Leadership Matters – part 1
Titus 1:5-9 (5)
February 16, 2025
This morning we now come to Paul’s stated purpose for Titus.
There is really no debate to this for in verse 5
We read the phrase, “For this reason I left you in Crete…”
This letter is Titus’ marching orders.
IT IS CLEAR THAT
• He and Paul had already discussed the needs of Crete.
• Paul had already told Titus what to do.
• We actually see verse 5 end with the phrase, “as I directed you,”
What we have in the letter of Titus is Paul putting in writing
The verbal instruction that had already been given to Titus.
Before leaving Titus in Crete Paul had told him what to do.
NOW PAUL IS GONE,
• But to reinforce that conversation
• And to supply Titus with the written authority he needed to fulfill his mission,
• Paul wrote a letter back to remind and clarify why he was there.
We are grateful because we have access to the letter Paul wrote.
We get a direct view into the heart of the apostle
Regarding his expectation for the reform of the church.
We have God’s word regarding His expectation for the church.
So let’s begin examining this chief issue of the book.
I would remind you that there is a problem on the island of Crete.
That problem is what we might call “Crooked Churches”.
(1:10-14) “For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain. One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” This testimony is true. For this reason reprove them severely so that they may be sound in the faith, not paying attention to Jewish myths and commandments of men who turn away from the truth.”
We know
• There has been a corrupt Jewish influence that has affected the church.
• Crete is an island of gluttonous evil beasts.
• One of Paul’s chief points is that the church must engage in good deeds.
THE REAL PROBLEM SEEMS TO BECOME CLEAR.
• Instead of standing against the culture…
• Instead of being a light in the darkness…
• Instead of walking in good deeds as a condemnation of the evil deeds of the people…
The churches in Crete have instead been influenced by their culture.
They don’t stand out anymore.
They don’t look different.
Adrian Rodgers said:
“Men are like rivers, they grow crooked from following the path of least resistance.”
That is what has happened on Crete.
• The churches look like the world.
• They have lost their distinctiveness.
• They have lost their moral high ground.
• They have lost their testimony to practical righteousness.
That should never happen, but let’s be honest…it does.
We should look, talk, and act different. We should pursue different things,
But there are times when the church backslides and fails to be different.
Titus was left on Crete because of this problem.
Let’s see the plan to fix it.
#1 THE PURPOSE
Titus 1:5a
“For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains…”
Titus was left there to “set in order what remains”
“set in order” is EPI-DEE-OR-THO-O
EPI and DI are both prepositions. (intensify)
ORTHOS is a word that means “straight or upright”
It is where we get our word orthodontics (straightening of teeth)
Or orthopedics (straightening the bones)
Titus was to totally, emphatically, thoroughly
Straighten out what was crooked among the churches of Crete.
We see the various commands given to Titus:
(1:10-11) “For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain.”
(2:1) “But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine.”
(2:15) “These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you.”
(3:1) “Remind them to be subject to rulers, to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready for every good deed,”
And we could add to that the instruction Titus received regarding old men, old women, younger women, younger men, slaves, and citizens.
Titus was to correct their crooked living.
• He was to correct their crooked theology.
• He was to straighten out the churches and get them back on track.
• His job was to make them straight.
You can’t help but think of a ministry like John the Baptist:
John 1:23 “He said, “I am A VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, ‘MAKE STRAIGHT THE WAY OF THE LORD,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.”
There is a sense in which this is just basic ministry.
We see the same calling in the life of Timothy to the church at Ephesus.
1 Timothy 1:3 “As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines,”
Timothy was supposed to clean up the doctrinal errors of the church.
1 Timothy 2:1 “First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men,”
Timothy was supposed to create the prayer ministry of the church.
1 Timothy 2:8 “Therefore I want the men in every place to pray, lifting up holy hands, without wrath and dissension.”
1 Timothy 2:9-10 “Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments, but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness.”
Timothy was supposed to instruct women in regard to their adornment and walk in the world.
And we could go on.
• 1 Timothy 3 he is supposed to reform the offices of overseer and deacon.
