Older and Younger
Notes
Transcript
As we continue in our study through Titus if you will recall last week we looked at the organization of the church
We need to understand that there is order to a church
There is a flow to the church
There are people in positions of authority in the church
Last week we talked about the Elder that Titus was called to go and find
We showed you are Elder and Deacons here at Maranatha Baptist Fellowship
This morning we look back to Titus to see how else the church is to be organized
Because it is not just on the Elders within the church
16 They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed. 1 But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine.
Remember there are those people who profess to know God but by their deeds they are found out
Meaning they are all talk and no walk
Paul is reminding Titus that He is to speak things, and he is to find men who are to speak things which are fitting for sound doctrine
He is reminding Titus to teach people to live in a way that is consistent with their belief in God
Meaning their talk should match their walk and their walk should match their talk
Church we are to be doing just that!!!
Again church that just wasn’t all on the Elders
Within a family there are older men and younger men
There are older women and younger women
In a church there are no different
There are older men and younger men
There are older women and younger women
2 Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in perseverance.
Older Men
Listen you are to
Temperate
to show some self control
I believe we just went over that for the Elders
So it is not just for the elders to have self control
Dignified
Older men you are to live your life in such a way that is respectable
Sensible
having common sense
would you know that common sense is not so common anymore
being wise and putting that into action
Sound in Faith
Like doctrine this is one of those church terms we need to understand
Doctrine is a set of beliefs held and taught by the church
To have sound faith is to understand what the doctrine is and to live in it and teach it
To have sound faith is to be a spiritual giant
To know what the Bible Says and to be able to explain it well and to live it
Love
To have sound Love is to know the love of Christ and share that with others
To live in that love of Christ and to also allow that to be the driving force in acting out the faith you have in Christ
Perseverance
To be sound in perseverance is to finish strong
I ran track in High School and I know it doesn’t look like but I did
I ran the 1 mile, 2 miles and the 800 meter
What it means to finish strong is like running in track
Obviously you want to start strong and in a good position
Not to fast but not so slow you can’t catch up later
Then you get set into your pace
Then near the end you have a kick
Timing the kick is so important
You don’t want to wait to late and have so much left after the race
But you also don’t want to start to soon and empty out before the finish line
So timing of the kick in a race is vital to finish strong
And church you want to pace yourself
This is a long distance run called life with Jesus
Yes sometimes you will pick up the pace and other times you will slow down but pace yourself
And then church finish strong
Continue on, strive through the adversity that will come your way
Older men did you hear all that
Ok Good
3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good,
Older women did you hear all that as well
Because you are to also be doing that just the same
And Revenant in your behavior
having and showing great respect in the way you act
Not Gossips
Do not gossip
gossiping is typically sharing details that may or may not be true
Not enslaved to much wine
Again like the elder not addicted to wine
Like the elder it doesn’t say you can’t drink but just because you can doesn’t always mean you should
Teaching what is good
Teaching the sound faith and love that you are practicing
Teaching Christ and Him crucified
Older Women did you hear all that??
Because you are to do something with that
4 so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.
Older women you are to live in such a way that you help and encourage the younger women to do those same things
You are to disciple those younger women
Which would mean younger women
Seek out those older women and seek out to be discipled
Older women part of your role within a family
Church is a family so part of your role in the church is to disciple those younger women
Encourage them to love their husbands to love their kids
To be wise and put it into action
remain pure, care for their homes
To be kind
Older women teach and encourage the younger women to be subject to their own husbands
That is difficult in today’s world but that is how the home is organized
Last week we said that you have built in discipleship at home
Church is no different you have a built discipleship at church
Because that is the way things are organized
You need some older women in the church who will be obedient and be disciples which first means they are running after Christ and living for Jesus according to scripture
Then the Older Men
6 Likewise urge the young men to be sensible; 7 in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified, 8 sound in speech which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us.
