anyone is above reproach. The husband of one wife

and his children are believers are not open to the

charge of debauchery or insubordination. For an overseer, as God's steward,

must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or

quick tempered, or a drunkard, or violent or greedy for gain,

but hospitable, a lover of good, self controlled, upright, holy,

and disciplined.

He must hold.

Firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he

may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine, and

also to rebuke those who contradict it.

This is God's Word.

Titled this Morning's message wanted good managers, good managers, And

I get that from this key term in our text, stewards.

That's how the English Standard version translates this an overseer

as God's steward. Other translations use a little bit different term.

Some will say as stewards of God's household, or as

overseers of God's household, or as those entrusted with God's work.

And then there's also this translation.

As managers of God's house.

I like that term. I like that translation managers. It

reminds me.

Actually of I worked on a farm.

My uncle owns a sheep and goat farm. And I

worked on his farm for a while, So I've literally

been a shepherd before, and you smell much better than

that that sheep fold. But what you would have on

this farm, and it was it was kind of a

large farm. And what is noticeable about a sheep fold.

What is noticeable about a sheep farm is that it

requires constant management farm hands. You gotta have good farm hands.

And what I what I don't like about the translation

manager is that if we're not careful, the idea that

pass elders overseers this office is management like business management,

like merely administrative church trustee sort of stuff that would

not be true of pastoral ministry. To say it the

way I've heard it before, the business of the church.

Sure ain't the business of the church. That's actually pretty simple.

What I do like about this term managers when we're

talking about pastors, well, for one, the Bible uses it

always on sound footing. When the Bible is using the

same term, you're using steward manager. But the other thing

that I like about that term for the office of

elder pastor.

Is that it is sufficiently plain.

It's sufficiently plain if you don't know many pastors. You

might think the office of pastor or the title of

pastor is some exalted thing. I promise you it's not.

Ask my wife. She told me to say that manager

is kind of not that big a deal.

And here is.

And I told you this was going to go long,

and the intro is particularly long, and I know some

of you love that, So this is for you. Here's

the biblical pattern when it comes to appointing God's steward's

or elders, pastors, overseers. What we see as a biblical

pattern in the New Testament is for one, a plurality,

a plurality, a team of elders. We see that that's

implied here when he's saying appointing elders, but we see

that specifically like in Acts chapter twenty, as Paul is

leaving Ephesus and he's gathered around him the whole team

of elders, and he's praying with them and weeping with

them for the care of the church, the stewarding, the

managing of those souls there in Ephesus, a whole team,

a plurality of men who are sharing the shepherding load,

teaching in various settings, holding each other accountable, encouraging each other.

But not only this plurality in the pattern, but also

you see this pattern of some elders are paid and

some of them are unpaid. You do have like full

time pastoral ministry like you see in one Timothy chapter

five pastors being paid great and you see actually the

majority of pastors being unpaid volunteer elders in most of

the New Testament. In either case, here's the fact. Here's

the main thing. The main thing is elders in their

eldering work mostly have their reward in Heaven in mind,

that's where their eyes are focused. And then lastly, this pattern,

this pattern we see here is the appointment, the appointing

of elders. Now instead of elders being appointed as Titus

is instructed to do. Here, some of our brothers, like

our Southern Baptist brothers, they like to vote on elders

as a whole congregation. I don't think the Bible prohibits that.

But here we see wisdom in following this pattern more

closely from Titus elders examining and assessing an elders, appointing

potential elders.

That's kind of the pattern.

We see plurality, a mix of paid and unpaid pastors,

and the appointment of pastors.

And when people ask me.

In conversation over the past few months, when people have

asked me, hey, what's something you're really excited about these days,

which is a great topic of conversation. When every that's

a great question, Hey, what are you excited about these days?

My response has been, Man, we are appointing like four

new elders at our church, like we're looking to double

the pastoral team.

And they'll say, man, that is awesome. Why is that awesome?

What is it that's exciting about growing a pastoral team

in a church?

And I wonder do we know? Do we hear what.

Paul has to say about desiring leadership of the local

church being a noble thing? And do we see it?