• 1 Timothy 5 he is supposed to reform the churches ministry to widows.
• 1 Timothy 6 he is supposed to reform the mentality of slaves.
• 1 Timothy 6 he is supposed to reform the thinking of the rich.
1 Timothy 6:17-19 “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. Instruct them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.”
THAT IS SORT OF WHAT MINISTRY IS.
It is a calling to straighten out what is crooked.
TITUS is called to do the same things.
• He is called to reform the church.
• He is called to straighten the church.
• He is called to “set in order what remains”
Titus was a spiritual chiropractor; he was a spiritual orthodontist.
And needless to say, this would be A DIFFICULT JOB.
We know people well enough to know that
Most people don’t like it when an outsider comes in
And tries to change the way you have grown accustomed to doing things.
Titus would have to travel throughout Crete.
• An island about 160 miles long and anywhere from 7 to 35 miles wide.
• One historian claimed there were over 100 cities on Crete
• Which could potentially mean there were 100 churches.
Titus is going to have to travel to them with Paul’s letter in hand.
• He is going to have to confront them.
• He is going to have to examine them.
• He is going to have to ask a lot of questions.
• He is going to have to correct their thinking.
• There’s going to be some personnel changes.
• There’s going to be some behavioral changes.
• There’s going to be reform in their ministries.
• There is going to be a refocus on areas like godliness, doctrinal truth, prayer,
and evangelism.
I just don’t think you can overstate the difficulty of the job
Titus is being asked to complete.
And I might also point out
He won’t have an enormous amount of time to complete it.
Paul writes at the end of this letter:
Titus 3:12 “When I send Artemas or Tychicus to you, make every effort to come to me at Nicopolis, for I have decided to spend the winter there.”
• Paul notified Titus that he would be at Nicopolis until spring and Titus is
expected to join him there before he would leave.
There is not a lot of time for one man to cover an island
And all of those churches and set them in order.
He’s going to have to enter those churches
• With the authoritative word of God
• With a focus to straighten out what is crooked
• And convince the churches to submit to his leadership.
Just ponder that a moment.
Think about what Titus is about to try to do.
We know in Scripture that sometimes jobs like this went really well.
We all love the letter Paul wrote to the Thessalonians.
1 Thessalonians 2:13 “For this reason we also constantly thank God that when you received the word of God which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men, but for what it really is, the word of God, which also performs its work in you who believe.”
But it doesn’t always happen like this.
We remember some of the statements he made to the churches in Galatia:
Galatians 4:11 “I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain.”
Galatians 4:19-20 “My children, with whom I am again in labor until Christ is formed in you— but I could wish to be present with you now and to change my tone, for I am perplexed about you.”
Even in Paul’s ministry, some churches were a blessing of submission
And others were compared to being in labor pains.
I’m sure Titus would experience both extremes
And just about everything in between.
It was going to be difficult.
I think such a reality sort of requires us to wonder
How we’re going to accept such a letter from Paul through Titus to us?
It’s easy to sit in judgment of the churches on Crete for listening or not
But in reality this letter is for us too.
We have to wonder if we would be the type of congregation
That will resist the straightening out
That Titus was commissioned to bring.
Hebrews 13:17 “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.”
We certainly would rather be a Thessalonica and a blessing
Than some stubborn congregation resisting the words of God.
What is occurring here is REFORMATION WORK
One of the phrases that came out of the Reformation was:
“Ecclesia Reformata, Semper Reformanda”
It means, “The Church Reformed, always Reforming”
One of the truths learned from the reformation is that
The church will always be a work in progress.
We are, after all, comprised of fallen men and women.
• While we have been justified in the sight of God,
• While we are in the process of being conformed into the image of Christ,
• WE ARE NOT THERE YET.
We sing the song, “Prone to wander, Lord I feel it, prone to leave the God I love.”
WE KNOW WHAT WE ARE.
And so we are in constant need of reformation,
Both personally and corporately.
We are in need of Jesus to continually wash our feet with the water of His word and cleanse that worldly dust off of us.
We are need of continual correction and training.
We are in need of continual examination and leadership.
