Sound Doctrine - Older Women
Instructions/Standards for the Church - Book of Titus • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 48:28
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Sound doctrine for older women
Sound doctrine for older women
Titus chapter two really covers things for sound doctrine. Sound doctrine leads to proper conduct, proper conduct leads to proper teaching, proper teaching leads to maturity of the body. Today we address older women and their role.
1 But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine.
Titus was instructed to speak things that are fitting for sound doctrine.
Doctrine that is healthy (Spiritually speaking) and wholesome.
Last week we start with exhortations that were related to godly conduct. In this series we have entitled Instructions/standards for the church.
Titus told the older men (Tit2:1-2); right along with what was told to Timothy (2Tim2:2)
2 The things which you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses, entrust these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also.
Such things as, well, let me give you verse
2 that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience;
Be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, love and patience.
We looked at that conduct instructions given to older men last week. Just because you are older does not mean you stop serving the Lord, in fact I think you will see in our passage today the opposite when it comes to women, older women that is.
This morning we will look at
Conduct become an older women
Godly, Biblical examples of older women
But first a little more information for our introduction.
Godly older women were charged with the responsibility of teaching the younger women how to be godly wives, mothers, housekeepers. Younger women had the responsibility to listen and to apply.
Christianity was new, many had just come out of paganism and did not know godly principles for Christian living and needed instructions so to get priorities straight as a Christian women.
I think you would agree that the greatest responsibility in the home is to love one another. How a woman loves her husband and her children will impact love in the home overall.
Our society is, meet, date, fall in love, get married, but in the East it is often pre-arranged marriage, or meet marry and learn to love one another.
Paul in Eph5:18-33 gives some great instructions for a husband and wife who want to build a marriage on love. Titus is being instructed, just as Timothy was given instructions for older women to teach younger women.
I think we can agree that a mother loves her children, but have you heard it said “I love her too much to spank her?” - when in reality that is not love to hold back discipline and it is against sound doctrine.
24 He who withholds his rod hates his son, But he who loves him disciplines him diligently.
So, as we look at this passage, coupled with the direction to older men last week may we grasp the conduct, and the examples given.
2 Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in perseverance. 3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good,
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.
What did you see, what did you notice, what sticks out to you in this passage (Tit2:2-5) with a focus being on (vv.3-5)?
OK, put on your thinking caps, lets pull from the scripture.
In (v.3) it says “likewise” what does that mean?
Just as the men were to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, love and perseverance so are the women.
What is the purpose of the qualities listed in (vv.3, 5) as defined in (v.4)?
So that they may encourage (teach) younger women.
Do you think we still have a responsibility to do this today?
(Transition) now may we move on to our two points this morning.
Conduct becoming older women
Conduct becoming older women
Conduct, in case you don’t remember the definition: the manner in which a person behaves, especially on a particular occasion or in a particular context.the action or manner of managing an activity or organization. So, now may we look at what more we can learn and apply regarding older women and younger women.
TIt2:3
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 are to be reverent in behavior
Strong’s Greek word is “hieroprepes” meaning as becomes holiness
Complete word study dictionary “To act like a sacred person
How do you do this, can you do this?
They are to do it in behavior
Thayer says “in demeanor, deportment, bearing, in manner of life.
So, to apply in dress (modesty; 1Tim2:9); in speech, in conduct, they are to reflect their holy, reverent calling.
Something to consider that outlook determines outcome. If you have a reverent outlook, you will have a holy outcome in your behavior.
Not slanders (gossips); or given to much wine
Interesting fact, the Greek word for slander is “diabolos”
Meaning false accuser; hum, sound like someone we all should know?
One who falsely accuses and divides people without any reason (Ibid)
Not given to much wine, (douloo polos oinos)
Meaning not given, enslaved, not habitual drunkards (ibid)
Think of it this way, they are to be self-controlled about what comes out of mouth and what goes in too.
They will teach what is good
Teachers of good things defined as a teacher of goodness (Thayer’s); influencing for good the younger women by precept and example.
What they teach is what is described for younger women.
4 These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, 5 to live wisely and be pure, to work in their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands. Then they will not bring shame on the word of God.
Can you get it? God intends for older women to teach, to train younger women. Do we know that, do we do that?
Next is, admonishing (sophronizo) younger women.
To hold his/her duty; to exhort earnestly (Thayer); to correct to teach (Complete Word Study)
Remember that the teaching, the correcting must be covered and done in love.
(Transition) So, like older men are not to slack and leave it to others, older women are not either. They have the great task, great responsibility to teach others. And hey, there are lots of great biblical examples of older women in the bible, so, now may we look at a few?
Biblical Examples of older women
Biblical Examples of older women
Who does not love a good example? And there is an abundance of good godly biblical examples of older women used by God in word and deed.