And do we feel it? Do we do we see

how Jesus' heart aches over people who lack sufficient, sufficient shepherding,

and our hearts also ache when shepherding is not happening

in a sufficient way. Do we feel it? Because here's

the thing. We should eagerly receive good managers to pastor

our church. We should eagerly receive good managers to pastor

our church. And we're gonna look at this passage in

that regard three main headings. First, we're gonna talk about

the why why should we eagerly receive good managers?

Second, we're gonna talk about what it looks like?

What does it look like? And then third, how does

that connect to the Gospel of Jesus? So why what

does it look like? And how does that connect to

the gospel? All right, do we have our signposts clear enough?

Let me put on a bright blinker turn into the

first road?

Number one?

Why why should we eagerly receive good managers to pastor

our church? And the first thing I would say is

we need them, first of all, just to follow the

biblical pattern.

Like we need them to be biblical.

I know, Crossway Bible Church, it's in our middle name.

But like that's what Paul says here too, Titus in

verse five, Like he says, that's why I left you

in crete. Here's why I left you in crete to

appoint elder to put in order what remained at a

point elders. I mean, if that is the example that

we see over and over again throughout scripture, in acts,

in Titus, in Timothy, the question is don't we want

to follow the biblical example. Don't we feel like this

is good ground to be on. So yeah, but functionally,

why well, functionally is in order to be in order,

in functioning order.

That's what Paul says again in verse five.

I left you in crete so that you might put

what remained into order, into order, which is to say,

operational functioning. And Paul had come with his church planting team,

and Titus was a part of it. And they went

about crete and preached the gospel. And there were those

who heard the gospel, and by the power of the

Holy Spirit, they were transformed it by faith and the

grace of God, and they began to gather in a

real life church was born. They had planted a church.

But was it functioning? Was it operational? Was it set

in a healthy way? Paul said, not until some things happen.

And one of those is you need faithful stewards. Faithful

stewards reminds me of those farm hands. If you've ever

worked on a farm. At no point are you going

to say, huh more good farm hands.

Don't know why we need them? Hey, you'd know.

But partially I think feeling the.

Need for the fun functioning that comes.

From good faithful stewards has to do with understanding what

a church is, what a church is like. If we're

not careful, we can begin to conceive that a church

is a Sunday morning gathering.

That this is it that a church is like.

It's a three hour or four hour period on a

Sunday morning where people gather kind of in the same

room and they hear the same sort of teaching from

the Bible, and we sing spiritual songs and then church

is over.

And that's just not what a church is.

A church is a twenty four to seven endeavor as

a discipleship community looking to see our lives together as

we do ministry towards one another, to love one another

and encourage one another, hold each other accountable, and form

in one another by the power.

Of the Holy Spirit through the work.

Of God disciples amongst us. It is a one another

community that in order to function, requires faithful stewards, that

requires people looking after the discipleship, making sure this sort

of thing is happening, making sure lives are comporting with

good sound doctrine, and.

Rebuking those that don't.

If that is what a church is, then We need

stewards in order to function. If this gathering, if this

Bible teach sing a song show, if that's what church is,

well we need far less. God help us, God help us.

If this discipleship community devolves into just to teach the Bible,

sing the songs show, this can't be what we allow

to see happen in this community.

We need stewards to oversee the work, the real work

that you all are doing.

If you're a Christian, you're call to ministry, that's the work.

We need stuarts to oversee the work. I mean, Paul says,

this is why I left you in crete, But if

you look at chapter three, verse what is it ten

No twelve, Titus isn't staying forever. Paul has already said, Hey,

in a minute, I'm gonna send you some guys to

come get you and then come to me. So all

of this work that he's got throughout this letter of like, hey,

make sure these people are not teaching this nonsense, and

make sure that these ladies are discipling younger ladies, and

make sure that old men are living in dignified ways,

and make sure that younger men are remaining Come all

of this work, this make sure stuff. Who's going to

be doing that? Those folks that tight us appoints, they'll

become overseers over all of this work.

Here's the thing.

A church should want managers, managers, because a church needs managing.

We want shepherds to move us through this work of

making disciples amongst us, of growing in godliness. We want it,

I want it, I need it. Well, that was our

first road, the why why should we eagerly receive good managers?

