Pure Church: Pure Doctrine

Our reading this morning is from Titus chapter 1 and that's on page 1198 of the Red Church Bibles.

Titus 1 · chapter mention

That's page 1198, Titus chapter 1, beginning at verse 5.

Titus 1 · chapter mention

The reason I left you in Crete was that you might straighten out what was left unfinished

and appoint elders in every town as I directed you.

An elder must be blameless, the husband of but one wife,

a man whose children believe and are not open to the charge of being wild and disobedient.

Since an overseer is entrusted with God's work, he must be blameless,

not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain.

Rather, he must be hospitable, one who loves what is good,

who is self-controlled, upright, holy and disciplined.

He must hold firmly to the trustworthy message as it has been taught

so that he can encourage others by sound doctrine and refute those who oppose it.

For there are many rebellious people, mere talkers and deceivers,

especially those of the circumcision group.

They must be silenced because they are ruining whole households

by teaching things they ought not to teach,

and that's for the sake of dishonest gain.

Even one of their own prophets has said,

Cretans are always liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons.

This testimony is true.

Therefore, rebuke them sharply so that they will be sound in the faith

and will pay no attention to Jewish myths or to the commands of those who reject the truth.

To the pure, all things are pure,

but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure.

In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted.

They claim to know God, but by their actions they deny him.

They are detestable, disobedient and unfit for doing anything good.

Thanks very much, Chris.

Well, keep your Bibles open in Titus.

Kayla's going to pass around some pens on the back of the new sheet.

You can take notes if anybody would like to.

You can just grab a pen there.

This is a series that we're looking at together from Titus.

And you may be wondering,

I thought this morning was about a baptism.

What has what we've just read got to do with baptism?

Well, pay attention and you'll find out.

It's all very good.

We're going to be focusing this morning primarily at verses 10 through to 16 of Titus.

Thanks very much, Kayla.

Well, before we look at it, let's pray and ask for God's help as we look at this together.

Our Father God, we thank you so much for your word, for the Bible.

Thank you for its truth.

Thank you that we can trust it because they are words that come from you.

But yet we need to understand these words and therefore we ask for the power and the help of your Holy Spirit.

Not just to give us intellectual understanding, but heart understanding.

That the words that we look at would change us and transform us and bring about the kind of life that you so desire in all people.

So please help us now as we read and study together.

In Jesus' name.

Amen.

Amen.

Well, do you believe everything you read and are told?

Do you believe everything you read and are told?

I received this email on Friday.

Listen to this.

I am very happy to inform you about my success in getting that money under the cooperation of a new partner from Paraguay.

Now I want you to contact my account officer with the information stated below.

Arrange with him how the total sum of five million dollars will reach you safely, which I have already kept for you.

Thank you for all the past efforts and attempts to assist me in this matter.

Victor.

Well, I don't know any Victor.

You see, not everything we read or hear is true.

So let me ask us this question.

How do you know if everything that I preach on a Sunday morning is true?

Maybe everything that I say is actually all lies and that I've been cleverly deceiving you with ideas and arguments.

Could be true.

Megan is going to be baptized later.

How does Megan know that all she has been told and now believes in is true?

Perhaps Megan is just joining some weird cult and it's all a cunning plan to get some of her money.

Don't tell her.

Shh.

You see, not everything we hear is true.

So it's of critical importance to know that what we hear and believe is what we're going to call pure doctrine.

We need to know, is it true or is it false?

So we're going to look at three things to show us how important it is to have pure doctrine.

Why we need pure doctrine.

How to identify pure doctrine.

And what difference pure doctrine makes.

So why we need it.

How we can identify it.

And what difference it's going to make.

So the first one.

Why we need pure doctrine.

Well, the answer is given to us in verse 10.

Let's read it there in verse 10.

The reason why we need pure doctrine.

Because there are many rebellious people.

Mere talkers and deceivers.

Especially those of the circumcision group.

That were those from a Jewish background.

They must be silenced.

Because they are ruining whole households.

Whole church families.

By their teachings.

Or by teaching things they ought not to teach.

You see, impure doctrine or false teaching is not harmless.

It's very dangerous.

Their teaching, we are told in verse 11.

Is ruining whole households.

Literally disrupting and breaking up these small house churches.

Rather than leading people to the truth.

And giving them the assurance of eternal life in Christ.

They are taking people away from the truth.

Which leads to an empty life.

Now we all need to listen very carefully to what we hear.

Just because we're in a church gathering this morning.

And just because I'm teaching this morning.

Doesn't mean to say that everything you hear is true.

I hope it is.

But we've got to check.

Because look at verse 10.

The people that are being described here in verse 10.

Are those who are within the church.

