MVBC Conference: Notes for 11/11/2023 if needed

Ripples of Grace part I/ The Role of Every Member

Have you ever been on a pond or lake when it is completely still? When the water is so smooth it looks like glass? Whether you are in a boat or standing on the dock, the slightest move you make does what? Makes ripples.

Do you remember ever skipping rocks across the water when you were a kid?

… you’ll see ripples each time the rock impacts the water.

… every time the rock skips and reconnects the water, it makes an impact.... ripples are made.

Our interaction with our church family and local community is not so different.

Each time we touch… or impact (come into contact with) our church family and community, we make ripples.

As believers we need to be asking the question: what kind of ripples does my impact make?

Positive or negative? Long lasting or temporary? Helpful or harmful?

Have you ever thought of that? When you interact with people in this church.... what kind of impact are you having on them?

When you walk through the door.... what kind of ripples are you making?

Are they ripples of grace..... or something else?

Today I want to challenge you to consider what kind of impact you are making in the lives of those in our church.... and in our community. What kind of ripples are left behind by your presence?

As we open our Bible’s to Titus chapter 2 today, Paul will inform us of the importance of every believer’s involvement in the community life of the church.

God did not design the Christian life to be lived in isolation… or independently. It is so important for us to know how God intends for the lives of the people in the church to interweave, influence one another, and through our interactions testify to the truth, power and hope of the gospel. In our study today, Paul will outline the role of every member.

Let’s begin our study of chapter 2 with this thought:

“the entire chapter deals with the evangelistic impact of a spiritually healthy congregation… and gives direct, practical instruction about how believers are to live for the purpose of showing sinners the power and joy of salvation.” (Mac)

All that Paul will share with Titus in our text today is to help develop a spiritually healthy church.... so that that church can be a beacon of hope and instrument of Truth in the community.

Let’s stand and read the passage together this morning.

Titus 2:1–10 ESV

But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. Bondservants are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.

— Prayer —

I. Truth in Community

Paul begins this section by giving Titus an overview of his role as the pastor

A. Pastoral Overview (1, 7-8)

In the end of chapter 1, Paul has just given a description of the negative influences made by the false teachers. Paul has just told Titus.... ‘this is what they are doing to tear down the testimony of the church. Now Titus, I’m going to tell you what must be done in order to build up the church and the churches testimony for Christ in the community.’

In Titus 2:1, Paul instructs Titus about his main role in the church and says, “but as for you” Titus, You must “teach what accords with sound doctrine.”

Back in 1:9, we saw that one of the qualifications for godly leadership is to be able to guard, protect, and proclaim the Truth of the Word in such a way that sound doctrine is taught… and false teaching is rebuked.

Now, here in 2:1 Paul commands Titus to teach.

Because of impure motives, others in the church were teaching wrong doctrine and living out the application of that wrong doctrine. But Titus, was to stand as a stark contrast to them and and teach doctrine that is sound.

Now, Paul and Titus were living in the days of the apostles and the apostolic church. And still error and wrong teaching infiltrated the church. It was a serious matter. Paul dedicates several NT books to the correction of these errors.

Now, we are several thousand years removed from the time of Christ and the Apostles. We should be even more cautious and weary of error and wrong teaching creeping into our churches and ways of thinking. Those who had walked with Christ and seen him demand that we are super serious about the teaching of “sound doctrine”.

Why do we think we would be any different? Seeing Paul caution the first century church should make see the necessity of teaching “sound doctrine” even more.

The word “sound” expresses the idea of health or well being. It comes from the word that gives us our word hygiene. Paul uses this word 9 times in the pastoral epistles. 5 of those times are here in the book fo Titus. When Paul uses this word, it is always in relation to personal righteousness and spiritual well being.

So, when Paul uses the phrase “sound doctrine” he is talking about healthy theology that results in personal righteousness and spiritual growth.

The principle and truth we need to understand and apply is this:

“healthy doctrine produces healthy spiritual living”. The fruit of right doctrine is righteous living.

This truth is going to keep coming up in our study and the sooner we whole heartedly apply it, the better the quality our spiritual growth and development will be. (1 Tim. 1:10; 6:3; 2 Tim. 1:13; 4:3, Titus 1:9, 13; 2:1, 2, 8)

As you study through the Bible, I have not found anytime when God separates doctrine from duty. Truth is never separated from behavior. (For examples see: Rom. 12:1-2, Eph. 4:1, Phil. 4:8-9, Col. 3:2-10, 1 Pet. 1:16).