Here's the second road. Put on a bright blinker. What

does it look like? What does it look like to

receive good managers to pastor our church? And here Paul

lays out just some basic qualifications of here's the guys

that you're looking for.

And he divides us up basically into three areas.

You're looking for competent managers of households, competent managers of godliness,

and competent managers of doctrine. Do you see that he

starts with household. He starts with the household. He says this,

if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife

and his children are believers and not open to the

charge of debauchery or in subordination for an overseer, as

God steward must be above reproach. So you could kind

of put it this way, elders should competently manage their household,

because elders manage the household of God's people, and He

gives us two kind of elements here. One is this

idea of husband of one wife or the translation And

there are a few different translation things to look at

in this paragraph. In the original language that the wording

is just.

This a one woman man, a one woman man.

And so the English Standard version translates that the husband

of one wife.

Now the issue comes when you start to interpret that.

Okay, well, what does that mean a guy who's only

ever been married once? And there are actually some people

who interpret it that way. So if there was a

man who was married whose wife died and he remarried,

and that person could never serve as an elder because

he's not a hu hu of one wife, I don't

think that is actually following what Paul is talking about here.

What Paul is saying here is a one woman man. Literally, well,

what is that?

Well?

I would say that if there's a man who's been

faithful and loved his wife who then died, and he

remarried another Christian woman and has continued to be faithful

and loving to her.

That's a one woman man.

Likewise, even if a man say he was an unbeliever

and was married and then for a legitimately with legitimately

biblical grounds, is divorced from that wife, he becomes a Christian,

marries a Christian woman, and he has lived for twenty

years in loving faithfulness to her. We as as the

elders here at Cross, always saying that's a one woman man.

It's a one woman man. In contrast, you could have

a guy who married his high school sweetheart, has been

married to her for twenty years, but we happen to

know that he has been struggling with pornography and lust

for much of that time. We would say he's only

been married to one woman. He's not a one woman man.

He's not what Paul is talking about here, because this

is more than just the singularity of spousehood. This is

about demonstrating the kind of commitment and love and long

suffering a pastor must have that we want our pastors

to have. That's the kind of guy I want pastoring me.

One who's committed, who loves, who suffers long. Also an

element here regarding households is what the ESV trans translates

as children are believers. That word is just faithful. They

translated with believers and not open to the charge of

debauchery or in subordination. Again a little bit of translation

thing here. The CSB, for instance, translates this faithful children

who were not accused of wildness or rebellion. So again

the interpretive question here is, okay, is Paul saying every

elder all their children must be Christians, or is Paul

saying every elder they must manage their household in such

a way that their kids are not open to the

charge of wildness or rebellion, they're faithful in their household.

I think the CSB translates this better here. Here's a

few reasons. One, it's the most natural reading that word,

being faithful, and the end is not in the sentence.

Actually, it's just faithful, not open to the charge. So

that's an explanation.

And of what Paul is saying faithful is likewise, it

corresponds if he just turned three pages back to First

Timothy chapter three. In First Timothy chapter three, you have

this parallel passage about overseers elders, what does he say there?

In Chapter three, verse four, he says he must manage

his own household well with all dignity, keeping his children submissive.

If someone does not know how to manage his own household,

how will he care for God's church. So in both

passages it seems that what Paul is emphasizing is we're

looking for dads that manage and steward in such a

way that it shows good order in the people who

are under their charge, good order amongst the people under

their charge. Dads can and must teach the gospel to

their kids. They can't save them, they can't save them,

but they can put their household in good order. But again,

even good order does not mean we're looking for like

the von Trapp family. Even fewer of you have watched

this sound of music than the first service. First service,

it would be about sixty forty I think here it's

the other way, forty sixty the family von trap You

know this guy, he's got eight or ten or I

don't know, twelve kids, I don't He blows a whistle

and all twelve of them come downstairs and they stand

in order of highest the tallest to shortest, and then

they start singing in harmony.

It's if you haven't seen the movie You Got To,

You Got To.

I think I can go out on inm on that one.

