What is lacking?
- Jerry Witham
- Aug 31, 2009
- Series: Sacred
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What is lacking?
For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you, namely, if any man is above reproach. Titus 1.5-6a
Over the last few weeks we have been asking the question, what is lacking? Have you been asking that personally? I pray that you have been applying the question to your own life. In Crete leadership is lacking. Where are the leaders? And more specifically, Where are the godly leaders? As we address church leadership and its character we must begin with Jesus, the church and its mission.
Head of the Church, the Church and its Mission
And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all (Ephesians 1.22-23). Christ is the head of the church. When we talk about the church we don’t start with the church we must start with Jesus, He is the head. Jesus is the creator of the church. All things were created by Him and for Him (Colossians 1.16). We see that He is on a mission throughout Scripture to purchase a people with His life (Genesis 3.15). People are in need of regeneration (being changed) and are lacking a Savior and Christ is the answer to their need and lacking. He is the supreme authority of the church.
The Church
Mark Driscoll defines the church as, The local church (expression of the universal church, greater body of Christ) is a community of regenerated believers who confess Jesus Christ as Lord. In obedience to Scripture they organize under qualified leadership regularly for preaching and worship, observe the biblical sacraments of baptism and communion, are unified by the Holy Spirit, disciplined for holiness, and scattered to fulfill the great commandment and great commission as missionaries to the world for God’s glory and their joy (Vintage Church). Through the local church Christ longs to do His great working of filling in those places that are lacking.
Driscoll’s definition is divided into eight points:
Regenerate Members (Acts 2.37-41; Titus 3.3-7)
This is huge in our study of Titus. The culture in Crete is in chaos and confusion. False teachers are in the church. People are drinking their heretical kool-aid and as a result you have a church of unregenerated people, who do not know the gospel and are need of repenting and trusting in Jesus. What about you? Paul in Titus 3 will focus on regeneration, what true conversion is. This is why the gospel must be the priority because it is the only thing that can change a person.
Qualified Leadership (Titus 1.5-9; 1 Timothy 3.1-13; 5.17-22)
This is obviously lacking in the churches throughout Crete, as Paul calls for Titus to appoint elders in every city. I will address this below.
Gather under the Preached Word (Acts 2.42; 1 Timothy 4.13, 16; 2 Timothy 2.15; 4.1-5)
Sacraments rightly administered (Matthew 26.26-30; Acts 2.42; 1 Corinthians 11.23-32)
Unified by the Holy Spirit (John 14.12, 16-17; 15.5-15; 17.22-23; Philippians 2.1-2; Ephesians 4.3-6)
Disciplined for Holiness (Matthew 18.15-20; Titus 1.11, 13; 3.10-11)
Obey the Great Commandment (John 13.34-35)
Obey the Great Commission (Matthew 28.18-20)
This is the vessel that Christ uses to fill what is lacking in the world.
Jesus gifts the Church for the work of filling what is lacking
He who descended is Himself also He who ascended far above all the heavens, so that He might fill all things (Ephesians 4.10). Jesus has gifted all of us, some with the gift of encouragement, some with teaching, some with hospitality and some with administration (Romans 12; 1 Corinthians 12). He gifts us with such spiritual gifts for the building up of the church, so that its mission of filling every nook and cranny with the glory of God is accomplished. Part of Christ’s grace toward the church is providing leaders, pastors and teachers for the equipping of the saints for the work of service to the building up of the body of Christ (4.12).
Elders
If the church does not take the issue of elders seriously it will suffer. The New Testament indicates that the local church is to be led by a plurality of godly leaders called elders. Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock (1 Peter 5.1-4). Elders are to shepherd the flock, giving oversight to the church, according to the will of God with eagerness, being examples for the church to follow.
So, Titus is called by Paul to appoint men for such leadership in the churches throughout Crete (1.6 clearly states if any man). This work of elders being appointed or ordained is done by the Holy Spirit. In Acts 20.28 Luke quotes Paul saying to the elders in Ephesus, Be on guard for yourselves and 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. This is what the Holy Spirit does. He appoints and anoints. He does this with Christ at the beginning of his public ministry when Christ is baptized. He does this with the church as we see in Acts 2. So he does here with the leaders of the church. The Holy Spirit does this through the congregation as they fast and pray, seeking the Lord in obedience (Acts 13.1-4).
So, what is Titus to look for? Who should these men be?
The Character of a Leader, which is to be the Character of the Church
Now at the end of verse 5 he says, as I directed you, which simply means I already told you to do this, now I'm just putting it into print. I already gave you verbal instruction to do this task, now I am reiterating them to you in print. I want everybody to know this is what you're supposed to be doing. I want it written down so the whole church will know and they won't resist you when it comes to putting such men into leadership.
Above Reproach
Paul begins with a general qualification, which is a summary statement to all that follows in this list of qualifications: If any man is above approach (1.6). The term above reproach is an interesting Greek word, meaning to be without fault, unchargeable, without indictment, without accusation. In other words, there's no charge that can be affixed against this person. He is unchargeable. There is no indictment against him. There is no fault for which he has been confronted. He is a man who is without accusation. It does not mean he is perfect, no one is, but as one writer says he is one who, not one about whose past or present accusations are being circulated among the people. Paul tells Timothy, And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil (1 Timothy 3.7).