They haven't come from outside.

They're actually in the church.

They are described as mere talkers.

Hot air bags.

Full of gas.

Empty.

Meaningless promises.

That they give out to people.

In fact, as we read on in verse 10.

They are deceivers.

They take you away from what is good and pure.

And right.

And lead you down a dodgy path.

In fact, when we dig a little bit deeper.

We discover that they're actually in it.

For a very selfish motive.

Look at the very end of verse 11.

They teach things they ought not to teach.

And that for the sake of dishonest gain.

They're out to make a quick buck.

Or get a bit of money out of you.

For those who will listen to their deceptive teaching.

I think we've all seen them on television.

Or perhaps even witnessed or heard them ourselves.

Give to Jesus right now.

Sow a seed of 100 euro.

Give it to this ministry.

Or give it to this pastor.

And the Lord is going to return many, many blessings upon you.

Perhaps even through your giving.

They will promise you healing of cancer.

And healing of all kinds of things.

Just if you do these simple things.

All out to make a quick buck from their deceptive teaching.

Now I think we're beginning to understand how important it is for Megan and for all of us.

To know that what we listen to and what we believe is actually true.

That's why in this letter to Titus.

Who is telling us that there must be leaders who will teach pure doctrine.

Look at verse 9.

Titus.

He's been sent to these churches.

And he's told there in verse 9.

That he must hold firmly.

To the trustworthy message.

As it has been taught.

So that he can encourage others by sound or pure doctrine.

And refute those who oppose it.

In fact, verse 11 tells us he must silence those who are teaching wrong things.

He must stop them from spreading their harmful teaching.

Or verse 13.

The end of verse 13.

He is to rebuke them sharply.

So that they will be sound in the faith.

Confront them and correct them.

So that they will teach and believe what is pure.

So all of a sudden it's become quite an urgent matter, hasn't it?

Why do we need pure doctrine?

Well, because it's going to protect us from going astray.

And to protect us from harmful and dangerous teachings.

So that's the first part.

The second part is this.

How can we actually identify pure doctrine?

It's well for you, Johnny, to be saying,

Listen to my teaching.

I'm telling you what's true.

Well, how do you know if I'm telling you is...

How do you know what I'm saying is true?

And that the person over there is saying something false.

I could be a false teacher.

How are you going to know?

Well, there are three simple tests to apply to identify pure doctrine.

The first one is this.

We need to check out the source of the message.

Look at how these false teachers are described.

Again, look at verse 10.

The first phrase he uses there are they are rebellious people.

Well, what does that mean?

To be rebellious.

Well, they are those...

Look at the end of verse 14.

The last little phrase there.

They are those who reject the truth.

They rebel against the authority of truth.

They do not submit to the truth.

But where does this truth come from that they are rejecting?

Where's the source of this truth?

How can we actually check it out?

Well, look at chapter 1, verse 2.

Right at the very beginning, he set this out

so that we are absolutely clear as to the source of the truth.

He talks about this truth.

He explains it like this, verse 2.

A faith and knowledge

which is resting on the hope of eternal life

which God, who does not lie,

promised before the beginning of time.

So this truth comes from God.

And at his appointed season,

he brought his word to light

through the preaching entrusted to me

by the command of God, our Saviour.

You see, the source of this truth

originates not with a person,

but if we keep going back,

it originates with God

and his spoken word to us.

So the way Titus was to know

if this doctrine was pure or impure

was to check it

against the source,

the truth of God's word.

And we have this same word

written down for us now.

We're reading part of this word right now,

this letter of Titus,

so we can do our own checking.

So, how does Megan know

what she has been taught is true?

Well, listen to her own story.

These are her own words

which are written in that little flyer.

Listen to these words.

Megan says,

I began regularly attending a church

as a young child.

Thankfully, this was a Bible-believing church.

And the Lord began using my experiences

at Sunday school to teach me about himself.

Well, how did she know if that was true?

Well, I received a Bible of my own

and began reading it.

The Lord was teaching and leading me

through my time spent with an aunt and uncle

who were both Christians.

How do we know they were saying the truth?

Well, during one summer spent with them

when I was 12,

my aunt had been taking time to read

through the scriptures with me.

Megan was simply learning the truth

from the source.

And what about this notion of being baptized?

Where did that come from?

Well, again, listen to what Megan says.

As I read through scripture,

it became clear that baptism

is a sign of salvation

and it's something all believers

are called to do.

Everything that Megan believes and follows

is from the source of God's word.

It's not my word.

It's not anybody else's word.

It's the truth of God's word.

Any other message is man-made.

It's empty.

And it cannot be trusted.

So we check the source.

The second check is this.

Check out the heart of the message.

