(Titus 009) Church Life

There is a certain destruction that comes from false teaching.

And especially people who are described by..,

“They profess to know God, but they deny Him with their works.”

Not only does it destroy a church, but it turns lost people away from God.

The 19th century German philosopher, Heinrich Heine, said: “Show me your redeemed life, and I might be inclined to believe in your Redeemer.”

Mohatma Gandhi is often quoted as saying, “I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.”

We have forgotten what it means to be salt and light.

Titus 2:1–6 ESV

1 But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. 2 Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. 3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. 6 Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled.

1. Shepherds are to teach sound doctrine.

“but as for you, each what accords with sound doctrine.”

You

This is a specific call out of Titus.

Teach

A prolonged form of the verb meaning to teach by instruction and modeling.

Also meaning that it is to be done all the time.

EXTRA: do you know the difference between biblical preaching and teaching and how they are used in the New Testament?

Sound doctrine

“Hygiaino” (our hygiene) - meaning to be healthy.

Sound is completely different from unfit.

It is possible to teach good doctrine without teaching healthy doctrine.

Healthy doctrine is balanced doctrine.

Paul is telling Titus to teach deep truths that are lived out in such a way that christianity is attractive to others.

Titus 2:10 (ESV)

10 not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.

1. Shepherds are to teach sound doctrine.

Be careful how you live.

Whatever you do should adorn our God and savior.

Healthy doctrine brings change to the people hearing it.

They live differently and function in the body as God intended.

2. The church body is to live and help others live sound doctrine.

The focus switches… sort of.

The focus has been on elders/shepherds.

Now it switches to the church body, but don’t miss the flow.

Titus is told to teach healthy doctrine that accords with good living.

What is that good living that comes from good teaching? … THIS!

(2) A. Instruction to the older men and younger men.

These two classifications are generalized by Paul.

Paul is really defining a principle.

An older man or woman SHOULD be more mature than a younger man or woman, but that may not be.

Also, what is older and what is younger?

We are all older than someone and younger than someone.

We may be more mature in our faith than someone older than us.

These are principles for everyone to live.

a. Older men are to live live godly lives.

Paul lists several characteristics. These are not exclusively to a gender or age group, nor are they exhaustive.

Sober-minded

Free from drunkeness and in your right mind.

Older Cretan men were known for drinking their days away.

The Bible sees drunkeness as foolishness.

The flip side is to be clear headed.

Dignified

honorable, respectable

Not stuffy and rigid

But someone with a serious purpose

Someone who is worth modeling.

If all the young men followed you, what kind of church would we have?

Self-controlled.

Only used four times in the NT.

1 in 1 Timothy

3 in Titus

This is a stark contrast to Cretan culture.

Slaves to various passions and pleasures (3:3)

Sound in faith

Healthy in

You should have a healthy faith

Not worried about every little thing, but trusting God

1 John 2:13 ESV

13 I am writing to you, fathers, because you know him who is from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I write to you, children, because you know the Father.

a. Older men are to live live godly lives.

Sound in love

Old men can become hard to live with, but we should become more loving.

An old man has practiced love and experienced love.

He has loved God and loved his neighbor.

1 Corinthians 13:4–7 ESV

4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

a. Older men are to live live godly lives.

Sound in steadfastness

Not quitters

They know the faithfulness of God and and don’t back down during trials

1 Thessalonians 1:3 (ESV)

3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.

b. Older men are to teach younger men to live godly lives.

Urge the younger men to be self-controlled.

(2) B. Instructions to the older women and younger women.

Likewise shifts the focus but calls attention to the similarity.

a. Older women are to live godly lives.

Reverent in behavior

Our behaviour reflects what is in our heart.

Reverent comes from the idea of holiness and godliness.

Your lifestyle should be full of godliness and holiness.

Set the standard for the younger women.

Not slanderers

False accusers.

Be careful not to get caught up in gossip.

“diabolos” - slanderous, adversarial, Devil

Not slaves to much wine

Same idea as being sober minded.

1 Timothy 5:10 ESV

10 and having a reputation for good works: if she has brought up children, has shown hospitality, has washed the feet of the saints, has cared for the afflicted, and has devoted herself to every good work.

b. Older women are to teach younger women how to live godly lives.

Teach what is good.

Notice the progression...

Live what is good

Teach what is good

Teach… the prolonged from.

To udder words continuously.

Train...

To disciplene or correct.

This is intentional work.

This is the life God commanded inside the church.

This is church 101

They are to teach what is “good” beautiful and attractive.

The things that adorn the gospel.

That make God look good.

Train them to love their husbands and children

A lot of people think this comes naturally.

Yet Paul assumes they will not know how to properly love their families.

It takes deliberate effort to love our families well.

Train them to be self-controlled

Rational

In control of your impulses

Train them to be pure

Completely devoted to their husbands

Completely devoted to God

Train them to be working at home

This might sound outdated, but it is God’s design.

Children need the nurturing care of their mother.

Godly homemaking

It doesn’t mean you have to be at home all the time

But loving your husband and raising your kids.

Train them to be kind

Meaning to do good

Think of the needs of others

pour out goodness on others

Train them to be submissive to their own husbands

This is in complete contrast with culture.

A picture of being submissive to Christ.

Concluding observations...

Paul closes his thoughts on church life by turning our attention to the young men.

“Likewise” - not only are the young women to be trained, but the young men.

We all fall in a category.

There is not a method given for training.

Neither the qualities of the older or younger automatically develop with age.

People, not sermons have the greatest influence.

Questions for the week:

Do I know healthy doctrine well enough to teach it to someone else?

Do my actions adorn Christ?

Am I intentionally leading or following someone?

If the everyone in church followed me, what would our church look like?