Daily Recap of Sunday's Sermon

Titus 1:9: "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."

1. AN UNWAVERING COMMITMENT TO GOD'S WORD AS HIS ABSOLUTE AUTHORITY

"Hold firm" means hold it fast, hold it tenaciously. An elder must believe 2 Timothy 3:16, that all Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching, reproof, correction, and training in righteousness. He must believe Proverbs 30:5, that every word of God proves true. God never lies and cannot lie, so the Bible, His written Word, cannot lie. It is absolutely truthful and reliable.

So the question about any man being considered: Is he a man of the Word? Does he love the Bible and live in it, or is it just a tool of the trade? When he faces a hard issue, is the Bible one resource among many, or the truth by which every other opinion and idea is judged?

Pastor Phil gave counseling as an example. Does a pastor go first to psychology and "what the experts say"? (He noted, with humor, that people often say "experts say" without ever naming the experts.) He called psychology and therapeutic counseling one of the greatest competitors with the Word of God today. Psychologists can offer some helpful things, but God's Word governs and informs everything else. It is where we start, not where we go after figuring things out elsewhere. For a godly elder, nothing trumps God's Word.

This is foundational not only for pastors but for everyone, which is why the church offers classes like "The Doctrine of the Word of God," led by Dusty and Scott. Pastor Phil asked the congregation directly: What do you believe about God's Word? Is it your absolute authority, or just another resource among many?

2. EMBRACING THE APOSTOLIC TEACHING, "ONCE FOR ALL DELIVERED TO THE SAINTS"

The ESV's phrase "the trustworthy word as taught" is easy to skip over. The NASB's "according to the teaching" is more literal. Paul means the apostolic teaching that he and the other apostles gave the churches, which we now have in God's Word. So a church doesn't just say "we believe the Bible"; it is committed to the faith once for all delivered to the saints.

A faithful pastor is not looking for something new. He doesn't cater to "itching ears" that want something novel and exciting. The church is excited about the old, reliable, trustworthy Word of God.

That's why every Sovereign Grace pastor and elder signs an affirmation of agreement with the Sovereign Grace Statement of Faith (copies are available at the church). It took about seven years to write. It is not higher than the Bible; it is an attempt to summarize what the Bible teaches on the major doctrines. Pastors are accountable to it. If one of them stopped believing it, he would need to step down as an elder.

Pastor Phil quoted a commentator: the message pastoral leaders are charged to uphold is not theirs to invent, shape to their own demands, or edit to their preferences; they are to embrace, live, and pass on the teaching they received from the apostles. His takeaway: if you walk away from many sermons thinking, "I've heard that before," that may not be a bad thing. It's probably a pretty good thing.

3. THE ABILITY TO TEACH SOUND DOCTRINE

"So that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine." This is the one qualification that distinguishes elders from deacons; all the character and marriage qualifications are the same for both. It is the very heart of the elder's role. There is nothing more important than how a pastor teaches the Word to his church.

In Acts 6:4 the apostles in Jerusalem said, "We will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word," which is why they set up what were probably the forerunners of deacons to care for the widows. This is also why the Sovereign Grace ordination process places a huge emphasis on a man's understanding of and commitment to the Word, and his theological unity with the faith once for all delivered to the saints.

TODAY'S SUMMARY

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"BELIEVERS" OR "FAITHFUL"? (Titus 1:6)

The ESV says an elder's "children are believers, not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination." The Greek word translated "believers" can also mean "faithful." The ESV, NIV, and NASB say "believers"; the King James, New King James, and Holman Christian Standard Bible say "faithful." The NKJV reads "having faithful children not accused of dissipation or insubordination." Usually context makes the meaning clear, but in Titus it isn't crystal clear, and godly pastors and theologians are on both sides.

Pastor Phil explained why the church understands the word as "faithful," not necessarily "believers":

1. The second phrase explains the first. "Not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination" (not known for wild, out-of-control living) is a very low bar, and not very helpful for deciding whether a teenager is truly born again. But it makes good sense as an explanation of children who are faithful to their father's authority.

2. Requiring believing children raises thorny questions. What if a man's children are too young to express faith? What if a child has mental limitations and may not be able to understand or articulate faith in Christ? What if five children believe and the sixth does not? What if a 10- or 12-year-old professes faith and is baptized, but the genuineness of that faith isn't clear for years? Requiring believing children puts on elders a requirement no father can guarantee. No father controls the salvation of his kids; that is a miracle only God can do.