But listen, that kind of like meticulous order is not

what Paul's even calling for here. No family von Trapps

and Crete, I can promise you. But he's just saying

they're faithful in that they are not open to the

charge of wildness or rebellion, like their household is in order. Honestly,

that also is the kind of person I want pastoring me,

who is who demonstrates love and commitment and long suffering

and marriage, and whose kids show that they can attend

to good order with the people under their charge.

I want to talk to that guy.

But I would say this, honestly, it's kind of ordinary,

don't you think.

I mean, I wouldn't call this a low bar, but

it's not a super high bar.

These these are these are just guys that are living

up to ordinary Christian aspirations here, and that actually turns

out to be a theme.

If you look to the next area, godliness.

Right, he talks about household and then he talks about godliness.

He just makes it.

It makes it kind of clear. Elders should competently manage

their godliness. Why because elders manage the godliness of God's people. Right.

Remember all of the instructions that Paul has given Titus

in this letter, look after like teach what accords to

sound doctrine. Older men are to be so reminded, dignified,

self controlled. I'm in chapter two at this point. Older

women are likewise to be reverent in behavior like all

of this life shepherding, the willingness to grapple with you

in your life of godliness. That's what these guys are

gonna end up doing, and so and so they should

be not here's Paul's not arrogant or another translation self willed.

Should not be quick tempered. They should not be drunkards.

They should not be violent or other translations pugnacious or

a bully. They should not be greedy for gain again

other translations for sordid gain or dishonest gain. Okay again,

aspirations for ordinary Christian wouldn't you say?

I don't think Paul is saying, elders, this is what

we're looking for. Everybody else they can be drunks.

But these are especially key for managers, right, we don't

you don't want you don't want.

To be shepherded steward.

You don't want this congregation of disciple making to be

managed by arrogant, self willed, overbearing, hot headed, bully managers,

because God's people shouldn't be led that way, and the

pastoral team would never get along. You don't want those

who are greedy for dishonest gain, because they have to

be entrusted with finances and they have to put others first,

and greedy is like the definition of not putting others first.

You don't want drunkards because they need to do the work.

But again, pretty ordinary.

He says. But rather, here's the other.

There's the positive side of the godliness they should manage,

but rather they should be what does it say hospitable.

There's an openness to their life. They are welcoming you

into their home and into their life and even into

their spiritual disciplines. They are hospitable to the people of God.

They are lovers of good because they're gonna have to

shepherd people towards the good. They're self controlled and sensible prudence.

They're gonna have to make good decisions. They're upright and

they're holy again. They're gonna have to shepherd people towards

those things. And they're disciplined, disciplined. This work requires discipline.

It requires ongoing study, persistence in prayer, guarding the heart,

follow up, follow up.

On uncomfortable conversations.

This work requires the discipline of following up on difficult conversations.

You can just put that in your margin more than

anything as a pastoral observation, that is the discipline that's

required amongst these men.

These are show up and do things guys.

Again, not in a superhuman way, but in real ways

that need to be They need to be able to

lead us toward good, upright, holy things. You can't lead

where you're not going, and they need to be able

to do it with prudence and hospitality and discipline. I

want to encourage you, like you have these men's names

in your bulletin, and you have a church directory, so

you've got their contact information. Call them up, send them

a text, get a meal, have coffee. Their lives are

open to you. That's what they've committed to. They're committed

to hospitality. Their lives are open to you. And I

would just encourage you to open yourself up to the

influence towards goodness and uprightness and holiness that these men

have for our church. They desire these things for us

as a congregation. Lastly, doctrine, right, what does this look like?

It looks like competently managing their household godliness doctrine. Elders

should manage their doctrine, because elders are going to manage

the doctrine of God's people.

Boll says it this way.

He must hold firm to the trustworthy word a is

taught so that he.

May be able to give instruction and.

Sound doctrine and also rebuke those who contradicted. So teaching

and rebuking, instructing and correcting. Now, instructing can look a

lot of different ways, right, Like, it's not just Sunday

morning like pulpit ministry that Paul's talking about here. He's

talking about instructing people in knowing and living what is true,

and that can happen in so many different ways. Happen

in one on one discipling, or in group settings, or

in the position statements that we have to write as

elders to help us sort out how do we think

about these things biblically, I would say, more than anything

in this church, it means leading in small group.

We're talking about guys who.

