Sermon Tone Analysis

INTRODUCTION

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Most families, if not every family, has at least a few traditions that get passed on from generation to generation.

On my mom’s side of the family many favorite recipes get passed down – I suspect that happens in your family too.

I have memories of my mom, aunts, and sister writing down some of the recipes from my great grandma and grandma.

Dana has them on a recipe card (example of corn bake or white fudge).

Each recipe has detailed instructions to follow exactly for it to turn out just right.

If you’re a mom with a few toddlers in the house the instructions on the recipe read like this

· Mom’s brownies

Haha!

I love that.

Some of the moms can relate, right?

Today we return to our series in Titus where we are discovering the “Essential Building Blocks of an Effective Church.

Let’s take a minute to review the first three EBBs.

· EBB#1 – Gospel-Centered Ministry

· EBB#2 – Godly Leadership

· EBB#3 – Sound Doctrine

Today we pick up where we left of in Titus 2 – and it reads a bit like a recipe card – it’s a long list of instructions addressed to specific groups in the church.

Need

Titus 2 provides practical and personal instructions for “how to live our lives” as followers of Jesus.

In a fight for one’s own independence many have said “It’s my life!

You can’t tell me how to live.”

And while we have great freedom in Christ – today we need to come to grips with the fact that God has the right to tell us how to live and His instructions for us are for our good and His glory.

How does God want us to live as followers of Jesus?

Preview

If you have your Bible, and I hope you do, turn with me to the book of Titus.

If you don’t have a Bible feel free to grab one provided in the pew rack and follow along as we continue our series in Titus.

Titus Chapter 2 Titus Chapter 2:1-10 Titus 2:1-10.

Remember the apostle Paul penned this letter through the power of the Holy Spirit discharging Titus with the task of setting things in order in the churches located on the island of Crete.

We transition to the major section of the letter (2:1-3:11) which contains the exhortations about living the Christian life that aligns with their belief in the gospel.

Let’s walk through it together to uncover the fourth EBB of an effective church and it’s application to our lives as a church.

Titus 2:1-10.

Read Titus 2:1-10.

I) SOUND LIVING – GODLY LIVING

Titus 2:1-10 highlights the fourth essential building block of an effective church – Sound Living!

Today we return to find the fourth “Essential Building Block of an Effective Church” – Just as the BB#2 (Godly Leadership) is connected to BB#3 (Sound Doctrine), today we’re reminded that BB#3 (Sound Doctrine) is connected to BB#4 (Sound Living).

“Sound Living.”

“Sound Living.”

Last week we discovered the priority of “Sound Doctrine” in the church – this week we see the priority of “Sound Living” in the church.

Sound doctrine must be taught continually in the church because it’s the foundation for living the Christian life.

A) Christians must be taught to live in a manner befitting of the sound doctrine (gospel) they believe (2:1)

Chapter 2 begins with Titus’ call to “teach” the Christians in Crete what is in accord with sound doctrine.”

Last week we discussed the destructive influence (upsetting the faith of the believers) of Jewish false teacher’s whose teaching was unsound and whose lives were unsound.

In contrast to the Jewish false teachers, Titus and the newly appointed elders were called to “teach what is in accord with sound doctrine.”

Titus was called to “communicate the behavior goes with (aligns or matches) sound doctrine” (NET).

Titus must teach the Christians in Crete how to live the Christian life that matches up with the truth of the gospel/God’s word.

· Mismatched clothes or food

The godless living of the false teaches in Crete is now contrasted with the godly living of the believers in Crete.

In contrast to the false teacher’s whose lives deny what they say they believe, teach them to live their lives in a way that is “fits” with sound doctrine (the truth of the gospel – the Christian faith).

Christians must be taught to live in a manner befitting of the gospel they believe.

Again, we see vital importance of sound doctrine in the life of every believer.

We can’t miss the priority of sound doctrine in regards to our belief and our behavior.

Let’s review our definition of sound doctrine = it means accurate teaching or instruction.

In Titus we discover two aspects of sound doctrine – accurate teaching about Christian beliefs and accurate teaching about Christian behavior – so let’s get a firm grasp on both aspects of sound doctrine revealed in Titus.

· Titus 1: we discover the priority of “sound doctrine” in regards to the Christian faith (belief).

Sound doctrine = accurate teaching about the beliefs of the Christian faith (i.e. the trinity, depravity of man, deity of Jesus, the gospel of grace) Think “ORTHODOXY” – sound teaching about the right beliefs of the Christian faith.