The Bible gives us the life pattern that “all those who claim the name of God have always been commanded to live godly lives. ( John F. MacArthur Jr., Titus, MacArthur New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1996), 71.

It is not a new concept and as we grasp that truth individually, we will realize that it is also true of the church as a body.

A church that is grounded in spiritual truth and protected from spiritual falsehood is to be spiritually healthy and an effective witness as members make gospel impacts in the lives of others in community.

A spiritually healthy church, grounded in the truth of Scripture, is to leave behind intentional ripples of grace each time impact is made with the community.

The fruit of right doctrine… is righteous living.

One of my main responsibilities as the pastor of this church is directly connected to the command Paul gives to Titus here in verse 1. I am to concentrate on the spiritual depth of our congregation and the spiritual development of our members. Then, leave it to God to take care of the size of our congregation. — I am to focus on the depth… and let God take care of the breadth.

When Paul commanded Titus to teach what accords with “sound (healthy) doctrine” I’m sure he had the teachings of salvation by unconditional grace, as well as a life of godliness that the grace of God enables in mind. (Paul has already talked about these things in this letter).

Paying attention to the way Paul wrote to Titus in verse 1 shows us that doctrine was not to be the only thing to occupy Titus’ mind and ministry. Paul says that Titus is to teach “what accords with sound doctrine” (2:1).

That word “accords with” means fitting or proper. Basically, Paul is saying that Titus must teach the Truth. But he was also to teach that Truth requires behavior that accurately reflects it.

Our behavior as believers must accurately reflect the truth of the Savior, which we represent.

That reality is reflected in verses 7-8.

Titus 2:7–8 ESV

Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.

Titus was to be the example to the church. As the false teachers opposed the apostle’s teaching, Titus was to uphold it. His life was to be a model of healthy theology and godly living so that no one could have anything negative to say about the body of Christ on the island of Crete.

In verses 7-8, Paul gives a blow by blow commentary of how Titus was to make gospel impact throughout the island of Crete. — Titus’ teaching and life example were to serve as the picture of grace that would make ripples throughout the Cretan society.

Let’s take a minute and compare what Paul said about the false teachers with how He encourages Titus to live.

In 1:16, Pauls said that the false teachers were “unfit for doing anything good”. Here in verse 7, Paul says that Titus was to be the example of what is good. According to chapter 1:10-14, false teachers deceive and reject the truth for dishonest gain. So, Paul tells Titus in verse 7, “in your teaching show integrity.”

The word ‘integrity” refers to the character of Titus as well as to the Truth he was to preach.

Paul also said that the false teachers had polluted the gospel, were impure (1:15), and were “mere talkers” (uttering empty/ senseless things (1:10)).

But, Titus was to show dignity and sound (healthy) speech that could not be condemned.

I want you to get the point of all of this. Why is all of this so important?

Everything that the false teachers said and did was causing people on the island of Crete to deny God.

Just like today. Our culture and sinful world is doing all it can to convince you and your neighbors to deny God.

Paul is calling us to not let that happen! God is too worthy… and the gospel is too beautiful to let that happen!

Paul charged Titus to make sure that his words and example were so godly and in agreement with Scripture that they would give the enemies of God no reason to “put us to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.” (2:8).

That is the very same task we are called to, as the local church. We are to live out sound doctrine.... healthy theology… in such a clear way that no opponent would ever have anything evil to say about us.

It is so important that our doctrine is biblical and our lives are godly… so that people are drawn to Christ… instead of being drawn away from Him.

The ripples we make.... need to have a grace filled gospel impact on those in the church… as well as in our community.

So far we have seen that our embracing of sound doctrine.... leads to righteous living.... which gives us the ability to proclaim the Truth in community.

Next Paul will show us that as we live out what the application of sound doctrine looks like… we become instruments of God’s Power in community.

II. Power in Community

Have you thought about what must have been going on in the church at Crete to cause Paul to command Titus to teach all that was fitting with sound, healthy doctrine?

The list of issues that Titus may have had to address in his teaching must have included anger, immorality, immaturity in life and doctrine, lack of reverence, slander, meanness, substance abuse, idleness, family brokenness, crudity, dishonesty, frivolity, disobedience, back talk, and theft. (Each of these issues are addresses in verses 2-9.) These are all sins that need to be addressed, and removed from our lives.... and local church community.

If issues like this had to be addressed in the apostolic church, then no doubt we have the very same issues in our churches today. — Many of these issues are beneath the surface of a nice “christian facade”… but trust me whenever there are fallen people present (that is all of us).... all of these issue are going to come up in one way or another.

