Our reading this morning is from Titus chapter 1 and that's on page 1198 of the Red Church Bibles.
That's page 1198, Titus chapter 1, beginning at verse 5.
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.
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 chapter 1 and verse 3.
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
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
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.