Healthy Churches

Part 3

Thirdly a healthy church will face a deceptive enemy (Titus 1:10-16). 

The reason why Titus was to act with haste was that, surprisingly, people were in danger of going after and following the wrong types of leaders. 

10 For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. 11 They must be silenced, since they are upsetting whole families by teaching for shameful gain what they ought not to teach. 12 One of the Cretans,a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” 13 This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, 14 not devoting themselves to Jewish myths and the commands of people who turn away from the truth. 15 To the pure, all things are pure, but to the defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their minds and their consciences are defiled. 16 They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.

They are exposed here in v.10-16. In reading it you might think that this could never happen today.  But the key to understanding how easily churches are deceived comes in v.16 - when Paul states ‘they profess to know God - that is these leaders, but they deny him by their works’.

So day to day they appeared ever so religious v.10.

They were of the circumcision group.

v. 11 in order to get shameful gain they might have appeared really quite needy.

v.14 they devoted themselves to Jewish myths and traditions, so came across as very pious.

v.15 we’re told that nothing was pure to them meaning most likely they were quite dogmatic and legalistic.

But according to the perspective of the gospel although they professed to know God, they denied him by their works.  Meaning these leaders were in it for themselves and instead of serving others they were using them for their own ends.

It’s sobering and no less a danger for us today.  But in God’s kindness even this can operate as a safeguard for us all.

In ICM we realise that churches and especially leadership in churches can attract very deceptive and controlling people who only want to build a platform for themselves.

And this is a particular danger for a healthy church. These types of leaders are drawn to the potential for success.

However with the Scriptures in our hands we can carefully and sensitively search our own hearts and seek to avoid such deception in all its forms.