· Titus 2 & 3: we discover the priority of “sound doctrine” in regards to living the Christian life (behavior).

Sound doctrine = accurate teaching about living the Christian life.

Think “ORTHOPRAXY” – sound teaching about the right behaviors of the Christian faith.

Titus highlights both aspects of sound doctrine – orthodoxy and orthopraxy – teaching right beliefs and right behaviors of the Christian faith.

We cannot divorce them from one another.

Titus and newly appointed elders were being challenged to teach both aspects of sound doctrine—and the opening charge is a call for Titus and the elders to teach the Christians the behaviors that fit or match with the essential truth of the gospel message (God’s truth).

· John Stott - This compressed phrase indicates that two strands are to be interwoven in Titus’ teaching.

On the one hand there is ‘the sound doctrine’, the definite article once again implying that an identifiable body of teaching is in mind.

On the other hand, there are ‘the things which fit it’, namely the ethical duties which the sound doctrine demands.[1]

Christians must be taught to live in a manner befitting of the gospel they believe.

Up to this point in the letter the focus has been upon sound doctrine – the truth of God of the gospel which was being distorted by Jewish false teachers – and the elder’s call to encourage God’s people with sound doctrine.

The letter now shifts from teaching about right Christian beliefs to teaching about right Christian behavior.

Titus 2:1-10 contains instructions for “Sound Living” directed to five specific groups of people in the church.

B) Sound Living for Specific Groups in the Church (2:2-10)

We turn now the instructions for Sound Living for Specific Groups in the Church.”

In contrast to the false teachers in Chapter 1 who “profess faith in God but deny Him with their actions,” now we have personal instructions outline how to live in a way that is befitting of the sound doctrine we believe.

Titus 2:1-10 highlights “Sound Living” (Christian conduct or godly behavior) for five specific groups in the church that have implications for our lives this morning.

Let’s walk through the instructions given to each group.

Before we walk through the instructions to each group, I want to throw out a word of caution.

I want to caution each of you from falling into a terrible pitfall know as “Applicational elbow.”

You know what “Applicational Elbow” is, right?

You’ve seen it, you’ve done it!

Applicational Elbow happens when you’re listening to a sermon and you’re tempted to “elbow” someone because you want them to pay attention to what God is saying but don’t fall into this pitfall.

There will be instructions for almost everyone in the room so pay attention to the section that is addressed to you—Husbands don’t give the applicational elbow to your wives (vice versa – reading a passage about being a godly wife and highlighting it in her Bible), parents don’t give the applicational elbow to your kids, and kids don’t give the applicational elbow to you parents or grandparents!

Pay attention to what God is saying to you instead of what God is saying to the person next to you.

1) Instructions for “The Older Guys” in the Church (2:2)

We begin with the instructions for “Sound Living” addressed to the “Older Guys” in the church (2:2).

We find specific instructions that Titus should pass on to the older men in the church so they would know how to live their lives as followers of Jesus Christ.

The first question that comes to your mind might be “Who is to be classified as an older man?” “Who” do these instructions apply to in the church - 40 year-olds, 50 year-olds, 60 years-old?

The phrase “old men” (πρεσβύτιδας) is used repeatedly in the NT to speak of “aged men; a male who is advanced in years” but unfortunately doesn’t identify a specific age range.

Regardless of how you think of yourself – these instructions apply to you if you’re a man who is advanced in years (Luke 1:23) – and “Generally speaking, this group may have referred to men of an age sufficient to have raised a family and seen their children begin families of their own.[2] John Stott quotes Simpson who calls the older men “the greybeards of the flock.”

We find four specific commands for older men in the congregation – old guys listen up!

a) Older Christian men must Live a life the exhibits sound judgment (2:2)

First, “older men” are called to “Be Temperate.”

The word “temperate” literally means “to be sober”—it’s a man who is clear-headed which results in good judgment—a man whose exhibits unclouded thinking that produces a life of self-restraint.

Older men in the church - you must be temperate!

Is there anything clouding your minds?

Is there anything causing you to not think clearly?

Perhaps it’s alcohol, seek out accountability and help to get a handle on it.

Perhaps greed clouds your thinking.

Perhaps fantasy clouds your thinking?

Whatever it is, apply the truth of the gospel to it, repent, and seek accountability and help.

b) Older Christian men must Live a life of dignity (2:2)

Secondly, older men in the church are called to “be worthy of respect.”