Titus 1:4-5 KJV,
4 To Titus, mine own son after the common faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Saviour.
5 For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:
Titus 1:9-14 KJV,
9 Holding fast the faithful word as he hath been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and to convince the gainsayers.
10 For there are many unruly and vain talkers and deceivers, specially they of the circumcision:
11 Whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for filthy lucre's sake.
12 One of themselves, even a prophet of their own, said, The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies.
13 This witness is true. Wherefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith;
14 Not giving heed to Jewish fables, and commandments of men, that turn from the truth.
Titus 2:15 KJV,
15 These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee.
John 21:15-19 KJV,
15 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs.
16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep.
18 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not.
19 This spake he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.
Yes, we as pastors have been given the task to lead, teach, protect and guard the flock that we pastor. It is therefore logical and very important for us as pastors to know who is in attendance and is claiming membership within the congregation we pastor.
There are obviously many practical reasons for us to have this knowledge, but the main reason is so we can protect the flock we pastor from potential hurt and harm from anyone who sits on the pew.
So it is proper for we as pastors to know, “Who the most dangerous individuals are who attend the church we pastor?”
Here I am not so much aiming at an individual as I am looking at a type of individual. Actually this could entail more than one individual, it could consist of several individuals.
Sure, we all can spot the church member who does not fluently speak the same language as the church community and they have never accepted the vision of the pastor. We can identify these individuals from their doctrinal anemia and their lack of unity with the majority of the church members. These individuals keep making theological mistakes when in group settings. These ask very weak questions when in open forums actually stick their foot in their mouths often, making themselves really stand out as weak saints of God.
But I submit that these types of people are not the most dangerous people who attend our churches. At least, they are not in my experience. Because the rest of the saints understand how weak these church members really are.
Instead, I submit the most dangerous person at our churches is the apparently smart individual who has an un-teachable spirit.
When I say "un-teachable," I mean that they think they have it all figured out. They are the classic “Do not try to confuse me with anything you have got to say, I know what I believe and I am not interested in anything you want to add” type individuals. This is the individuals who seem to be so spiritual and they seem to have a good biblical knowledge. These individuals can drop big words and effectively argue their point. Very often, they seem to be so involved and appear to have everything together. However, they are so dangerous because of the reason we would not even think of; they are un-teachable.
Let me give you some reasons why and how they are so dangerous:
1. They are Gospel-Eclipsing
The great commission has learning embedded in it,
Matthew 28:18-20 KJV,
18 And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth.
19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:
20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
This means that being a disciple is being one who is always learning. Therefore, to have it all figured out is to deny who you are. As saints of God, we have to be people who are ever learning; this includes everyone from the pastor to the small children.
2. They are Critical
If these individuals are not being moved by the preaching of the Word, they are most likely gathering ammunition to shoot at the pastor and church leaders. They often sit quietly during the sermons and teachings only to pick apart everything like a Monday morning quarterback. Their un-teachable spirit is the exact opposite of the teaching of James:
James 1:19-27 New Living Translation ®,
19 Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.
20 Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.
21 So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.
22 But don't just listen to God's word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves.
23 For if you listen to the word and don't obey, it is like glancing at your face in a mirror.
24 You see yourself, walk away, and forget what you look like.
25 But if you look carefully into the perfect law that sets you free, and if you do what it says and don't forget what you heard, then God will bless you for doing it.
26 If you claim to be religious but don't control your tongue, you are fooling yourself, and your religion is worthless.
We must note this is not Paul giving us a disclaimer of constructive criticism. This is a desperately needed message that Paul is writing to James and we need to accept it as the truth that we must stand and preach to the saints and church members alike.
3. They are Divisive
This is dangerous for the church in that it invariably brings division because one divisive individual can cause much division in a local church,
Titus 3:8-11 New Living Translation ®,
8 This is a trustworthy saying, and I want you to insist on these teachings so that all who trust in God will devote themselves to doing good. These teachings are good and beneficial for everyone.
9 Do not get involved in foolish discussions about spiritual pedigrees or in quarrels and fights about obedience to Jewish laws. These things are useless and a waste of time.
10 If people are causing divisions among you, give a first and second warning. After that, have nothing more to do with them.
11 For people like that have turned away from the truth, and their own sins condemn them.
This type of boiling pot eventually spills over, and when it does, these individuals destroy and hurt the unity in a local church and actually destroy so many people.
In my experience as a pastor, divisions that usually come up in the church usually are a direct result of somebody being un-teachable. These types of situations have a long legacy in the church. Consider how Diotrephes liked to put himself first and stir up division in the church. How did he do this? He did not submit to the teaching of the Apostles,
3 John 9-11 New Living Translation ®,
9 I wrote to the church about this, but Diotrephes, who loves to be the leader, refuses to have anything to do with us.
10 When I come, I will report some of the things he is doing and the evil accusations he is making against us. Not only does he refuse to welcome the traveling teachers, he also tells others not to help them. And when they do help, he puts them out of the church.
11 Dear friend, don't let this bad example influence you. Follow only what is good. Remember that those who do good prove that they are God's children, and those who do evil prove that they do not know God.
Diotrephes was un-teachable opposing everything Paul and the other traveling preachers of that time preached, causing utter division in the church.
This was obviously dangerous for Diotrephes own soul but also dangerous for the church. Just as Diotrephes had influence in that congregation, so too do the un-teachable individuals in the church today, no doubt there are those types who have influence in our local assembly. The influence of an un-teachable individual or individuals is a vehicle for division in any local church community.