Pastor Phil quoted Alexander Strauch's book Biblical Eldership: the contrast Paul is making is not between believing and unbelieving children, but between obedient, respectful children and lawless, uncontrolled children. The strong terms stress the children's behavior, not their eternal state. A faithful child is obedient and submissive to the father.

He added that this applies to children still living at home, not adult children out on their own. The Greek word for children here, tekna, is occasionally used of adults (we are called God's children), but it usually refers to children still under their parents' authority. When kids move out or marry, Scripture no longer requires them to submit to their parents, though they must still honor them. So the qualification is that an elder's children are well managed by their father, as 1 Timothy 3 puts it, and faithful and submissive to his authority.

PERSONAL CHARACTER AND CONDUCT (Titus 1:7-8)

"For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach." Paul fires off a rapid list: five things an elder must not be, and six things he must be.

Five things he must NOT be:

- Arrogant: overbearing, self-willed, prideful.

- Quick-tempered: quickly given to irritability and impatience.

- A drunkard: addicted to wine; instead he exercises moderation and self-control.

- Violent: pugnacious, using force, intimidation, and threats in his leadership. 1 Timothy adds that he must be gentle.

- Greedy for gain: motivated by the love of money. We think of prosperity preachers, but all of us are susceptible to this temptation.

John Stott summarized these five: they relate to five areas of strong temptation, namely pride, temper, drink, power, and money. If these vices characterize a man, don't appoint him to eldership yet.

THESE APPLY TO ALL OF US

Pastor Phil stressed that these characteristics are what the Lord wants of all men. If you're thinking, "I don't want to be a pastor, so I'm off the hook," no. This is the kind of men God is calling all of us to be.

ABOVE REPROACH

"Above reproach" does not mean sinless perfection; otherwise there would be no qualified elders anywhere. Pastor Phil quoted John Calvin: Paul doesn't mean someone free from every fault, since no such man could ever be found, but one marred by no disgrace that could diminish his authority. In other words, a man of unblemished reputation.

So the church should not consider someone open to accusations of shady financial dealings, suspicions about his interactions with women, or a lack of integrity in business. Pastor Phil offered a simple test: if a man's neighbors, co-workers, and non-Christian acquaintances heard he was being considered as an elder, would they laugh and say, "Are you kidding me?" Or would they nod and say, "Yep, he's that kind of man, a man of trustworthy character"? This is why input from the whole congregation matters in the process, and perhaps from a man's neighbors and co-workers, and certainly his family. The people closest to him day to day "have the best seat in the house" to know his character.

TODAY'S SUMMARY

Pastor Phil opened with a story about Southern Seminary in Louisville, the flagship seminary of the Southern Baptist Convention. In the early 1980s his sister-in-law Felicia studied church music there, and she later said, sadly, that some of her Bible professors were probably not even born again.Southern was founded in 1859 on a doctrinal confession that defined what every faculty member was expected to believe. But by the middle of the 20th century, and on through the 1960s to the 1980s, many professors had drifted from the inspiration and inerrancy of Scripture, and with that compromise came other departures from historic evangelical belief. In 1993 the trustees chose 33-year-old Dr. Al Mohler as president to restore the founders' commitments.Where do you even start with an institution headed in a heretical direction? Mohler knew a new vision statement, a new document, or a few curriculum changes would not be enough, because the seminary's direction was shaped by its faculty. So he and the trustees required every faculty member to affirm the seminary's confession of faith, the SBC's Baptist Faith and Message, and the complete truthfulness and inerrancy of the Bible. These were not just words for a hiring conversation; they were meant to govern the actual teaching. In April 1995, less than two years in, the faculty passed a vote of no confidence in Mohler; only two professors supported him. But the trustees stood behind him, whatever the cost. Today Southern has an almost entirely new faculty committed to inerrancy and orthodoxy, and it is one of the top evangelical seminaries in the country, perhaps in the world.The lesson: for a local church to stay healthy over the long term, sound doctrine must be embodied in its leadership, guarded, taught, and passed on to the next generation. Good intentions and a statement of faith alone cannot accomplish that.Pastor Phil then read Titus 1:5-9 and gave the outline for the whole sermon: (1) the necessity of godly elders/pastors, (2) their qualifications, and (3) the reason for them. He prayed for help in preaching, for himself and Pastor Aaron to be faithful in these areas, and for God to raise up men from the congregation to become elders, whether at this church or another. He noted the church currently has two elders: Pastor Phil and Pastor Aaron.

