Lessons To Be Learned From Older Saints - part 2

INTRODUCTION

Returning to Titus 2, I would like to remind you that we are being instructed on the character of a healthy church.

Character possessed by Older Men and Women and passed down to Younger Men and Women

Character is a believer's conformity to the image of Christ, and is ultimately a reflection of the fruit of the Spirit in the life of an individual believer.

Since Jesus gave The Great Commission to His disciples in Matthew 28, the Church has been engaging the world with purpose… to make disciples of all nations.

Some of those efforts have been good and fruitful, while others have been nothing more than a “Christian” counterpart to a worldly attraction.

The truly good and fruitful opportunities have come about, not because of how much like the world the church can look, but because of how refreshingly different a believer is than the rest of the world.

God has set a standard for believers to live up to… a standard of being an example. God’s standard is Jesus.

John 14:15 If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

Hebrews 12:1–2 Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

It is of most importance that we are careful with our character as we set the example for other believers in the church and show non-believers outside the church who Jesus Christ is.

Matthew 5:16 let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

We must proclaim the saving message.  We must give a clear word about sin and judgment and repentance and faith. 

But it has to be made believable by our lives. 

It does no good to speak about a God who can save when you show a life that doesn't evidence it.

Transition:

As we continue our trek through this challenging letter from Paul, we continue to see what older, more mature, saints are to be modeling and teaching to the younger saints.

Last week, we looked at what the Older Women were to teach the Younger Women

This week, we are looking at what the Older Men (and particularly Titus) are to be teaching the Younger Men.

Read Titus 2:1-10

Be Self-Controlled

Young men are frequently impulsive, passionate, ambitious, and sometimes arrogant.

There are many dangers that our young people face, where they truly need to be taught self-control and appropriate God-honoring conduct:

Laziness vs. Hard Work

Freedom vs. Submission to Authority

Vice vs. Virtue (i.e., Sin vs. Righteousness)

Godless Education vs. God-fearing Education

Voddie Baucham We cannot continue to send our children to Caesar for their education and be surprised when they come home as Romans.

Matthew Henry [Young men] must be earnestly called upon and exhorted to be:

Considerate, not rash

Advisable and submissive, not wilful and head-strong

Humble and mild, not haughty and proud

For there are more young people ruined by pride than by any other sin.

1 Corinthians 9:25–27 Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

An Example Of Good Works

The word model is the Greek word τύπος, which refers to a mark or impression left by an instrument such as a pen or hammer.

Modern example: letters produced by a typewriter on a page

Titus was expected to live in such a way as to leave an imprint on the younger men [he was a young man himself!]

If example does not follow instruction, the one giving it will be viewed as a hypocrite.

Hypocrisy never promotes righteousness, no matter how sound and biblical a person’s teaching and counsel may be.

In the gospels, Jesus refers to the Pharisees and Sadducees as hypocrites to point out the fact that they were living lives in opposition to God’s Word

Matthew 15:7–8 You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.’

Consistency of life with teaching is perhaps the most important aspect of effective spiritual leadership.

Along those lines, consistency of life with teaching is the most important aspect of a believer’s life in effectively reaching the world for Christ.

Here, we see that Titus is instructed to be a model of good works for other believers.

These are works that are inherently good, righteous, and excellent [no devious motivation]

Ephesians 2:10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Matthew 5:16 let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

Show Integrity

Integrity is an extension of the idea of purity.

“Integrity is what you have when you think no one else is looking.”

Peter alludes to this issue when speaking of false teachers:

2 Peter 2:19 They promise them freedom, but they themselves are slaves of corruption. For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved.

The life of a believer is to be pure and correspond to the pure doctrine that is proclaimed.

John Calvin Integrity of heart is indispensable.

We must not allow our lives to sully the pure Word of God.

Samuel Johnson Integrity without knowledge is weak and useless, and knowledge without integrity is dangerous and dreadful.

Show Dignity

Titus was to live a dignified life… a serious life fixed on God and honoring whatever honors Him.

This does not preclude a sense of humor, laughter, or enjoyment.

It does mean that an individual should be able to distinguish between that which is important and that which is trivial.

Young men need to be taught to have a mature understanding of the issues of life, death, time, and eternity.

Have Sound Speech

Sound = healthy

Keeping in mind what James teaches about the tongue, we must be careful not to be destructive toward other people in what we say:

James 3:5–6 the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell.

The Apostle Paul presents more direct instruction in Ephesians 4… a section of Scripture directly related to the changed life of the believer.

Ephesians 4:29 Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

That The Opponent May Be Put To Shame

When an opponent makes a rash, unfounded charge against a believer, the obvious and public testimony of that believer’s life should be so commonly known that the accuser is embarrassed by his false criticism.

1 Peter 3:13–17 Now who is there to harm you if you are zealous for what is good? But even if you should suffer for righteousness’ sake, you will be blessed. Have no fear of them, nor be troubled, but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect, having a good conscience, so that, when you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ may be put to shame. For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that should be God’s will, than for doing evil.

Notice that Paul does not single out just Titus being affected by a bad testimony. Paul uses the pronoun us, indicating that the testimony of a believer has a wide ranging affect in the church.

Consider the way the church has been affected by the sins of leadership that have been more recently uncovered.

All believers on Crete, and doubtless a large number of unbelievers as well, knew of Paul’s close association with Titus. Therefore, if Titus did not lead an exemplary spiritual life, his failure would reflect negatively on the apostle as well. And, on the other hand, Titus’s faithful living would also reflect positively on the noble apostle.