These are real issues.... that have to be dealt with. In verses 2-10, Paul gives a series of binding requirements that are necessary for members of a healthy local church to meet in order to overcome the effects of sin in our lives and have an effective evangelistic impact in our community.

The qualities that Paul lists are strong, straightforward and specific. They are absolutely contrary to our proud, self-willed human nature and never have they been more controversial and unpopular than they are in our culture today.

Unfortunately, for years now, the standards of our culture have been elevated over God’s truth.... and even in the church the falsehood of self-fulfillment has become more important to some people than holy living.

What Paul is doing in this passage is giving us patters for holy living, that will make for effective gospel witness.

No one is left out in these instructions. Every member of the local church has a role to play.

As Titus begins teaching those in the church how they are to live in community.... he is to begin with those who were the natural community leaders. The older men and women.

A. Older Men & Women (2-3)

First, let’s define what “older” means. The word Paul uses here describes a person who is mature in years. The same word is used in Luke 1:18 when Zechariah said that he was an “old man” and then again in Paul’s letter to Philemon (9) where he calls himself an old man.

Paul addresses the older individuals in the church, he highlights three specific character traits that should be true of anyone who would be considered spiritually mature.

sober-minded (clear headed… sober in thought)

dignified (worthy of respect — living in such a way that honor and respect naturally comes.) The phrase “worthy of respect/ dignified hints at the importance of the communities regard. It implies that these “older men” are involved in the lives of others in their community.

self-controlled (he curbs his desires and impulses) — Self-control seems to be an overarching quality that will come up a few times today.

If you’ll notice verse 2, there are three more aspects of acceptable behavior listed; sound in faith (describes the personal relationship with God), love (describes relationship with others) and steadfastness/ perseverance (describes steadfastness for the sake of these relationships, especially in the face of opposition (like Paul faced in the Cretan church — 1 Thess. 1:3).

These aren’t given so much as more qualities that Titus was to instruct the older men to add to their list. Instead we should interpret them as the cause… or the means by which these older men were to to live out the behavior listed in verses 1 and 2.

Basically, Paul is telling Titus, ‘Titus you are to teach the older men that the word of God says that they are expected to be: sober-minded, worthy of respect, and self-controlled. And they are only going to be able to have these godly behaviors if they are sound in faith, love, and steadfastness.’

How are we to model godly behaviors like being sober-minded, worthy of respect, and self-control? Not in our own strength that is for sure! The only way a person can model these godly behaviors is if they are enabled by faith, love, and endurance/ steadfastness. (1 Cor. 13:13; Col. 1:4, 5)

Mature Christianity is defined as a commitment to the maintenance of both the vertical (God) and horizontal (others) relationships that make up the local church and the Christian community.

We have to grow in both if we are to truly make ripples of grace as we impact the lives of others.

Just like Titus is to teach the older men… he is to “likewise” teach the older women. These mature women are also to be taught “in accord with sound doctrine” to be reverent in how they live.

Verse 3 says that older women are to be reverent in behavior.

The word generally refers to honoring God, but this word specifically describes the conduct of a priestess. The Greek Christians would have understood Paul to be saying that a mature Christian woman should demonstrate the holiness of a heart that is near to God.

Paul then describes what a woman who is reverent in behavior looks like. She is a woman who does:

not slanderer (malicious gossip: relates to the lack of control of the tongue.

not a slave to much wine (drunkeness - reales to the lack of control of one’s appetites and purposes)

Both of these out of control behaviors were commonly associated with the decadent women in the Greco-Roman society. Anyone who exhibited these kinds of behavior while calling themselves Christian… damage the credibility of the life changing power of the gospel.

Paul expected that the self-control of the older male leaders would positively influence the behavior of older female leaders with the results that their reputations would promote the gospel.

The godly conduct that is required of older women is not for their reputations alone.

Paul shares in verses 3-4 that these older, mature women were to be teachers of what is good and trainers of younger women.

The ripple effects of godliness were to be obvious in the church.

Good teaching and godly living were to lead to more good teaching and godly living.

It’s interesting that it seems like Paul is establishing a pattern that broke social barriers and would actually raise the status of these women.

Titus was to teach these older women to learn godly conduct. Then, he communicates a specific responsibility that they were to take on, which actually restricted his own sphere of ministry.

The goal is that older women are to teach the younger women. There is a lot of wisdom in this, as well as protection.