4. These type individuals are Joy-Robbing
A church community that is filled with teachable saints brings its leaders joy. A church with members who are not teachable robs the leadership of all their joy. It is so very simple,
Hebrews 13:7-9 New Living Translation ®,
7 Remember your leaders who taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and follow the example of their faith.
8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.
9 So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas. Your strength comes from God's grace, not from rules about food, which don't help those who follow them.
As a pastor and leader of a good church I can personally attest to the fact that un-teachable saints of God do steal the joy from the leadership and causes problems in a local church community.
5. These un-teachable church members are Time-Waster
Let me be very careful how I say this. I do not mean that laboring in the ministry is a waste of time. But what I do mean it is that un-teachable individual or individuals who are the ones that continually takes up pastoral or leadership’s time with arguments. These type individuals just keep revisiting the same type issues over and over again. They can find anything to nitpick and be critical about. So in this sense, they waste good quality time from the pastor’s schedule. Or, as Paul might say, the labor is in vain
Philippians 2:12-18 New Living Translation ®,
12 Dear friends, you always followed my instructions when I was with you. And now that I am away, it is even more important. Work hard to show the results of your salvation, obeying God with deep reverence and fear.
13 For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.
14 Do everything without complaining and arguing, 15 so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people.
16 Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on the day of Christ's return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless. 17 But I will rejoice even if I lose my life, pouring it out like a liquid offering to God, just like your faithful service is an offering to God. And I want all of you to share that joy.
18 Yes, you should rejoice, and I will share your joy.
2 Thessalonians 3:2-7 New Living Translation ®,
2 Pray, too, that we will be rescued from wicked and evil people, for not everyone is a believer.
3 But the Lord is faithful; he will strengthen you and guard you from the evil one.
4 And we are confident in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we commanded you.
5 May the Lord lead your hearts into a full understanding and expression of the love of God and the patient endurance that comes from Christ.
6 And now, dear brothers and sisters, we give you this command in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ: Stay away from all believers who live idle lives and don't follow the tradition they received from us.
7 For you know that you ought to imitate us. We were not idle when we were with you.
So what do pastors and church leaders do with these un-teachable church members?
First we must pray for them, forbid it that pastors or church leaders become calloused and unmoved ourselves! The desire of our heart should always be for church growth and growth of the gospel.
Colossians 1:9-14 New Living Translation ®,
9 So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding.
10 Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better.
11 We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy,
12 always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light.
13 For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son,
14 who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.
2 Peter 3:14-18 New Living Translation ®,
14 And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight.
15 And remember, the Lord's patience gives people time to be saved. This is what our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom God gave him—
16 speaking of these things in all of his letters. Some of his comments are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters to mean something quite different, just as they do with other parts of Scripture. And this will result in their destruction.
17 I am warning you ahead of time, dear friends. Be on guard so that you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing.
18 Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen.
As pastors and church leaders we must do everything in our power to minimize the influence of un-teachable individuals in the church community.
This is one of many reasons why pastors should always be careful about who is appointed into leadership positions within a church community.
Colossians 2:6-10 New Living Translation ®,
6 And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him.
7 Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.
8 Don't let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.
9 For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body.
10 So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.
As pastors and church leaders we must do everything in our power to watch these who are un-teachable as they mingle with the sheep of God’s pasture and those who are members of the local church community.
If these un-teachable individuals are members of the local church community, then they must be cared for, by the pastor also. The pastor must care for these individuals as well as all the other saints in the church all the while guarding and protecting the flock from these that are divisive.
These individuals with an un-teachable spirit are the ones that keep the pastor up at night and stressed beyond measure.
As pastors and church leaders we must lovingly do everything we can to teach these un-teachable individuals and try to change them to be more and more like the Lord and to become focused on the vision and unity in the church.
Titus 2:15 New Living Translation ®,
15 You must teach these things and encourage the believers to do them. You have the authority to correct them when necessary, so don't let anyone disregard what you say.
As pastors we must teach and encourage everyone that is a member of the church community we are pastoring. But there comes times that we must confront these who are un-teachable where it is necessary to salvage them along with all the other saints of God.
When there is sin involved, Jesus is very clear.
Matthew 18:15-20 New Living Translation ®,
15 "If another believer sins against you, go privately and point out the offense. If the other person listens and confesses it, you have won that person back.
16 But if you are unsuccessful, take one or two others with you and go back again, so that everything you say may be confirmed by two or three witnesses.
17 If the person still refuses to listen, take your case to the church. Then if he or she won't accept the church's decision, treat that person as a pagan or a corrupt tax collector.
18 "I tell you the truth, whatever you forbid on earth will be forbidden in heaven, and whatever you permit on earth will be permitted in heaven.
19 "I also tell you this: If two of you agree here on earth concerning anything you ask, my Father in heaven will do it for you.
20 For where two or three gather together as my followers, I am there among them."
This type of thing weighs heavy upon pastors and church members alike. Therefore, even the consideration of such things should cause us to pause, evaluate our own hearts, and pray for receptivity of the word of God.
James 1:19-21
19 Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters: You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.
20 Human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires.
21 So get rid of all the filth and evil in your lives, and humbly accept the word God has planted in your hearts, for it has the power to save your souls.
Colossians 3:12-15 New Living Translation ®,
12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
13 Make allowance for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.
14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.
15 And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.
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