Paul told Timothy:
2 Timothy 3:16-17 “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”
• Paul knew that Timothy would need the word to teach men, reprove men, correct men, and train men.
It would be the word that would reform the church.
And then Paul commissioned Timothy:
2 Timothy 4:1-5 “I solemnly charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with great patience and instruction. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires, and will turn away their ears from the truth and will turn aside to myths. But you, be sober in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.”
• Timothy didn’t just need to possess the word, he needed to preach it.
• He needed to actually “reprove, rebuke, [and] exhort”
There is a straightening work that must continually occur
In our lives and in the lives of the church.
Sometimes the church has to go to the orthodontist
And get her teeth straightened.
Well, that is what Titus is told to do.
HE WAS A REFORMER on the island of Crete.
That was His Purpose
#2 THE DIRECTIVE
Titus 1:5b-9
Let’s just begin with the remainder of verse 5.
“and appoint elders in every city as I directed you,”
Well there it is.
That infamous six-letter word “elders”.
• If we understand the necessity of leadership in the church…and we do.
• If we believe that God has outlined the leadership in the church…and we do.
• If we are interested in knowing what God has to say about it…and we are.
Then we’ve got to address that word.
Let’s talk about it.
1) THE TITLE
“elders”
It is the Greek word PRES-BOOT-ER-OS
And it simply means “an older man”
It was certainly quite common and understandable that
The leadership of a society was comprised of older men.
It is a title that came to be used of those in leadership in the church.
It is where we get our word for “Presbytery”
And we see this word used many many times in Scripture.
• All the way back in the Old Testament as those selected to help Moses with the leadership of Israel.
• In the gospels we see them as Jewish leaders, though almost exclusively in a negative light with the Pharisees and Sadducees.
But even when the church was born and began to develop her structure
We see this office of “elders” emerge.
• It was NOT a discarded title in the church.
• It was NOT an office that the New Testament church abandoned.
• It was an office that the New Testament church EMBRACED.
Paul actually tells Titus here to “appoint elders in every city”.
Peter references them in:
1 Peter 5:1 “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,”
Luke, writing the book of Acts, references Paul’s meeting with the leaders at the church in Ephesus and he writes:
Acts 20:17 “From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church.”
SO FIRST WE RECOGNIZE
That the title “elders” is NOT an obsolete Title.
• It is not a rejected Title in the New Testament.
• It is an approved, God-ordained office.
And the office shows up frequently.
Acts 11:30 “And this they did, sending it in charge of Barnabas and Saul to the elders.”
Acts 14:23 “When they had appointed elders for them in every church, having prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed.”
Acts 15:2-6 “And when Paul and Barnabas had great dissension and debate with them, the brethren determined that Paul and Barnabas and some others of them should go up to Jerusalem to the apostles and elders concerning this issue. Therefore, being sent on their way by the church, they were passing through both Phoenicia and Samaria, describing in detail the conversion of the Gentiles, and were bringing great joy to all the brethren. When they arrived at Jerusalem, they were received by the church and the apostles and the elders, and they reported all that God had done with them. But some of the sect of the Pharisees who had believed stood up, saying, “It is necessary to circumcise them and to direct them to observe the Law of Moses.” The apostles and the elders came together to look into this matter.”
Acts 15:22 “Then it seemed good to the apostles and the elders, with the whole church, to choose men from among them to send to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas—Judas called Barsabbas, and Silas, leading men among the brethren,”
1 Timothy 5:17 “The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.”
James 5:14 “Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord;”
1 Peter 5:5 “You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for GOD IS OPPOSED TO THE PROUD, BUT GIVES GRACE TO THE HUMBLE.”
Clearly the office remained.
Clearly the office remains today.
We see men in the role of elders who are literally leading the church.
It is still a valid office and title.
I think sometimes titles get a negative connotation
Because they become more synonymous with certain denominations,
But this is a New Testament title, not a denominational one.
Now, what we do also recognize in the New Testament is that
Those who served as “elders” were not only called “elders”.
Those same men in that same office are also referred to by other titles.