— Younger women are to perceive their husbands to be the primary spiritual instructor (1 Cor. 14:35)

— establishing a pattern of instruction in the church that does not lead to sexual temptation

— the “good things” the older women are to teach the younger women seem to relate primarily here to matters of marital and family life (they very well could relate to religious / spiritual matters as well).

The natural leaders in the church, the older (more mature) men and women were to live out healthy doctrine through their example of godliness and self-control. The Olde women are charged with the task of discipling and mentoring the younger women. Now, Paul tells Titus to address the younger women and men in the church.

B. Younger Women & Men (4-6)

When we look at verses 4-5, we see that as the older women model and teach godliness… then they will be able to teach the younger women to love their husbands and children, be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject/ submissive to their husbands.

What Paul is doing here is listing the general responsibilities of younger women. He starts by talking about those responsibilities that are outward oriented.

love their husbands and children

In Paul’s day, formal and arranged marriages were very prominent. So, a woman who truly and deeply loved her husband would stand out as a very positive representative for the gospel to the Greco-Roman culture.

Paul is setting the family as the highest priority for a young wife.

By instructing the young women to love their husbands, Paul is placing the commitment to one’s own husband as the priority in the list of duties that he gives.

Literally the phrase translates as “train the younger husband-loving (women) to be child loving, self controlled. etc...

Paul’s wording here is a gentle reminder that even more important than loving your children, is the love we are to have for our spouses. Children will not understand the greatness of God’s gifts (illustrated by the love shared by Christian spouses) unless a mother’s love for her husband is evident in the home.

According to Paul, the false teachers in Crete were “ruining whole households” by their teaching (1:11). So, while some of these instructions may seem obvious to some.... there was a need that they be given special attention in the church.

Once Paul establishes that a young wife’s primary responsibility was to love her husband, he gives a list of responsibilities that illustrate some of the “ripple effects” of godly leadership in the church.

Just like the older men and women, younger women are to exercise self-control. This self control is illustrated by the fact that she was to be pure.

pure (chaste - sexual constraint from ungodly passions and fidelity based one’s love for/ relationship with God)

The younger women were to exercise the same level of godly self control that they should see modeled by the older men and women in the church.

Next Paul says that the older women were to teach the younger women to be busy (working) at home, kind and submissive to their own husbands.

The phrase “working at home” literally translates from the Greek as “home workers”.

Now, we need to be careful here not to impose the modern discussion about women’s roles onto this first century text.

It is highly unlikely that Paul had in mind the concern about “career women” or mothers who hold jobs in the secular work place.

The focus of Paul’s instruction for younger women is not emphasizing the location of the wife’s work, but on being productive as a wife each day. (Being diligent in dealing with the normal every day responsibilities of being a wife and mother).

This passage is not a command for women to stay at home. Some people have taken it that way, and I think that they are overstepping the bounds of Scripture to make that demand.

What the Apostle Paul is doing… without question is placing a wife’s obligations to care for her husband and children over and above her personal benefit or fulfillment.

Paul’s point interpreted and applied to our modern day audience is that any woman who makes her career status or financial advantage a higher priority than the welfare of her marriage, children, or home life is in serious danger of violating the Scriptures and is showing signs of a heart that is not sensitive to God’s Spirit.

That may be why Paul not only says that younger women are to be taught to be productive at home, but also to be kind. A sensitive and kind heart won’t easily get caught up in the business of life that her compassion for her husband or children’s needs get lost.

The word “kind” literally means good or useful for a purpose. The character trait is attached to the priority of the family.

The last teaching that Paul instructs to be given to the younger women is to be trained to be “subject or submissive to their husbands”. 5 times in the New Testament similar wording is used to refer to the relationship that a Christian wife should have with her husband.

Paul is expecting that the older, godly women be the main way that the Scriptural expectations are communicated to the younger women. Paul expects that the older women are to be intentionally discipling and mentoring the younger women.

Paul deals pretty specifically with the instructions about the husband/wife responsibilities in Ephesians 5. His teaching in Ephesians make it very clear that for a wife to “be subject to” or submissive to her husband, it does not mean that the husband may have a “Me dictator… You doormat” attitude. That is wrong. Plain and simple. Paul says that the marriage relationship is to be one filled with love and respect.

All Christians are required to submit to the proper authorities in their lives (Eph. 5:21). That gives no one the right to be unfair, selfish, or abusive. A husband is to love his wife, just like Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her (Eph. 5:25).

A husband’s sacrificial love for his wife is to be complemented by a wife’s submissive attitude towards her husband.