We're told what was central to their teaching.

Look at verse 13.

We'll pick it up just into verse 13.

It says,

Therefore, rebuke them sharply

so that they will be sound in the faith

and will pay no attention to Jewish myths

or to the commands of those

who reject the truth.

So this is a bit confusing.

They were teaching Jewish myths

and man-made commands.

Well, what's a Jewish myth

and what's a man-made command?

Well, you know what?

I don't know

because it actually doesn't tell us

precisely what it is.

But we are given a hint.

So if you turn back a few pages

to 1 Timothy.

So keep your finger in Titus

and go back and you'll see 2 Timothy.

Go back another page.

1 Timothy.

And we want to go to 1 Timothy chapter 1.

1 Timothy 1 · chapter mention

1 Timothy chapter 1 and verse 3.

1 Timothy 1 · chapter mention

So Paul, the same author,

is writing similar things to Timothy.

Chapter 1 verse 3.

So he says to Timothy,

As I urged you when I went into Macedonia,

stay there in Ephesus

so that you may command certain men

not to teach false or impure doctrines any longer,

nor to devote themselves to myths

and endless genealogies.

These endless genealogies were kind of like

being able to tie yourself into a particular line

and if you could tie yourself to a particular people group

or a line,

well then that would make you better than other people.

These promote controversies

rather than God's work

which is by faith.

You see, God's work

here is the work of salvation.

It's the offer of eternal life

which is received,

as we see in verse 4,

by faith.

In other words,

the way to receive new and eternal life

is by faith in what Jesus has done.

But these false teachers

were teaching a myth.

They were saying that salvation

could be achieved

by following man-made commands,

by identifying yourself

with these endless genealogies,

saying that you belong to a certain people group

or a list of people

and if you were kind of in that bunch,

then you were okay.

This is impure doctrine.

And there are many similar impure doctrines

that get floated around today

to say this is how you can be right with God.

Let me tell you one.

There's a myth today

that the act of baptism will save you.

That if you are baptised,

sprinkled or dunked

as an infant or as an adult,

that somehow that very act

is going to make you right before God.

Well, the Bible is very clear to say

that baptism will not save you.

No work or effort on our part

will save us.

It's a myth.

It's empty.

It's hollow.

It's not true.

It's only God

who can make us right.

Go back to Titus with me

and look at Titus chapter 3 verse 4

Titus 3:4

and we'll see that it is simply

through what God has done for us.

Not through any myth

or not through any man-made commands.

Titus chapter 3 verse 4

Titus 3:4

Listen to how Megan puts it.

Again, this is taken directly

from her words.

We talked about how all people

have sinned and fallen short

of God's glory

and are in need of Jesus Christ,

the perfect Saviour.

I learned of Christ's work on the cross

and how he lived a sinless life,

was crucified and rose again.

He suffered the punishment

that we deserve

so that those who believe

are saved from death

and separation from God

and given the gift of eternal life

with the Lord.

Upon hearing the message

of the Gospel,

I became convicted

of my own weakness

and need for Christ.

I turned to him

asking for forgiveness

of my sins

and trusted in Jesus Christ.

The heart of the message

is all about a person,

Jesus Christ.

If we are hearing other things,

then it's only going

to lead us astray.

So that's the second test.

Check out the heart

of the message.

The third test is this.

Check out the effect

of the message.

Because the proof

is if this message is true,

it will be seen

in the transformation

of a person's life.

If the message is true,

it will be seen

in the transformation

of a person's life.

Look how these false teachers

are described

in verse 16

of chapter 1.

Look carefully.

Chapter 1, verse 16.

They claim to know God,

but by their actions

they deny him.

They are detestable,

disobedient,

and unfit

for doing anything good.

You see,

anybody can say,

oh, I believe.

I can stand before you

right now and say,

I believe in God.

I have the truth.

Listen to me.

Well, the real test

is not only to listen

to their words

and to check it out

with Scripture

and to check it out

with what it's actually saying,

but we must also look

at the life

of the people.

Look what it says

in verse 16.

They claim to know God,

but their actions

deny him.

So someone who claims

to have the truth,

but then their life

is marked by

a quick temper

or by lies

and greed

or drunkenness,

well, it's evidence

that they are teaching

or believing

a false message.

On the other hand,

if we believe

what is true,

then our life

will be marked

by all kinds

of good things.

Hospitality,

a self-controlled life,

upright,

holy,

and disciplined.

So,

if you want to know

if what Megan believes

is true,

look at her life.

Listen to how

Megan speaks.

to other people.

Is it gentle

or is it harsh?

Watch how Megan

behaves in public.

Is she other-centered

or is she self-centered?

Well, I have watched

and I have listened

and I'm sure many of you

have done exactly the same.