Older men you are to do the same with the younger men
Younger men, please hear me seek out the older men to be discipled
Older men make yourselves available to disciple people
What you are to be teaching those younger men is nothing new
It is nothing that we havn’t already said
It is to walk and run after Jesus
To be wise and put it into action
Older men you are to teach and show younger men how to be an example of good deeds to others
To be pure in doctrine, to be students of Gods word
To have speech that is above reproach
To live above reproach so that you no one can say anything against them
Church we are to disciple the younger generation
9 Urge bondslaves to be subject to their own masters in everything, to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, 10 not pilfering, but showing all good faith so that they will adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect.
Bondslaves During this time probably meant people who voluntarily put themselves in subjection to someone for money
Today we could see this through the eyes of employment
employee, you and I should be working and acting in such a way that glorifies Christ
You can and should be lights for Christ in the work place
Church is not just dependent on the hired spiritual guy
Growth in christ is not just dependent on the Pastor and Youth Pastor and Staff
It is between you and Christ
But within the church there is order
We have the elder but it doesn't just stop there
We have older men and women who can and should be discipling the next generation
I am not just talking about the youth but there are young married couples who need discipling
11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men,
Church in the middle of the letter to Titus reminds Titus of this very important fact
See after he has explained the need and order of elders within the church
Then he explains that the older men and women should be disicpling the younger men and women
And church that doesnt always mean age but spritual age as well
Then Paul explains to Titus about bondslaves
And yes during this time it very well could have meant slaves or people who voluntarily were servants
But either way Paul reminds Titus that the Grace of God has appeared which brought salvation to each and everyone
That there wasn’t a speration
That salvation just wasn’t for these people
Paul says this in
Romans 1:16
16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.
The grace of God is Jesus Christ which is the salvation of man through Christ
It is only through Christ that you are saved
So it doesn’t matter where you belong to this church or that church
Jesus came to save you
It doesn’t matter what political party you belong to
Jesus came to save you
It doesn’t matter what you have done in life wether you are rich or poor
Jesus came to save you
Church it doesn’t matter how much sin and baggage you have
Jesus came to save you
See church the world likes to bring that message
Jesus came to save you and that is the truth but that is not the end
12 instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, 13 looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, 14 who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.
Salvation is to be with Christ
Christ cannot be with the old you
Christ cannot be with the sin and baggage
You cannot remain where you are and accept the free gift of salvation
That is the Gospel Message to the world church
That is the Gospel Message we see in scripture
Yes Jesus came to save but save you so you won’t be the same old person anymore
Jesus came to save everyone but sadly some won’t accept or others will say they accept but never truly accept because it requires them to leave the old life
That is what Paul wants to remind Titus
It doesn’t matter wether you are rich or poor, slave or free, jew or greek
Jesus came to save all so that would be changed to be like Christ and not their old wordly self
It doesn’t matter wether you are rich or poor, slave or free, it doesn’t matter what color your skin is, it doesn’t matter where you are from, it doesn’t matter how much sin and baggage you have
Jesus came to save each and every one of you
Jesus came to save you so you could be like Him and not the world
Which means you must leave the world to be saved
That is what Paul wants to remind Titus of
And then lastly
15 These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you.
Paul encourages Titus to continue to speak the truth
Sometimes the truth is an encouragement
Sometimes the truth is to say no that is wrong
As an encouragement it is that Jesus meets you where you are and then helps lift you up out of that junk and walks with you and encourages you not to pick that stuff up again
Praise the Lord Jesus has compassion and mercy and grace on us
Sometimes the Gospel refutes and tells people they are wrong
No you cannot stay where you are and walk with Jesus
No you cannot just make the Bible say what you want it to
No you cannot remain in sin and walk with Jesus
It doesn’t work like that
Paul encourages Titus to continue on speaking the truth as an encouragement and to refute others
So that is what we do
We continue to speak the truth and sometimes it encourages and sometimes it refutes
So church as we move to our time of invitation
The invitation is this
Maybe you are here this morning and you have never accepted what Jesus did on the cross and the grave for you
Meaning you do not have a personal relationship with Him
If that is you and want to do that today
You come forward and speak with someone
Or maybe you are here and you have a personal relationship with Jesus
But you need some discipleship
I am going to ask you to step out and go find the person God has laid on your heart to disicple you
If you are here and God is calling you to disciple someone would you step out and go find that person
Or maybe you need to spend sometime in prayer at the altar
The altar is open