Such people as Sarah (Gen12:4-5, 11,14; 20:2; Heb11:11; 1Pt3:3-6)
Gen12:4-5 “4 So Abram went forth as the Lord had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran...” - Sarai, Sarah was 10 years younger so she was 65 when they left Haran of Ur.
Gen12:11 “11 It came about when he came near to Egypt, that he said to Sarai his wife, “See now, I know that you are a beautiful woman;” - She was a beautiful woman for her age. You can see that again in (v.14, and in 20:2)
She was a woman of great faith
11 By faith even Sarah herself received ability to conceive, even beyond the proper time of life, since she considered Him faithful who had promised.
Let me give you a great N.T. scripture to consider.
3 Your adornment must not be merely external—braiding the hair, and wearing gold jewelry, or putting on dresses; 4 but let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is precious in the sight of God.
5 For in this way in former times the holy women also, who hoped in God, used to adorn themselves, being submissive to their own husbands; 6 just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, calling him lord, and you have become her children if you do what is right without being frightened by any fear.
(Transition) Sarai, Sarah was a women whose outer beauty, physical beauty was pale in comparison to her inner beauty.
Then there was Anna (Lk2:36-38)
Love the story of Anna, so here it is.
36 And there was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years and had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers.
38 At that very moment she came up and began giving thanks to God, and continued to speak of Him to all those who were looking for the redemption of Jerusalem.
A woman of 100 years, served God with fasting and prayers, night and day, who gave thanks to God and told others of the good news of the redemption (redeemer) of Israel, Jesus!
Paul spoke of Tabitha (Dorcus) (Act9:36-42)
We have time so lets turn to Act9 and look together.
36 Now in Joppa there was a disciple named Tabitha (which translated in Greek is called Dorcas); this woman was abounding with deeds of kindness and charity which she continually did. 37 And it happened at that time that she fell sick and died; and when they had washed her body, they laid it in an upper room.
38 Since Lydda was near Joppa, the disciples, having heard that Peter was there, sent two men to him, imploring him, “Do not delay in coming to us.” 39 So Peter arose and went with them. When he arrived, they brought him into the upper room; and all the widows stood beside him, weeping and showing all the tunics and garments that Dorcas used to make while she was with them.
40 But Peter sent them all out and knelt down and prayed, and turning to the body, he said, “Tabitha, arise.” And she opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter, she sat up. 41 And he gave her his hand and raised her up; and calling the saints and widows, he presented her alive.
and finally
42 It became known all over Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.
What did you pick up, learn, see exampled in Tabitha?
Jesus and Paul mentioned Peter’s wife (Mt8:14-15; 1Cor9:5)
mt8:14-15 “14 When Jesus came into Peter’s home, He saw his mother-in-law lying sick in bed with a fever. 15 He touched her hand, and the fever left her; and she got up and waited on Him.” - from this passage we know Peter was married.
5 Do we not have a right to take along a believing wife, even as the rest of the apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas?
As you can see in this one that Paul mentions Peter’s wife too. So here is a women who accompanied her husband on his travels, and it is recorded by Clement of Alexandria that she was martyred too, just as her husband was.
Can you think of any current day, modern day examples? How about you, are you an older woman who is a good godly example to younger women?
(Insert older women - younger women picture here)
Just as with the men, it is not enough to be considered “sound” or spiritually healthy just because:
Of what you have done in the past, what you have stood for in the past.
Just like older men were called to be sober, reverent, temperate, healthy in faith, love and patience, willing to serve as elders if qualified
The church needs older women who are, reverent in behavior, not gossips (slanderers), nor given to much wine. Willing to be teachers of good things and yes, willing to exhort and admonish younger women.
Again may we consider one more scripture today.
12 The righteous man will flourish like the palm tree, He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon. 13 Planted in the house of the Lord, They will flourish in the courts of our God.
ps92:14-15
14 They will still yield fruit in old age; They shall be full of sap and very green, 15 To declare that the Lord is upright; He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.
This use of “man” in this passage is not gender specific so it is applicable to women too. May we have older men, older women who are willing to take on the tasks as laid out in the scripture in (Tit2: 2-5)
2 Guide older men into lives of temperance, dignity, and wisdom, into healthy faith, love, and endurance. 3 Guide older women into lives of reverence so they end up as neither gossips nor drunks, but models of goodness.
4 By looking at them, the younger women will know how to love their husbands and children, 5 be virtuous and pure, keep a good house, be good wives. We don’t want anyone looking down on God’s Message because of their behavior.
We are to be God’s messengers, and we want to be good messengers, examples so no one has reason to look down upon God’s message, which is the power of God unto salvation!
(Prayer) (Exit)