For example, they are also referred to as “OVERSEERS”
1 Timothy 3:1 “It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do.”
Philippians 1:1 “Paul and Timothy, bond-servants of Christ Jesus, To all the saints in Christ Jesus who are in Philippi, including the overseers and deacons:”
Even those men whom Luke referred to as elders of the Ephesian church,
Later we see in that same chapter in Acts that
These men who are called elders functioned as overseers.
Acts 20:28 “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 was the same office.
On one occasion called elders, on another occasion referred to as overseers.
The Greek word for “overseer” is E-PIS-KO-PAY
• We get our word “Episcopal” there.
• It is a word that speaks certainly of “oversight, direction, and correction.”
Twice that same word is translated as “visitation”
Luke 19:44 “and they will level you to the ground and your children within you, and they will not leave in you one stone upon another, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation.”
1 Peter 2:12 “Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God in the day of visitation.”
So the word carries with it the connotation of like an inspector
Who shows up to visit and oversee the operation.
In many ways that is what Titus is doing on Crete.
He is going to visit the churches
To oversee their ministry and set them in order.
But that is a synonymous term with elders.
There is a third term that is also used synonymously and that is PASTOR or SHEPHERD.
The word “pastor” is only used once in the New Testament.
Ephesians 4:11 “And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,”
It is the Greek word POY-MANE
Every other time that word is used it is translated as “shepherd”.
The interesting point is that men who are called elders
Are often commanded to oversee and also shepherd God’s flock.
FOR EXAMPLE:
Those Ephesian elders are told:
Acts 20:28 “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.”
• So there you have men called “elders” back in verse 17,
• But in verse 28 as elders they have been made “overseers” and told to “shepherd”.
1 Peter 5:1-2 “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;”
• Peter addresses “the elders among you”
• And tells them to “shepherd the flock of God”
These are synonymous terms.
And yet, I do think it is important to embrace all 3 of them
And not to seek to push one aside, or elevate one above the rest.
Each of these terms or titles is given for a specific reason
They each teach us something vitally important about the office.
FOR EXAMPLE:
The term “elders” – is a term that speaks a great deal of MATURITY.
When leadership are understood through the title of “elders”
• We see that we are NOT looking for “hip” and “trendy”
• We are looking for “spiritually mature”.
• We are looking for men who know God and walk with God
• And who have known God for quite some time.
1 Timothy 3:6 “and not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil.”
Interesting that Paul doesn’t list that qualification in Titus,
Only in 1 Timothy.
But perhaps by telling Titus to “appoint elders”
The maturity level was understood.
So this is an important title to emphasize
The importance of spiritual maturity among those who lead the church.
The term “overseer” is also important as it denotes AUTHORITY.
We know that God is our ultimate authority
And that He delegates authority down from Him.
And as such He has given His authority
To those who lead the church over the churches they lead.
• Just as God gives civil magistrates authority over the people…
• Just as God gives husbands authority over their wives…
• Just as God gives parents authority over their children…
• So also God has given authority to leaders over their congregations…
It is an important title to emphasize that we are under God’s authority,
And that this authority is delegated through His appointed leadership.
And the term “shepherd” or “pastor” is important because it denotes MINISTRY OR CARE over the congregation.
• The church doesn’t just want a spiritually mature man to give advice.
• The church doesn’t just want an overseer to make decisions.
• The church wants a shepherd to guide and protect and care for the flock.
That title is also very important.
In a day when pastors want to be CEO’s
Or even remain only in the realm of theological debaters
It is good to remind them that they are shepherds.
John 21:16 “He said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.”
Peter learned that.
• He was no longer a fisherman, he was a shepherd.
• His purpose was the care of the flock.
So I think you understand why the different titles are given
And why they are all important.
We are talking here about spiritually mature men
Who have been given authority to lead the flock
And the purpose of that authority is that they might care for the flock.
That is all bound up in the titles.
But that then leads us to a second point of discussion we need to have about elders and that is:
2) THE JOB
What is the job of an elder?
Well as we consider the point being made in the book of Titus
It is clear that Paul has in mind here
A man who will hold the church straight.
Years ago Hannah went to the orthodontist to get braces.
They straightened her teeth.