And I can say

there is no doubt

that what Megan believes

is true

because her life

shows it.

It's a transformed life.

So,

three very simple tests

to identify

pure doctrine.

Check the source,

check out the heart,

and check out the effect

of the message.

The last thing

that we're going to look at

is simply this.

It's all great,

pure doctrine,

wonderful,

but what difference

is it actually going to make

to my life?

Well,

it does this to us.

It makes us pure

before God.

Look at verse 15.

We haven't forgotten 15,

so here we are.

Let's read it.

To the pure,

all things are pure.

But to those

who are corrupted

and do not believe,

nothing is pure.

You see,

to be pure

in this context

is to be forgiven

of all of our sin,

to be washed

of all our guilt

and cleansed

from all of our shame.

Those who have heard

pure doctrine,

those who have heard

the trustworthy message

about Jesus Christ

and have trusted in him,

are now treated

by God

as if you are pure.

As God now looks

at Megan,

he sees a pure life

because he sees

Christ in her.

You see,

pure doctrine,

the truth about Jesus,

is like a hot shower

after you've been working

in a muddy garden.

It cleans you.

And what this

truth about God's word

as we trust in Jesus,

it cleans us

not just on the outside,

it cleans us

deep inside,

a real deep

inside cleansing.

And baptism,

as we'll see

in just a minute,

is a picture of that.

The water that's there,

well,

that isn't going to make

Megan pure

or anybody else pure.

The water isn't going

to deal with her guilt

or her shame.

It's trust in Jesus Christ.

going down into the water

is saying that

Jesus has died

for my sin.

He's taken the blame

for all the wrong things

that I've done.

Coming up out of the water,

and we always make sure

this happens,

otherwise it would be

disastrous,

is to say,

yes,

this is a new life

that Megan now has

through her trust

in Jesus.

This is what makes us

pure in God's sight.

to be treated

by God

as he treats

his own son.

Incredible.

That's what this teaching

will do for us.

But it's much more

than that.

Look at the rest

of verse 15.

To the pure,

all things

are pure.

It's telling us

that we now live

a completely different way.

We now see

that all that God

has given to us

is something pure

and beautiful.

The relationships

that we have

and enjoy,

our families,

our work,

our interests,

are no longer

used and abused

in an impure way

to try and get out

of them things

for ourselves.

Instead,

they've now become

pure to us.

Something beautiful.

They are gifts

that we receive

from God

with thanksgiving,

and they are gifts

to be enjoyed

and celebrated.

Everything becomes

pure

to those

who have been

made pure.

Our whole life

is radically changed.

But,

look at verse 15.

To those

who are corrupted,

to those

who have been

believing

an impure doctrine

or following

corrupt teaching,

and do not believe

nothing is pure.

In fact,

their minds

and consciences

have been corrupted.

Every good gift

that God

has given to us

is just simply

ruined and destroyed

because we're just

looking to it

and we try and

take from it

something that

only God

can give us,

which is a pure life.

impure doctrine

will ruin you

and destroy you.

Pure doctrine,

the teaching

about Jesus Christ,

makes all

the difference.

It makes you pure,

treated as pure,

and lets you live

a life

of purity.

So,

let me ask

this question

in closing.

What

are we

listening to?

What are we

hearing?

What are we

actually believing

in

and trusting in?

Because

only pure

doctrine,

the trustworthy

message of

Jesus Christ,

will save you

and change

your life.

that's what

Megan has

done.

Trusted

in the pure

doctrine,

the trustworthy

message of

Jesus Christ,

her life has

been saved

and her life

is being

changed.

That's not

only true

of Megan,

it can be

true for

every one of

us as well.

What do we

listen to

and what do

we believe

in?

let's

pray

together.

Father,

thank you

that you

have given

us your

word,

the truth.

We thank you

that it is

not a cold

word,

but it is a

truth about

your son,

the Lord

Jesus,

who has

done so

much for

us.

thank you

for the

story,

for the

testimony

of Megan.

Thank you

for the

work that

you've done

in her

life.

We pray

that you

would go

on changing

her to be

more like

you every

day,

always trusting

in the

Saviour,

Jesus Christ.

And we

pray for us

all that in

all times and

all occasions

we would

listen carefully

to what we

believe,

that we

would trust

you in

all circumstances,

and that we

would know a

life being

changed day

by day.

We pray

that you

will help

us for the

rest of our

time together

as we share

over tea and

coffee and

chat,

that it

would be an

encouragement

to us all.

In Jesus'

name we

pray.

Amen.

Well,

we're going

to sing

this song

which has

been chosen

by Megan.

Immediately

after the

song,

just remain

seated where

you are.