THE NECESSITY OF GODLY ELDERS (Titus 1:5) Paul wrote to Titus around AD 62 or 63. He had been released from Roman imprisonment a year or two earlier, and this was his last missionary journey, which took him to the island of Crete. The gospel may have reached Crete soon after Pentecost; Acts 2 says Jews from Crete were in Jerusalem that day, and some were likely saved and carried the gospel home. Now, 25 to 30 years later, there were a number of churches on Crete, but they had serious problems, especially the spread of false teaching.Paul left Titus there "to put what remained into order." How could one man do that across so many churches? Paul told him where to start: "appoint elders in every town." The implication is that the future of the Cretan churches would rest on the existence, quality, and character of the pastoral leadership Titus put in place. Pastor Phil applied it directly: the future of our church will rest on the quality of the pastoral leadership we have, so pray for us, and pray for more elders and pastors.

ONE OFFICE, THREE NAMES Elders, overseers, and pastors are three terms for the same role or office. In Titus 1, Paul says "appoint elders" in verse 5 and then "an overseer must be" in verse 7, using the terms interchangeably. Elsewhere, in Acts 20, Paul tells the Ephesian elders to shepherd (pastor) the flock of God, and 1 Peter 5:1-2 does the same.

Day 5 focuses on Jesus's promise in Matthew 11:30 that His yoke is easy and His burden is light. It emphasizes that true, soul-satisfying rest is found when believers surrender their self-sufficiency and transfer heavy weights—such as guilt, regret, and the need to control outcomes—to a sovereign Heavenly Father. Ultimately, Christ's burden is light because He has already borne the heaviest weight through His sacrifice on the cross, inviting weary followers to humbly rely on His gentle, loving care.

Jesus Christ invites believers to experience true spiritual renewal not through passive relaxation or escape, but by actively taking up His yoke of discipleship. Rather than promising an effortless life devoid of responsibilities, the Savior offers profound soul-satisfying rest that comes from submitting to His gentle and loving leadership. By trading personal control, guilt, and regret for faithful obedience, individuals learn to rely entirely on Christ for their strength and daily direction. This gracious rule transforms ordinary, demanding tasks into purposeful acts of worship rather than exhausting burdens. Ultimately, resting in Christ means embracing His guidance through prayer and trusting that His commands are designed for our ultimate good.

The provided text presents a spiritual reflection centered on Jesus Christ's invitation to find rest from life's heavy burdens. It examines the various pressures individuals routinely carry, including stressful work environments, difficult decisions, ongoing family concerns, personal guilt, and unfixable relational conflicts. The source emphasizes that humans mistakenly believe they must manage everything independently, even though they lack the capacity to do so alone. Instead of seeking mere self-improvement advice or greater personal strength, people are encouraged to recognize their deepest need for a relationship with God. Ultimately, the passage urges readers to honestly acknowledge their struggles and surrender their weariness directly to a gracious Savior in prayer.

According to the provided text, knowing God is exclusively achieved through Jesus Christ, who possesses total authority and uniquely reveals the Heavenly Father. Instead of inventing a personal version of divinity based on human emotions or worldly trends, believers must practice humility and study the Scriptures to see Christ's genuine compassion, holiness, and power. By keeping Jesus central to their faith rather than pushing Him aside, individuals can stop guessing and fact-check their fears against the truth. Ultimately, surrendering to the Son provides the ultimate source of spiritual rest, steadfast hope, and a proper understanding of the divine nature.

People often carry heavy burdens of work, decision-making, and fear, mistakenly believing they must control everything on their own. However, Jesus invites believers to approach God with humility like little children rather than relying on self-sufficient pride. God is both a personal Heavenly Father who cares deeply and the Lord of heaven and earth who rules over all circumstances. Because humans are never meant to bear life's ultimate weights independently, they can relinquish control to a sovereign God. True faith acknowledges personal limitations and replaces anxiety with worship and complete dependence on divine grace.