• But she was also told that if there was not a deliberate focus on keeping her
teeth straight that they would naturally return to the previous state.
• So, she has to wear a retainer every night when she sleeps.
• The retainer didn’t straighten the teeth, but it does keep them straight.
AND THIS IS WHY TITUS IS TOLD TO APPOINT ELDERS.
• Titus would come and “set in order what remains”
• And then “appoint elders in every city”
• So that the elders would then keep the church on her appointed path.
THERE IS CERTAINLY AN AUTHORITY ISSUE IN PLAY HERE.
Paul told Timothy about this:
1 Timothy 5:17 “The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.”
Paul there speaks of “elders who rule well”
That Greek word is PROYSTAY-ME
It can be translated “rule” or “manage” or “lead”
1 Thessalonians 5:12 “But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction,”
There it is translated “have charge”
1 Timothy 3:4 “He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity”
There it is “manages”
AND THIS IS THE JOB.
As we said a moment ago,
• All authority trickles down from God and the church is no different.
• Everything God establishes He establishes under authority and this also goes for the church.
God has placed leaders in the church who have authority.
They rule, they manage, they lead, they have charge.
The church is called to submit to and honor such men.
Hebrews 13:17 “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.”
1 Corinthians 16:15-16 “Now I urge you, brethren (you know the household of Stephanas, that they were the first fruits of Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves for ministry to the saints), that you also be in subjection to such men and to everyone who helps in the work and labors.”
AND LOOK, I AM AWARE
That just to read those verses of Scripture actually offends some people in the church who think it is a foolish notion.
The very idea that God would place leaders in the church
To whom the congregation is supposed to submit
IS AN UNPOPULAR TRUTH.
But it is not unpopular because it is wrong or unbiblical.
It is unpopular because we live in an individualistic culture
That hates the notion of submission.
Everywhere you look in our culture PEOPLE HATE SUBMISSION.
Tell people they are to submit to the governing authorities and see what kind of response you receive.
• They’ll start throwing up all sorts of examples of governmental waste and corruption and emphatically declare that I don’t have to do what they say.
Tell wives in our culture that they are supposed to submit to their husbands
• Women all over the place will rebel and right and kick and stomp.
Kids in our culture no longer feel the need to submit to their parents,
• They think their parents are idiots and don’t know what they are talking about.
Workers no longer feel the need to submit to their bosses,
• They just want a paycheck, but they don’t want their boss telling them what to do.
Our society doesn’t like to submit to the police,
• Instead they disdain them and mock them and rebel.
YOU SEE THE PATTERN EVERYWHERE.
The reason people hate submission is not because it is unbiblical,
But because we are sinful culture that rejects the authority of God.
This world is full of “liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons”
THE CHURCH IS CALLED TO BE DIFFERENT.
• God said we have to be in subjection to the governing authorities.
• God said that children have to obey and honor their parents.
• God said that wives have to submit to and honor their husbands.
• And God said that the church must submit to and honor their leaders.
Leadership is just part of it.
Authority is just part of it.
AND THE CHURCH SHOULD BE THE CHIEF EXAMPLE.
NOW CERTAINLY
We also understand God’s ordained form of leadership.
When God gave headship to husbands
Over their wives he also commanded them to “love their wives as Christ loved the church”
When God gave authority to parents
Over their children he also commanded them to not “provoke their children to anger but to bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.”
When God gave the government authority
Over the society he also commanded them to “reward good behavior and punish evil behavior”
And this is also true among elders
Who rule or manage or oversee the church.
1 Peter 5:1-3 “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.”
The leadership of an elder is not a dominating type leadership.
• Just like a husband is told not to dominate his wife.
• Just like a father does not provoke his children.
• So an elder does not lord his authority over the congregation.
He IS in a leadership position.
He DOES have authority from God.
He IS to oversee and to manage.
And he will stand before God and give an account of his leadership.
Elders are called to shepherd.
The church is called to submit.
And that very relationship is a testimony to the world.
We’ve obviously got a lot more to say on this subject,
But we’ll have to leave it there for this morning.
But hopefully you’re beginning to see
God’s revealed plan for elders in the church.
