Titus Chapter 2 Verse 1

 Paul had spent the entirety of the beginning of his letter to Titus

describing the types of persons he is to identify for either promotion

or confrontation. Here’s what you look for to be true help in the

ministry, those that are mature and profitable to themselves and to

others, and on the flip side, here’s what you observe to help identify

those that must be opposed. Harmful to themselves, to others and to

the work of the ministry…

 No onto you, Titus. Above all, speak the truth in love. If they reject it,

do it anyway. If the culture despises it, do it anyway. “As for you,”

implies singularity. Whatever anyone else is doing, stay this course.

It’s been said that the next two chapters are the authoritative textbook

for Biblical, godly leaders.

 Speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine. This word

“sound” may be one of Paul’s favorite words. He uses it four times

with Timothy and four times with Titus. It’s an excellent word in the

Greek, it’s the word, “hygiaino,” where we get our English word,

hygiene and it means literally to be in good health or to be made

whole.

 So, Titus, (and for that matter all Christian Biblical Godly leadership),

hold to the Word of God. 2 Timothy 3:16, “All scripture is given by

inspiration of God, and is profitable/good for (sound) doctrine, for

reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” What

actually helps? What actually makes someone whole and in good

mental, spiritual and doctrinal hygiene? It’s simple, not hidden and not

culturally celebrated or crowd-pleasing, the Word of God.

 I actually think we are possibly on the precipice of a new wave or

Christian division as a result of advanced technology. AI and AGI.

Why? Why is the Bible still the most printed book in the world?

Because folks don’t read it… What happens when AI reveals

thematically what the Word of God actually says…? Will the Bible be

more embraced than ever? I doubt it…

 Paul wrote in 2 Thessalonians 2:3, “Let no one deceive you by any

means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first,

and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition.” A recent poll

found that only about 30% to 55% of the Christians believe the Bible

to be inspired and inerrant. That number falls to roughly 20% when

you ask just the general public…

 For the minister, the leadership, for you Titus, what you do with the

Word of God is all of it. Jesus said to the faithful church in the Book

of Revelation, Revelation 3:8, “I know your works. See, I have set

before you an open door, and no one can shut it; for you have a little

strength, have kept My word, and have not denied My name…”

 Why hold to the Word of God? Because it alone is the source of sound

doctrine. The true and Godly leader doesn’t believe this or push this or

teach this or sell this, the true mature leader KNOWS this through

personal devoted diligence to find out the very heart and mind of the

Creator through the knowledge and application of the Word…

 So, Titus, for Paul to say this to Titus, this isn’t just a commandment

or demandment from a father to a son or from a boss to an underboss,

this is a test. A statement that depending on how Titus takes it reveals

totally what his ministry is going to look like. Is he actually going to

help people, to bring a ton of folks with him into the kingdom of God,

or is he just going to play church…

 Because we can just do the thing. Build the empire. Grow the

ministry, the business…, or we can shine as a light in a dark world…

Bringing good hygiene to folks that have overgrown nose/ear/back

hair and don’t care… Strong potent S.O. (Spiritual Odor) and can’t

smell their own stink! HA!

 Let them stay disheveled and the church may grow but it will be

ineffective… Teach them to tighten up, bringing and delivering good

doctrinal hygiene and this (the next verses) is how it will show up in

the lives of those in the faith…

Titus Chapter 2 Verse 2

 Paul says this is how the aged men in the church should be. Sober.

Sobriety is extremely important AND this is not only talking about

not being drunk. To be sober is to set aside, willingly and knowingly,

to set aside my freedom for the sake of serving God and serving

others.

 John 8:36 says, “Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free

indeed!” Paul wrote in Colossians 2:13, “And you, being dead in your

trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive

together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped

out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was

contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to

the cross. Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a

public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. So let no one

judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon

or sabbaths…”

 We have incredible freedom in Christ to live unto the Lord! Sobriety

is this amazing balance, a place of true freedom, that you don’t care

one bit about what other’s think and yet you care in everything what

other people think! Not to your own worth but to their own well-

being. That is to be sober. And the aged men in the church should

lead in this. Showing the rest of us how do to it and setting the

example for the younger men.

 Paul says they should be reverent. Venerated in character and

honorable. Not just in what they say but in what they do. There

should be a consistency in word and in deed.

 Temperate. This is self-controlled and sensible in all things. Not

driven by emotion but driven by wisdom.

 Sound in faith. Good hygiene in terms of doctrine. Someone who

knows the word well. Look, whether you are a studier or not, aged

men of the church have had tons of Bible studies… Aged men in the

church should have a good grasp on the Word of God.

 Sound in love. Not outside of it. In it. Self-controlled and self-willed

into unconditional love. There is nothing more needed from the aged

men in the lives of younger men and women than pure, holy,

unconditional love.

 Sound in patience. Why? Because all of this is going to kick your

flesh constantly so patience is going to be needed. Now the amazing

thing about patience and not dwelling in the flesh is that as you do it,

you get better at doing it. It’s like a muscle to develop, why?

Because you see ALL the good it does for others and especially for

yourself!!!

Titus Chapter 2 Verse 3

 For the aged women, likewise. All of those things we covered for the

aged men are likewise good for the aged women of the church, and for

all of us for that matter. That they be reverent. Completely different

words and phrase used here than in verse 2 but the English language is

SO weak that it translates the exact same…

 Paul made a statement here for the aged women to be kieroprepes

katasema…, see that their behaviors are becoming of holiness. That

folks would get the impression of, “that lady belongs to Jesus,” by

how they act.

 The word used for the men translated “reverent” was semnos which

means grave… Completely different. So, for the aged women, it’s

actually far more descriptive. Now, lets get real, you can’t be

something in behavior that you aren’t on the inside or that is

hypocrisy. Right? Yes…, and…, does that mean we as Christians are

off the hook? Absolutely not!

 Check this out… Paul said in Romans 13:14, “Put on the Lord Jesus

Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfil its lusts.” He

wrote in Colossians 3:12-14, “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and

beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness,

longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if

anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you,

so you also must do. But above all these things put on love, which is

the bond of perfection.”

 You ever have someone say, “Oh, come on, you’re putting me on!”

And what they mean by that is you’re joking or representing or saying

something that isn’t real… I would submit that this is admonition we

are given in the Bible about doing what is right. That even when we

don’t feel like it, we do it anyway. That speaks of discipline, it speaks

of sobriety and it speaks of loyalty to something higher than self.

 So, for the aged women, holy in behavior even when you aren’t so

holy on the inside, and that isn’t hypocrisy, it’s worship.

 Not slanderers. A word used 38 times in the Bible and translated only

once as slanderers. The word is diabolos in the Greek. Little devils.

Ha. You gotta check your attitude, your behavior, what you’re

saying…, are you on team devil or team Jesus…?

 The word means to oppose the cause of God. We need the aged

women to be super mindful of this because so much of the tone of the

heart of the church, of our hearts, is set by the moms of the church.

 Not given to much wine and teachers of good things. Paul will go on

to give us some specifics of good things in the next two verses that we

will get into next week.