Are leaning in to instructing people in their small groups

that they would live out the truth of God's word.

We're always watching for those guys who are leaning as

far into leadership of those of those people as possible, saying, Man,

they're willing, they are willing to grapple with people's lives

and help them become like Christ. But not just instructing,

also rebuking, That's what he says, rebuking, redirecting in discipleship,

willing to bring correction, willing to protect you from YouTube,

and even confront people in the congregation.

Look at Chapter three, verse ten.

As for a person who stirs up division after warning

him once and then twice, have nothing more to do

with him. These are the instructions that Paul is giving

for leadership in the church. After warning a person who

stirs up division once or twice, then you need to

have someone who has the guts to confront that and.

Say this is not happening anymore. Who's that.

Actually, this is the only part of these qualifications is

actually pretty extraordinary. The extraordinary willingness to grapple with one

another's lives and help form Christ in people, and being

willing to confront and take even correction and congregation.

That's actually extraordinary.

Everything else here is pretty ordinary. So what does this

have to do with the gospel? What does this have

to do with the gospel? That's our third sign post?

And I told you I was going to be long.

How does the Gospel.

Encourage us to eagerly receive faithful stewards in our church?

Let's say two main ways.

Number One, the Gospel encourages us us to receive good

stewards because Christ's plans are always good. Jesus' plans are

always good. Right, This is the one whose plans include

humbling himself as a man for us and dying on

a cross for us, and rising and ascending and sending

his spirit for us, and then also plans in his

love for us to receive some decent, eager, imperfect men.

As a part of his plan.

For our care and growth and protection and community of discipleship.

This is Christ's plans. It's got to be good. Christ

has proven his goodness towards us in the Gospel we

receive his goodness towards us in every way, including receiving

faithful stewards. But secondly, I would say this and then

I'll close, The Gospel encourage es us to receive good

managers as opposed to great managers. The gospel holds out

this not very amazing bar. I mean, it's not very amazing,

just faithful to his wife and his kids. Aren't wild,

not a hot head, not a drunk, not an embezzler.

I mean the only again, the only out of the

ordinary thing here is a real ability and willingness to

feed us a good understanding of scripture and weed out

a bad understanding of scripture and actually help us to

live it.

That's extraordinary.

Other than that, this bar is not amazing. And I

think the Gospel encourages us to receive such good managers.

Because there aren't.

Any amazing pastors. There aren't any amazing pastors. If you

think there are, just get closer, says my wife. And

I'm saying this as someone who's been up close to

many a great, not great, good pastor. You will find us,

all of us flawed, normal men. The best of men

are men, best, decent, competent, faithful flawed. But we eagerly

receive flawed but faithful stewards because they are meant to

faithfully point us to Christ, who is amazing.

He's amazing. You don't have to be amazing. Jesus is amazing.

I mean, frankly, I don't want to be pastored by

a bunch of guys who are amazing, first of all,

because they're not.

Second of all, because.

Too easily the message becomes be amazing. That's not even

close to the gospel message. Way closer is Jesus is amazing.

You don't have to be amazing. Trust in him. Trust

in his amazing work to save and to forgive and

to sanctify amazingly sinful and selfish people who are, by

the work of His spirit becoming good, decent, faithful.

Praise the Lord. You don't have to be amazing. Jesus

is genuinely amazing. You just have to follow him. And

we need.

Shepherds stewards who will point us to him. Why should

we eagerly receive good managers in this church? Because the

church needs managing, and because we need those who will

keep pointing us to the only leader who actually is amazing.

The church doesn't need more amazing. The church needs more

faithful Stuarts. Would you stand with me and pray Heavenly, Father, Lord,

thank you that you have given us already in Christ,

all that is amazing, forgiveness, justification, eternal life, a call heavenward,

a people that you are forming to be like your son.

And Lord.

I asked that we would receive also from your hand

faithful stewards, good managers, not in an administrative sense, but Lord,

in the farm hand sense. It would take this congregation

and continue to move her towards loving one another and

caring for one another, and discipling one another, and praying

for one another. That we would, as a whole congregation

honor you, the great Shepherd of the sheep.

We asked us in Jesus' name, Amen and sing