Part of being above reproach is being a model. To be an elder (to be a leader) is to be an example. Philippians 3.17 says, Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us. Hebrews 13.7 says, Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct imitate their faith. 1 Timothy 4.12 says, Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe. We are all called to be people of influence, to be examples and to model our faith in the way we live. We need such influence both in our church and in the culture around us (Matthew 5.14-16).
David writes of this summarizing characteristic in two Psalms, first, Psalm 15.1-2 says, O LORD, who may abide in Your tent? Who may dwell on Your holy hill? He who walks with integrity, and works righteousness, and speaks truth in his heart. In Psalm 15.2, the word integrity is the same as blameless or above reproach. This one David speaks of shows his integrity both outwardly and inwardly. Outwardly they work righteousness and inwardly they speak truth in their hearts. Outwardly, righteousness is the pattern of their life and inwardly, there is no hypocrisy.
Where does such a life come from? In Psalm 15.1, the two verbs, abide and dwell, speaks of prolonged time, meaning long periods of time in communion with God. This is where integrity and godly character is created, in the throne room of God (a steady diet of prayer and Scripture). Two things here: First, you want elders to be those who are accepted by God in such communion. Second, you want elders who are spending time with the Lord, in His Word and in prayer. Those who walk with integrity are in communion with the Lord, so that they live rightly and when they speak they speak truth, it flows from them.
Second, Psalm 101 is one of the most definitive and helpful texts in all of Scripture on this issue of living above reproach. David is making a real commitment here and a real covenant with the Lord. And he is saying to the Lord, I want my life to really be right.
One of the components of a right life is worship (101.1). Worship is a response to God with our life. A response to who God is and what He has done for us. When we are delivered we should want as David says, my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness (Psalm 51.14). I'm going to worship You, Lord, I'm going to sing to You, God, I'm going to sing about Your lovingkindness and Your justice forever and I'm going to sing praises to You, Jesus. As David says about such men, they shall eagerly utter the memory of Your abundant goodness and will shout joyfully of Your righteousness (Psalm 145.7).
But more than just songs, one desires their conduct to be consistently godly, to worship and honor Christ with their life (101.2). One desires to give attention to walking in the blameless way, in the way of integrity. He also says, When will you come to me? - He prays and cries out to the Lord, come to me, let me enjoy your fellowship. He desires to be in the Lord’s presence!
He then says, I will walk within my house in the integrity of my heart (101.2). He says, I'm going to live in my own home in a godly way without hypocrisy. I love what Adam Clarke says saying, It is easier for most men to walk with a perfect heart in the church, or even in the world, than in their own families. How many are as meek as lambs among others, when at home they are wasps or tigers?
Then David says, I will set no wicked thing before my eyes (101.3). He will neither delight in it, aim at it or endure it. If he has wickedness brought before him by others he will turn away from it, he will not gaze upon it with pleasure. The psalmist is very sweeping in his resolve, he declines the least, the most reputable, the most customary form of evil - no wicked thing; not only shall it not dwell in his heart, but not even before his eyes, for what fascinates the eye is very apt to gain admission into the heart, even as Eve's apple first pleased her sight and then prevailed over her mind and hand. The one of integrity won't watch anything that has a negative impact on his relationship with Christ. Job says, I have made a covenant with my eyes (31.1).
David then says, I hate the work of those who fall away; it shall not fasten its grip to me (101.3). He is not going to get involved in activities that people are doing who have fallen away from the truth and from God. He hates sin and he is going to stay consistent with walking in the way of righteousness. It may try to touch him, but he will not have it stick to him.
David continues saying, A perverse heart shall depart from me, I will know no evil (101.4). If there be any wickedness whether inside him and from others close to him he will flee. He will not be in an intimate friendship or relationship with anyone who associates with ungodliness. Then he says, Whoever secretly slanders his neighbor, him I will destroy (silence); no one who as a haughty look and an arrogant heart will I endure. My eyes will be on the faithful of the land that they may dwell with me (101.5-6a). He is going to spend his time with faithful people and stay away from the proud and the arrogant, for they don’t seek God. He is going to deal with the slanderers. He will know no evil. He is going to make sure his heart is right. He is not going to do anything in any sphere engaging with people who have fallen away from God, and he will not watch anything that isn't right, and he seeks to be honest before God in his heart without hypocrisy, especially in his own house. And he is going to walk the blameless way, singing God’s praises, seeking to be the kind of man the Lord wants him to be because he wants to come and be with God. He longs for God’s daily presence and nearness.
And then David says this most fascinating thing, He who walks in a blameless way is the one who will minister to me (101.6b). He does not want anybody in his life ministering to him who doesn't walk in the blameless way. Why? Because this is his covenant, this is what he wants for his life. He has chosen the highest level. He desires to walk on a holy level. He does not want to follow and be ministered to by people who have a lower standard. He wants God’s standard. That is what he longs for and he will settle for nothing less.
Christ longs for such godly character out of leaders. He longs for the church to desire such a life for themselves, that they would follow such an example, filling the earth with the glory of God through their lives and that they would be the salt of the earth and the light of the world (Matthew 5.14-16).