Since it is such a controversial issue in our culture today, let me clarify what the word “submit” means. It does not meant that a wife is to suppress her intelligence, talents, and gifts in the home. The word “submit” means to “arrange under” and communicates that a wife should fully express the talents and gifts she has in a way that is supportive of her husband as the spiritual leader in the home.

Just like the church, we arrange the gifts given to us so that we can give the maximum support to Christ’s purposes. A Christian wife should fully use her gifts to honor the spiritual purposes of her husband.

Suppression is not the point....Proper expression is.

As a wife loves her husband and children and uses her gifts and talents to support the higher purpose of supporting the spiritual maturity of her household.... look at the end of verse 7, she cultivates an atmosphere where so that the Word of God man not be reviled in the community.

As the enemies of Christ, opponents of the Church, and genuine faith seekers in our culture examine the ripples that we make as we live out what sound doctrine looks like.... the Word of God gains credibility.

As all those watching the church see the ripples being made by the godly character of the older men and women, and younger women a powerful proclamation of the gospel is made.

Ladies, we talked a lot about you today. But, you know what? There is a wonderful message here for you in this passage.

What happens in our homes as a result of a woman’s care is a powerful tool for the progress of the gospel.

Think about the kind of impact having a godly mother makes in your life. (maybe you had one… maybe not).

God knows the impact a wife and mother can have on the family and community. I think that is why Paul seems to focus on the young women so much in this passage. The younger women have a huge responsibility in modeling the truth that Right doctrine leads to righteous living.

By the Grace of God, as that happens, the power of the gospel is highlighted to all those in our community.

Alright ladies, Paul gives you a break and moves onto the younger men.

Paul seems to somewhat bookend some of his instructions here by giving them in this order. Titus, Older men, Older women, younger women.. and then he returns to younger men… which would include Titus.

In verse 6 Paul says,

Titus 2:6 ESV

Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled.

Titus is to instruct the younger men by word and by example. Just like the older women were to instruct the younger. The influence of Titus’ life was to spread among the less mature men.

Paul tells Titus that the younger men are to be encouraged or urged to be self-controlled.

This need of being self-controlled has come up now in every group in the church (elders, 1:8; older men, 2:2; older women, 2:3; and younger women, 2:5).

This constant teaching that Believers are to be self-controlled is a constant contrast between believers who are controlled by the gospel… and those who are rebelling against it (1:10).

Why doesn’t Paul have a long list of things to say to the younger men? He simply urges the younger men to be self-controlled.

Don’t overlook that word “likewise” at the beginning of verse 6. As Titus moves onto teach the younger men, everything that has been said previously to the older men, older women, and younger women about godly living is also being taught and transferred to the younger men.

The word “urge” that Paul uses in verse 6 is a command. Titus is to command the younger men to take the steps necessary so that they will be disciplined enough to grow into the godly older men that they will need to be so that the gospel is effectively lived out in the church and community. These younger men would one day have to be the older men listed in verse 2. They are to grow in every area so that can live out what growth in godliness looks like.

Why has Paul included this list of people in chapter 2? He tells us in verses 7-8. Every member has a role in making sure that the testimony for Christ is protected… and so that the gospel will be effectively and clearly lived out and proclaimed in the community.

Conclusion/ Application

What kind of impact do you make in the church and community?

How are you doing at living out the behaviors listed in these verses? Older men.... olde women… younger women… and younger men. We are all listed here. We have all been given instructions on how we are to behave so that the gospel is highlighted to one another in the church.... as well as to all those who do not yet know Christ in our community.

We all make ripples. What kind of ripples are you making?

Every time you come into contact with members of this church..... every time you come into contact with members of the community..... you make ripples.

With each impact.... is a chain reaction of ripples. Are the impacts you make every day pointing people to Jesus?

Does a concern for healthy theology (sound doctrine) affect your actions and decisions? It should

What kind of ripples are you making? What kind of impact are you making for eternity by the way you are living your life?

Are you making ripples of: anger, immorality, immaturity in life and doctrine, lack of reverence, slander, meanness, substance abuse, idleness, family brokenness, crudity, dishonesty, frivolity, disobedience, back talk, and theft.

I hope not.

I hope that all of us are growing to the place where we can say that — right doctrine has produced righteousness in your life.

When people look at you… I hope that the visible fruit they see is a righteous life, enabled by the grace of God and driven by the sound doctrine that you have rightly applied.

Remember this.

In order for our church to have a truly effective evangelistic impact in Alliance… every member has to fulfill their role. Every member has a role to play in the great commission ministry of the local church.

Let’s Pray: