Titus | Week 5

Good morning everybody. You guys doing good today.

It's good to see y'all love having the kids in here.

We get a lot more response. Now, when we ask those

questions, my name is Jasper. I'm the executive Pastor here at

New Life Community Church and it's a great honor to be with

you today to get to preach from God's word as Steve just

mentioned Kyle, our lead pastor and his family are on the road

right now, so you guys just keep them in your prayers that they

could get home safely, man. It's been good to work.

With you so far. It's good to hear you singing.

I love it. I love Sunday mornings.

I love getting to stand out here and here, you all sing.

It's amazing. And so, a good day, a very

welcome, very big, welcome to any guests that are visiting

with us. You've already heard a little

bit about connect cards and all of that.

But I just want to say again thanks for being here, we're

glad that you're worshiping with us.

So, all right, so we have been going through the book of Titus,

okay, the book of Titus. So if you have your Bibles, go

ahead and turn there. Now we're going to be in Titus

Titus 2 · chapter mention

Chapter 2 this morning. So I'm going to give you just a

brief recap of what we've learned from Titus so far where

we've been and then we'll get headed to where we're going,

okay? So the book of Titus is a letter

that was written by the Apostle Paul to his Protege Titus.

All right Paul had planted churches.

He had spread the gospel to the island of Crete.

Island of Crete had many cities on that island and this was a

very Pagan culture, okay. This was a culture that was

riddled with idolatry and all kinds of worldly living.

I heard someone as we've been studying this and home groups

and preaching through it. They said this would be the

modern-day Las Vegas, okay? It was just a place known for

its sin so they had planted churches there.

Paul writes, this letter to Titus, who is there and says

look I left you there to put what remained in to order.

So, this was another way of saying that hey I left you there

now that we've started these churches, you're the one that

needs to kind of raise them up and teach them how to do this.

What Christianity should look like and what a church should

look like. And so that's why Titus was

there and that was the purpose of this letter.

It's full of instruction for the church.

Okay, so remember these were brand-new Church plants, they

had no idea how to do any of this.

They didn't know how to live their life as a Christian.

They didn't know what church should look like.

They didn't know how often do we get together.

Where Do We Gather when we do get together?

What do we do? And we sing songs do like just

imagine if you'd never done this before, never set foot in a

church and had no idea how to do this.

So that's what they're trying to determine.

So Not only was Titus challenged with this, this big unique task

of helping. These churches figure out how to

do life and how to do church, but he was doing so again, and

I'm very, very Pagan culture. They were not only a pagan

culture, all outside the church in the way, they were living

their lives, but there were false teachers who had become

who had kind of infiltrated. The church who were posing as

Christians, who were teaching, False teaching.

So they were teaching things that went against God's word,

okay? And they were doing so were told

for shameful gain. So they were, they were getting

something out of the deal. I don't know if it was money or

what, but they're teaching things that go against God's

word and they're taking advantage of people, they're

deceiving people, it even says that they're they're leading

whole family's astray in the church with these false

teachings. They were also heaping on to the

Believers in Crete, these man-made rules.

It's okay. It even mentions the Jews of the

circumcision party. So, there was a lot of older

Jewish customs and myths with a bunch of other man-made stuff

that they were forcing these Christians to do.

So there were saying, if you want to be a follower of Jesus,

you have to believe in Christ and all that.

But you also have to do all these other things.

There's this whole list of good behavior that you've got to do

or you're not saved. So they were falsely teaching

people. So this is what Titus was up.

They had a lot, his work cut out for him.

He had a lot of things going on, that he had to try to overcome.

And so, that is why then, and even now it was so crucial and

important that the church have good Godly leaders, good Godly

Elders, pastors to lead the church in right Doctrine and in

right living, keeping them grounded in the word of God.

Not. Adding to or taking away from

it, this was a big, big deal for them back then so they needed to

they needed a holdfast to sound Doctrine and we've spent the

last couple of weeks, looking at what that looked like, what was

sound Doctrine who was to teach it?

Who was qualified to teach God's word?

What was the teaching? What was the sound doctrine that

they were supposed to be teaching?

We've looked at some of that stuff this week in Paul's

letter, he's going to bridge the gap between Doctrine and sound

teaching in Theology and what that looks like in the life of a

Believer. So this week we're going to get

more practical. We're going to start to take

these things and apply them to the lives of the Believers.

Okay. We're going to see what that

would. Have looked like four different

people groups you see our faith. Must result in Good Works.

Right? We have to walk the walk.

We can't just talk the talk. We can't say we're Christians

and we believe something and then turn around and live our

life in contradiction to that. If we're going to claim to

believe something and say that other people need to believe

these things that we need to be living that out.

Our faith has to be lived out. Faith without works.

Is what dead, right? It's no faith at all.

It's a fake faith. So that's what Paul was trying

to get across the tightest. It's what he wanted to get

across to these Believers in Crete and we do that through

some of the things we're going to look at today.

Paul, addresses, different people groups.

So we're going to go through that over the next few weeks.

The different people groups that Paul addresses.

He talks to older, men older women, younger women, younger

men and bond servants. All right, those are the

different people groups that he addresses and he says, this is

what this should look like in the life of someone that fits.

This category. Okay, here's what older men

should look like in the church. Here's what older women should

act like in the church. So today we're going to look at

biblical manhood. That's what we're looking at

today. What Paul had to say about the

men in the church and to the men in the church.

Now, to do this, we're going to have to look at a couple

different set of verses. He addresses the older men and

then he talks to the older women, the younger women and

then the younger guys. And so we're going to Skip the

part on the women today but we're not, we're not leaving

that out. We're going to get to that next

week, okay. Kyle's going to teach on

biblical Womanhood and next week.

So I don't want you guys to think that we're dodging

scriptures because we don't want to have to talk about it.

Okay? We're going to get their next

week. But today we're talking about

biblical manhood, which is fitting, because our first

biblical manhood meeting is tonight.

So you guys will be pumped up for that.

Okay, so, as Paul is transitioning from this more

theological doctrinal, look at the church to a more practical.

Look, it's no surprise that right out of the gate.

The first people group, the very first people that he points a

finger to and says, listen up is the men, okay, it's no surprise

God's natural design for Humanity.

From the beginning has been that the husband would be the head of

the wife just as Christ is the head of the man and head of the

church is Ephesians. 5:23 tells us the Bible.

Ephesians 5:23

And as a result of that, this church holds what's called a

complementarian view. When it Comes to genders the

male and female gender each has added a distinct role.

That complements the other men are called to be the leaders, in

their home. They're called a leave their

wives. And children, men are also

called to be leaders in the church as Elders.

So the men would have been the natural leaders and all aspects

of life in the home and the church, and even back then,

culturally back. Then it was much different than

it is. Now, there weren't as many

females and Business leadership roles.

Now, there were some but not like today, but we have to be

careful of as we can't say. Okay, well, that was the culture

then, and this is the culture now.

So none of this applies to us. That's absolutely not true.

What we see in these verses is prescriptive Paul wrote this to

the church has to be applied in that den and forever.

So this still applies to us today.

Paul wanted Titus to make sure that the men of the Church of

all ages were fulfilling their god-given role and Duty as men

striving to live lives of Integrity, dignity and honor as

they LED their families and others whether or not they did,

this would have huge implications, not only in their

homes, but in the church and in the culture at large, I've heard

the saying before that as goes the man, so goes the Home and as

goes the home, so goes the society and I think we can see

that living itself out in our society today.

So my point in that is it, you cannot, you cannot have a

healthy church. If the men don't fill their

god-given role, there is a natural trickle-down effect.

If the men take these responsibilities that God has

given them and instead of doing what they're called to do, they

just punt. That's going to have major

implications for the women in the church for the children in

the church for everybody. So here's my my big idea of

today's sermon. Here's my sermon in a sentence.

If you don't remember another thing I say, this is the one

thing I want you to know is it biblical manhood is absolutely

crucial for a healthy Church. Okay, if you're taking notes,

write that down biblical Matt and notice I said something are

biblical, manhood, not just manhood, we're not talking about

Big Macho here. We're talking about biblical

manhood what God calls men to be.

That is absolutely crucial for a healthy Church.

Let's pray and then we'll read our text.

Heavenly father I pray now as we open your word that you speak to

us through it, I pray that you illumine our minds and our eyes

to be able to see and hear what you want us to hear.

God, please speak through me. Please speak clearly help us do

read these words and understand these truths to not back away.

If it's hard teaching God, I pray that you would convict our

hearts and our minds this morning.

We're thankful for who you are, and we're thankful for your

word. We're thankful for this calling

that you've given us on our lives and pray God, that you

equip us. Help us to live in a way that

honors. You, we pray and ask these

things in the name of your son, Jesus.

Amen. So let's read Titus.

Titus 2 · chapter mention

Chapter 2 starting at verse 1. But as for you, speak the things

which are fitting for sound. Doctrine older, men are to be

temperate dignified, sensible sound in faith in love and in

perseverance. Okay, so we see right out of the

gate older men. It's the first ones, he

addresses. And what did he tell them?

They were to be temperate, dignified, sensible sound in

faith. Love, and perseverance.

Now, jump down 6. Likewise urge the young men to

be sensible and all things show yourself to be an example of

Good Deeds with Purity and Doctrine dignified sound in

speech, which is beyond reproach.

So that the opponent will be put to shame having nothing bad to

say about us. Okay, so right out of the gate,

right out of the gate. Paul says, in these verses, but

as for you, meaning, Titus teach what Accords with sound

Doctrine. Now after that, he launched a

straight into all these people groups, the older men, the older

women, younger women, the younger he goes right into all

this, but he says, first, as for you, teach would Accord with

sound Doctrine. There is a reason that this

verse is the first verse of chapter 2, instead of being the

last verse of chapter When Paul wrote this, it would have been a

letter on a scroll. And from what I understand, I

might be wrong on this, but from what I understand, I think, the

way the Greek was written and it was all caps.

No spaces, no paragraphs, just boom.

One big block of text, all of these chapter and verse numbers

came later. That's something that the

translators that translate it into English, did to help us

understand it better. And a lot of times they would

break those things down according to different topics

within the text. So as he talks about this,

there's a paragraph and As he switches the tone different

paragraph, Just the way the English language works, okay?

So this sentence is included in Chapter 2, he could, he just got

done in the previous text talking about these false

teachers and he gave us a list of.

Here's the things they're doing. Here's what they look like,

they're awful. And he could have ended all of

that by saying they're bad, bad people.

But as for you, teach good Doctrine and then he could have

started talking to the older pieces of the people in the

church, right? But he didn't the translators.

Has left this. Let this be part of verse,

chapter 2. And here's why he says, teach

what Accords with sound Doctrine.

Okay. Starting with that.

But as for you, that tells us that what he is about to say is

in response to what he just got done saying.

So he said all this stuff and says but as for you and now he's

about to launch into something new that he wants you to know.

Okay. So this is a it's a natural

transition. And what this tells us is that

what he's about to say is sound Doctrine.

This teach what Accords with sound Doctrine, then he jumped

right into what sound Doctrine is and he gives us examples of

that. So, what is this?

What is this Doctrine? If we had to put a label on it,

what Doctrine is he talking about?

What he's talking about, sanctification.

All right, if you're taking notes, write that word down.

Sanctification sanctification is the ongoing lifelong process of

growing in your faith through the grace.

And mercy of God, that all Christians go.

This starts from the moment of our conversion and does not end

until we stop breathing. We're constantly growing

becoming more and more like Christ every single day, every

moment. And so he's talking about this

process, this doctrine of growing in your faith, growing

up into mature, manhood and Womanhood.

That's what he's talking about today and that's what he's

encouraging in these people. So let's look at what he says to

the men as far as sanctification is concerned.

Verse two older men. In be temperate, dignified,

sensible, be sound in your faith and your love, and in your

perseverance. So he gives three character

qualities. That should be present in the

life of older men in the church and then he gives three more

spiritual qualities, okay? So let's look at these

character, qualities. Older men are to be temperate

some translations say. Sober-minded, what does this

mean this? It does mean what it sounds like

sober. That means you're not a drunk.

Okay, but that's not all. It means.

That's a part of it. The main idea here is that he is

a is not a man given to overindulgence in general.

He is a man who has lived enough years to know the foolishness of

seeking fulfillment, in the things of the world.

Okay. He's not given to sensuality.

He's doesn't allow his senses to rule him.

He gives no occasion for the flesh.

So in other words, he doesn't eat too much.

He doesn't drink too much. He doesn't work too much so he

can make a bunch of money and go buy a bunch of toys and play too

much. He doesn't stare at other men's

wives if he were around today, he wouldn't be a guy that looked

at pornography. This is an older man who's

learned to control those things. He doesn't live his life, for

what? Feels good and tastes good.

And sounds good, and looks good. He's Ruled by these things.

He's disciplined his learned. That the eye is a lamp to the

body and he's also learned to take every thought captive and

trained his mind to control his body, so that it follows the

mind, and not the other way around.

John MacArthur said it this way, he is a man who has his

priorities in order and he is satisfied with fewer and simpler

things in life and I think that's spot-on.

It seems like as I as I see older men in life, they just get

to where they don't get rattled as easy and they don't need as

much to be happy. Most of the time, it's a good

chair and maybe a cup of coffee. But this is, this is, this is

what we see in older men. So there also to be dignified.

Okay, what does this mean? Well, this is a man was some

weightiness to him. And I don't mean he's

overweight, okay? I know that seems to be the

general consensus, especially in churches, right?

But that's not what I'm talking about.

This is a man that has a seriousness about him.

He's not serious all the time. Of course he can laugh and joke,

but he's a man that commands respect.

He's the kind of man that younger men want to sit at his

feet and listen and learn and hear the stories.

He's a noble, he's honorable, he's learned lessons through

life and he's grown from every one of them to help develop a

character that this guy has, His words are big and other people's

ears, meaning that they want to hear what he has to say.

He can say what he needs to say. With fewer words, he doesn't

have to go on Long rants with a bunch of fluffy language is.

Yes, means, yes, and is no means no.

Older men are also to be sensible.

Another way of saying this is self-controlled.

Now, this one does mean to you. No self-control.

Does mean to control urges. Of course, it means that but it

also means to exercise good judgment.

This is a man who makes wise decisions.

He's able to see the bigger picture in life.

Instead of allowing his circumstances to dictate his

feelings and his emotions. He's slow to anger, he thinks

before he speaks He's humble. He doesn't let his emotions, get

the best of him. He doesn't fly off the handle.

He doesn't take his frustration out on his wife and children,

he's measured. He thinks about what he's going

to say and how that affects people.

So these are just a few of the character qualities that we see

an older man. These are character qualities

that older men should have. I think many of you as we were

talking through this maybe think of men that have these character

qualities are Maybe you think of an older man that doesn't, and

there is nothing sadder than seeing an older man.

That hasn't learned these things yet.

Older men in life, that haven't learned how to control their

tongue, or their feelings and emotions, but these are

character qualities notes. Look at some of the spiritual

qualities of an older man. He should be sound in faith,

love, and perseverance. So to be sound in something

means to be solid. All right, you're solid.

Sound and Faith. What does that mean?

Well not only does he firmly believe the scriptures and hold

fast to his faith. But he lives it out.

He studies and knows the word of God.

He desires to keep growing in his faith.

He's also sound in love, meaning that he is, a man, fully devoted

to God, to his family. And to his church, those things

are without question. And he's also a man who sound

and perseverance, meaning that he's not fickle, it's not blown

to, and fro by any wind of Doctrine.

He's stable, he's steadfast not easily rattled.

He's not give in to despair. He doesn't get shaken.

When life gets tough, he's firmly rooted and the promises

of God. He's steadfast, he's learned how

to persevere, he's learned how to deal with adversity.

So all of these qualities would have been and still are very

crucial and a culture known for gluttony greed and fornication.

The culture in Crete was abundantly anti-christian and so

it was of the utmost importance that the men stand out from the

culture. ER, instead of blending in with

it. The older men were to set the

example for the younger guys to lead them and show them what

this looked like, as well as the rest of the church.

There were supposed to show them how to live a life fully devoted

to God and to God's people. A fantastic biblical example of

this. And if you've never read his

story, I urge you to do that, write it down under the margin

of your notes. Caleb, the biblical character

Caleb and Joshua 14. He was one of the ones that went

into the promised land, a spy it out.

Okay. And it was he and only one other

that came back and believed that they could go take the promised

land. Everybody else came back and

give a false report and others Giants.

We can't do it. We need to run.

Caleb and one other guy were like let's go.

God said, we could do it here. This we'd win.

What are we waiting on? He was 40 years old when that

happened. In Joshua 14, you fast-forward

45 years to do 85? Okay, they finally taken the

promised land. Its there's they're dividing it

up, amongst the tribes of Israel.

And Kayla was a guy that would have would have had a lot of

accolades. As far as War goes, he was a

warrior, he had, he had earned his stripes, so to speak.

And so when they're dividing up, the promised land, Caleb

probably could have said. You know what, I've done a lot

for the Lord. I've done a lot for Israel.

I think I'll I'll invoke my right.

To take the land I want. And he could have easily said,

hey, give me the best. All the best land we have at our

at, our hands here. Like I want the valley, that's

got the river where the ground is fertile, and it's good for

farming and has fruit trees. And that's what I want.

He could have done that. What does he do?

Caleb at the age of 85. But finally, dividing up the

land, he says, you know, I think I'll take the Hill Country.

So, the Hill Country at, we read that, and it's easy to skim

over, but the Hill Country would have been the mountains anybody

ever been to the mountains. What's in the mountains?

What's at the top of a mountain rocks, right?

Like trees that are like 100 years older.

This Tall cause there's no fertile.

Ground. Its Rocky.

It's hard. It's windy.

It gets really cold. The winter.

I mean, it's not good ground to cultivate and to live on.

It's beautiful, but it's not the best and not only that, the Hill

Country was infested with enemies still at the time.

And Caleb says, hey, give me that country and here's what he

says. I'm just as strong as I was then

for war, give me this land, perhaps the Lord will be with me

and I will drive them out as the Lord has spoken.

See, this was a guy who believed 45 years prior to that that God

would deliver on his promise that he was going to give them

the Victory and they didn't get to.

They didn't get to even try. They were too scared.

The people of Israel were too scared. 45 years later, dudes.

85 years old. He didn't forget.

He didn't forget what God said. He's like, you know what, it

might just be that God will still come through on that

promise, because he told me that we could take it.

I still think you that we can. So he wants to go.

He wants to go fight the enemy at 85 years old he never

doubted. God's word not one bit back then

or now at 85 I also get this mental image to of a guy that's

kind of he says, perhaps the Lord will, you know, I don't

know what the original word was in the Greek.

I didn't look that up but I get, I get the feeling that that was

like a, hey, maybe God will do what he said.

He would maybe he will. But if he doesn't, I'd rather go

out on my shield and grow fat and lazy grapes down in the

valley. Let's go try.

Let's go take them all. Like I'm 85 dudes.

Probably been over with scars and a cane he's like let's go.

I'm ready. Well we go waiting on.

Like dude is not afraid. He's a warrior who believes in

God. The church always had has and

still does need men like this? We need men with some grit and

then with some backbone, men who stand up for something, even

when they're outnumbered, even when it's not popular, or when

it goes against the culture, we need men who will fight for God.

This doesn't mean again. I'm not talking about being

Macho here. I'm not saying you have to wear

boots and drive a truck and hunt and fish.

I'm saying you need to be a man of conviction.

A man that me at, that cares, about something that's willing

to lay your life down for something.

We need meant, we need men like this, especially in the culture

that we're in today. Caleb was just as fiery and his

old age as he was when he was younger and we desperately need

our older man to still be that way.

Now look, I'm technically still one of the young guys here.

Okay. Looking at this passage every

commentary I looked at categorized older men as 50 and

over. That's not that old that's not

that old at all. And I think the reason for that

is Once you turn 50 year old now.

I think it's that if you're not even 50 yet, you haven't really

lived life to the fullest yet. Like, you're still, you're still

learning some things, you know. Like you might not have all of

these qualities yet. You're still growing and

learning in this which we always are men like we don't ever get

the check this off. Like we got there.

Made it. But I think what the point here

is that men over 50 are seasoned, they've seen some

things man you know what I mean? Those are the kind of men we're

talking about here and those are the kind of men that we need.

We need older men like that. What we don't need what we don't

need is men that say, do what I say, not what I do.

We don't need that. I heard that a lot growing up

and it's the dumbest thing I've ever heard in my life, do what I

say, not what I do, that's a man who is a hypocrite.

That's a man who's making excuses for not living out what

he preaches and we don't need that.

We need men. That say come do is I do come,

watch me, come watch me do this. Let me show you and now you go

do it too. I'll never forget sorry

scratchy. I'll never forget when I was

maybe in my mid to early twenties.

I taught Sunday school at a church and I got to teach the

senior Adult class one Sunday, and it was, it was men and

women. It's pretty intimidating because

I was very young. I didn't know what I was doing.

I'm teaching to the oldest people in the church.

He was like the pillars of the church, like, literally that

they just built the church around and they were just

standing there and it's built the building around these

people. They've been there forever and I

taught a lesson on serving in the church and what that should

look like and how we're all called to serve and do.

Part. I'll never forget Allen was

there with me, he had come in from Nashville and we were doing

a special that morning and he sat in on Sunday school with me

and at the end of that lesson, this older man, one of the

pillars of the church. One of the guys in the church

raised his hand and he said that's great.

That's a good lesson. You're right.

Y'all need to serve, but I'm old, and I'm retired.

And I'm done with all that and it's your turn.

Now to you young guys turn to do the stuff.

And I'll never forget Alan and I talked about that afterward.

How just heartbreaking? That was because yes when you're

older if you're in your you know, 60's 70's 80's 90's 120.

I don't expect you to get on the roof and and and replace

shingles, of course not. But I want you in a parking lot

pointing and saying you missed one.

I want you teaching us young guys, how to do this, pulling us

to the side and showing us how to live life, how to be good?

Husbands and fathers your needed for that?

We do you think that we have too much of that in our culture?

Now too much guidance and wisdom know, so if your old old men I'm

talking to you, we need you. Don't check out on us anyway.

Wasting too much time on this, but I just wanted to wanted to

address the top of the totem pole.

Before we worked our way down, without older wiser men to help

lead and guide younger men and the church.

It's easy to get lost in this sea of depravity and sin, that's

just running rampant in our culture.

Today, we need men that don't mind Waging War because they've

done it. They're comfortable with it.

That's what we need, younger men.

Let's look at verse 6. Likewise urge the young men to

be sensible, Sensible. It's kind of funny.

He just gave, like, six things to the old guy.

Here's some characters thing here, some spiritual things.

Like I need you to do this this this and this is how important

this is young, guys, don't be stupid, right?

Could not all advice to young, men be summed up in that one

phrase Don't be stupid. Be sensible.

Use your brain please. It's like you can hear.

Grandpa saying you young whippersnappers.

Don't do anything. Ignorant.

But seriously, the older men should be demonstrating those

things because they've lived enough life that they've grown

into those characteristics, okay?

That we expect that out of our older men.

We want that in our younger men, but we don't expect it yet.

They're still growing in those things.

They're still learning how to do this.

And so the one thing that he the one qualifier that he gives for

the young guys as be sensible. So This means that the biggest

concern for young men would be learning and applying scripture

to their lives. Learning from the older men, how

to be a man and seeking to apply wisdom to themselves.

How to exercise sound judgment and be sensible again, we can't

expect this to be automatic and they need to be taught.

So that's why the older guys need to be this so that they can

help the younger guys and doing this one commentary.

Put it this way. We are living in a generation.

Ian that encourages young men to not only avoid responsibility

but even in early adulthood to shun, the commitments of a

mature life with this kind of attitude, young adult men.

Notice what I just said there. We're not talking about boys,

we're talking about men grown men, often will defer marriage

despite the Bible's clear command that it is not good that

the man should be alone and they will cling to the skirts of

their And then I'll indulge in a life of video games and just

sinful just whatever feels good and looks good at the moment.

Paul would have young men think and act differently than this.

Now hear me out. If you're a young guy in here

and you just heard me say something that stung, a little

bit about video games. Let me clarify.

We can't become legalistic about this.

I'm not saying video games are bad.

Obviously we can't get pharisaical about this, but if

we start down that road, we start heaping those man-made

rules on the people like we just got done talking about the false

teachers do. So this is not about video

games. But in today's society, people

in general, especially young people and especially young men,

create this entire existence that's online.

They live their lives around the screen and a fake existence.

And so what happens is they have no desire to go out and meet

people and learn social skills. I learn how to have a

conversation or and this is one of the saddest things like,

learn how to tell a story is that not?

The coolest thing? Listen to old, dudes, just tell

a story young guys. All need to learn how to do

this, learn the art of word learning, The Gift of Gab, learn

how to tell a story, learn how to talk to people learn how to

woo a woman, learn those Thanks. Paul was calling young men to

look for ways to grow aspire to grow in character.

Do the hard things in life, don't give into a life of ease

and comfort and entertainment. Constantly indulging, the Flesh

and the senses. Train yourself for godliness.

Training is hard, right? It hurts at times, but it grows

you and you learn something from it.

So, practice the spiritual disciplines of Bible study and

prayer, train your mind, and your body.

To serve the Lord to do what you want it to.

Don't just run with whatever your body is telling you to do

and find a mentor. I so wish that I had had this

when I was younger and even now though the wisdom of an older

man who walks with the Lord is invaluable to young men.

So find someone to disciple you find a wise older man and go up

and pull on his shirt sleeve and say will you disciple me?

Will you meet with me once a week?

So we can talk about stuff. I struggle with you can.

Teach me lay all that wisdom on me.

Like, I needed. Go ask a guy to do that.

You have no idea how tickled he would probably be.

So, I challenge you younger, guys, today, don't be lazy,

don't be lazy, get don't give in to that desire.

To just constantly, indulge the flesh embrace the calling that

God has placed on your life. Look when you are saved, when

God redeems, you you are adopted into a family of nobility, you

are a child of the king. Now you need to embrace that

calling you need to live a life of honor and dignity and

integrity and respect defend and help the weak slay, the dragon

of lust and Temptation. Maybe if God grants it, if it

fits your, you know, path in life that you go rescue a damsel

in distress. You pull her out of this.

Wicked World. You lead her and a god-honoring

home and marriage and maybe even have kids and then teach them

how to do these things and disciple them.

Maybe that's not your lot in life.

That's okay. There's still lots of battles to

fight, but do what God calls you to do live.

That life. Don't run from it.

First Peter 2:9 says, you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood,

1 Peter 2:9

a holy nation, a people for his own possession.

That you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called

Called you out of darkness and into His Marvelous Light, you

are now a chosen race, a royal priesthood.

You've been adopted into a royal family.

You get to be nobility now and it says that you may.

So the reason God pulls you out of the world into something

better is so that you can go tell people about him.

That's why he did it. That's the point.

So remember this guy's and live like it.

You young men live like you're a child of the king.

All right, moving on. He also addresses Titus in this.

So he talks to old guys. He talks to young guys and then

he talks to Titus a little bit, some directions specifically for

him. Look at verses 7 and 8 and all

things Show Yourself. Meaning Titus to be an example

of Good Deeds with Purity and Doctrine dignified, sound and

speech, which is beyond reproach, why?

So that the opponent will be put to shame having nothing bad to

say about us. These verses are directed at

Titus, okay? He was the leader of the church.

Has these qualities are right there in line with elder,

qualifications, which tied us obviously met and would have

been expected of him. So, this is a lot of the same

kind of stuff. Let's look at some of these

things. First, Paul tells Titus to show

yourself to be an example or a model of Good Deeds.

So Titus as the guy here to equip these churches and show

them how this is done. Titus would have absolutely used

his words to teach and to preach and help them learn.

He would have educated them in heady things.

Absolutely, he would have done that, but it was not all

teaching, it was not all standing behind a.

I don't even know if they did this like this, they probably

didn't, they were probably in homes, but Not all do what I say

it was a lot of. Hey, come do, what I do.

Titus was called to model this behavior for these people to

show himself to be a model of Good Deeds, he would expound the

scriptures and teach them of course.

He had to to help protect them from false doctrines, remember

but he was also to model this for these people to show them

what it looked like to be a godly man.

He himself was not above the things that he was calling the

men in the church to be and to do again.

You can't just talk the talk, you have to walk the walk, and

you cannot expect others to do something that you aren't

willing to do. You heard that old saying you

can't teach what you don't know and you can't lead where you

won't go. Titus had to be willing to do

that. He had a very unique challenge

in front of him in that the older men in the churches in

Crete would not have been mature Wise Old Sage has yet because

there were brand new converts. So Titus even had the challenge

of like, I've got a model this for the young guys and even the

old guys in some sense, like, you know, they've lived some

life but they're still learning a lot of this, they're still

spiritual babes. So the leaders of the church,

they have to be men who are willing to model this for the

people of the church. And not only by doing this, does

this ensure better growth for those in the church?

But it protects the church. Okay?

We can't be, you don't want to be a part of a church for your

leaders, just talk about these things and they don't live them

out themselves that leads to a bad Church.

The last thing, any church needs, especially a brand new

church, and a pagan culture is a bunch of new converts who are

spiritually, immature, and young in the faith, trying to lead

things. They are still babes in Christ,

needing spiritual milk according to 1st Peter, to so, as Leaders

go, we need seasoned spiritually, mature, men leading

us, men who demonstrate honor integrity wisdom men who have

moved. On from milk to meet men of

character and conviction. And that's why one of the Elder

qualifications is that he cannot be a recent convert or a novice,

because if he is, he could become puffed up and fall into

the condemnation of the devil. We need mature, Believers to

lead us. Secondly, Paul tells Titus to

have Purity in your Doctrine, the dignified, sound and speech,

which is above reproach. What does that mean?

Well, there was all this false teaching, right?

Right. There's all these false teachers

are teaching things that aren't biblical at all their leading

people astray. So it was important that Titus

be sound and his faith and in his teaching have Purity and his

Doctrine. So, we see this emphasis on good

Biblical teaching, pastors teachers and leaders in the

church, must be committed to the whole counsel of God.

Maintain the Integrity of that. This idea is like, maintaining

the Tegrity of the hull of a ship.

So the Titanic, you know, it Iceberg, it's sang.

The structural Integrity of that ship was compromised.

So likewise pastors teachers leaders within a church must be

devoted to protecting the word of God from being twisted and

distorted. We want to make sure that it

upholds. Its Integrity.

Make sure its sound We must teach the word in its entirety.

We don't just bounce around and teach the parts that we want to

teach. We teach the whole counsel of

God, we don't shy away from it. We don't add to it and we don't

take away. Amen.

He also must have dignified Doctrine.

What does this mean? I didn't have any idea what this

means. What does it mean for your

Doctrine to be dignified? Well, that were dignified means

a lot of the same as it did. For the older men, to have that

character quality. It's a seriousness.

SO waiting is to it has some gravitas to it.

It should carry a weight, it should have a punch to it or

teaching should staying at times and it should soothe at times,

but it should mean something our preaching and teaching should

have a sense of urgency to it like this message matters.

When I get up here to teach and preach, I need to do it in a way

that says you need to listen to what I'm saying.

Like this means something. This is not just me sitting up

here talking in case you want to hear it like this matters.

Listen. Give me your attention.

If God's word really is the power of Salvation to everyone

who believes, then we need to preach and teach it that way.

There are lives on the line here.

There are lives at stake, people, dying and going to hell

every day. And we have the Cure right here.

I need to preach this and I need to teach this and I need to talk

to people about it. Talk to them about this in a way

that communicates that, that this isn't just my opinion, that

this matters. This is your life.

We're talking about here. Sure, we need to be fiery when

we preach at times, but even in that conversation with a

co-worker or with a family member or whatever, you need to

have a sense of urgency. When you talk about the things

of God to people, a sense of pleading with them.

Spurgeon was famous for saying it like this, if Sinners be

damned at least, let them leap to Hell over our dead bodies.

And if they perish, let them perish with our arms, wrapped

around their knees, imploring them to stay if he'll must be

filled, but it be filled. And the teeth of our exertions,

and let not one single person, go unwarned an done prayed for

amen. Hey man.

Let's care enough about people to be serious about God's word.

Let's care enough about them. To engage them in conversations,

you don't have to have it all figured out.

You don't have to be a theologian to do this, just tell

them who Jesus is and what he did for you.

And lastly we see that Titus was to have sound speech above

reproach. As a preacher Pastor, Titus was

in the spotlight. He would have had a lot of eyes

on him. He was not only working with the

people in One Church. All right?

Crete was an island. There were multiple cities,

multiple churches. So he would have been all over

the place. It's like, he's got several

churches. He's trying to train and lead

and all of that. So Paul's telling him You've got

to watch what you say and how you say it, especially when

you're out amongst the people, there are eyes on you and what

you say matters, Christian men as as Christians as followers of

Christ, we should not allow our speech to be marred with

vulgarity and coarse language. We also shouldn't use our words

to tear down or to complain. Our words should build up and

encourage others. We shouldn't talk down to our

wife, or to our children. We shouldn't abuse that

Authority. We have in a home, but we should

shower them with words of affection, helping them training

them up into the people, that God's created them to be.

We shouldn't gossip or slander other people behind their backs,

we should do as scripture commands and go to a brother.

If you've got a problem with him, you got a complaint, you

got something on your mind. Come say it to my face like a

man. Don't go talk about it behind

closed doors, don't gripe about it, to your wife.

Come talk to me about that. Go talk to that, brother about

that. Be a man.

That's what were called to do. Have sound speech.

Make your words mean something. Ephesians 4:29 says let no

Ephesians 4:29

corrupting talk them out of your mouths, but only such as is good

for building up as fits the occasion, that it may be getting

that. It may give Grace to those who

hear do we do that men? The your words give grace to the

people that hear it or is it like nails on a chalkboard when

you talk? Think about that?

Think about that. I've had to do this in my own

life. I am a man who unfortunately is

given to anxiety, a lot of times.

I'll worry, I'm a worrywart. Okay, I'm a Debbie Downer, I'm

a, whatever you want to call them, Eeyore.

And what I learned, thankfully over the last few years is that

there is nothing more unattractive than a nagging

complaining. Husband women, how many people

in here, want a husband that nags and complains all the time,

show of hands. Guys, look around.

Not a single one. I have to watch that in my own

heart. I have to be careful about how I

talk the things I say. Even to my wife, I want to

protect her from some of that. There's a lot of junk that I

have to deal with that. She doesn't need to know about.

I'm not saying keep secrets and all of that, but I love her and

I want to build up her. I don't want to lay burdens on

her, I don't want to nag and complain so that she just like,

oh my gosh, you shut up. I don't want to be that.

So men, keep that in mind. Okay, we lead our wives.

Our children in the way we talk and in the words that we use,

all right, moving on. Lastly, the reason that these

things were so important for Titus to remember, it can be

seen in verse 8, the last part of verse 8, he tells them so

that an opponent may be put to shame not having anything evil

to say about us. The enemy is looking for any

opportunity to twist and distort not only God's word, but our

words we should not give them any reason to point a finger and

in doing so discredit the gospel.

First, Peter 5:8 says, it will be sober-minded Be watchful your

adversary, the devil prowls around like a roaring lion

seeking someone to devour. Man, we have to keep in mind

that this world is not our home, okay?

We are foreigners here. We are aliens in this world.

We are Behind Enemy Lines. I know this maybe is a bit

cheesy, but I'm trying to say it in a way that strikes, a chord

with you. We are Behind Enemy Lines men.

The Greek word for church is ekklesia.

Ekklesia. If you're taking notes, write

that down, it is a word that is made up of a root word and a

prefix the prefix is X, which means out from this is why you

see exit exit signs out of out from the root is Kaleo, which

means to call. So you put those together, the

Greek word for church, literally means called out of or called

out from Called out from what? The world, exactly Christ calls

us out of the world to set us apart from it as a chosen

people. A royal priesthood.

We have been adopted into a royal family and we should act

like it how we live, our lives matters, how we lead our homes

matters, how we run this church matters.

What we teach matters, theology matters your relationships

matter. Here's the awesome part don't

miss this. I know there are days that we

feel outnumbered, we feel defeated.

We feel like what is the point? It's all gone to pot.

I don't have the strength to fight it anymore.

We may be Behind Enemy Lines but we are the ones on the

offensive. Okay, we're not on the defense

as Christians. Matthew 16:18 says, on this

Matthew 16:18

rock, I will build my church and the Gates of Hell shall not

Prevail against it. I always used to think that that

meant It like, we're Christians and like he'll can't penetrate

the gates, and we're going to withstand the attack.

But it says, on this rock, I will build my church and the

Gates of Hell will not Prevail, meaning that if you think of a

castle with a drawbridge and all of that, that's the gate cities.

Like Jerusalem would have had multiple entrances into the city

with a big wall, 425 for defense.

They would have these Gates that they would lower and let people

in and out, you had all these different gates in Jerusalem,

they would raise those. And shut it when the enemy

attacked, right? You've seen the movies.

The idea is, if the castle is is Hell, they've drawn the gate,

they're preparing for attack and Christians are to be taking the

word into the world, making the offensive attack and the Gates

of Hell will not Prevail against it.

We've been promised the victory. We've been promised that that

Christ has won. And so we are not on the

defensive we're on the offensive.

Her supposed to be taking the fight to the Enemy.

That is our mission as servants to the king and that is why we

are here. Some men.

Let's go to work. Let's wage war against

Temptation, and against the devil in our own lives, and in

our homes. All right, that's a wrap this

up. Preached a little too long, but

we're getting there, guys. Hang with me.

These qualities that we've looked at today, they should be

working themselves out in the lives of the men of.

They were supposed to be working themselves out in the lives of

the men of Crete. But in us also, those guys were

to strive for these things working toward Christ likeness.

The same applies for us today. As men of God, we should be

working on these qualities in ourselves trusting in the grace

of God. As we go, we have been given the

great honor and the great privilege of Leading others,

they depend on us and they deserve our very best.

There is a lot riding on it and that is why.

And I will say this again biblical manhood is absolutely

crucial for a healthy Church. Now, ladies, I know that this

has been mainly directed at the guys today.

Okay, I get it but I want to, I want to encourage you in a few

things. Number one, if you are a married

woman in here today, you can help cultivate these qualities

in your man. Desire these traits for him.

Encourage him in these things. Tell him when you see him being

this, kind of, man, and then gently and lovingly, help him

see where he has room to grow by encouraging him, not belittling

him, okay? I know I mentioned a nagging

husband, that's a two-way street.

Express your desire to be led by a man like this and be patient

as he grows into these qualities, okay?

Now, let's say you're not married, but you aspire to be,

you want to get married but you're not there yet.

We guess what? You need to be looking for this

kind of, man. He may not have arrived yet.

He may not be there yet. But you want a man that values?

These things and is learning to grow in them.

You want a man who wants to lead, you?

Well, as a husband, who cares about these things?

A man who's not just thinking about himself.

Or maybe ladies, maybe you're happily single and have no

desire to change that more power to you.

That's awesome. That's great.

I want you to encourage your brothers in Christ to be these

kind of men for their wives and for the sake of the church,

don't let them fall asleep on the job.

Do what a good sister. Does pray for them and then give

them a good kick in the rear end when they need it.

Guys, this is our gut check moment, okay?

It's time to do an honest assessment, a diagnostic test.

If you will, if you're in this place today and you're a man and

you are a Christian. If you have given your life to

the Lord, You've placed your faith in Christ.

I want to ask you this can these things be said of you.

Is this how those closest to you would describe you?

Is this how your family, your friends, or your co-workers

would describe you if someone ask them?

Is this how your spouse would describe you or your children?

Are you a man who honors or who values honor and integrity and

dignity? Are you sound in your faith?

Do you make Bible reading and prayer?

A priority in your life. These sound in your love for

your family. Are you discipling your

children? If you have a son, are you

teaching him how to be a man? Are you sounding your love for

your church? Are you active in your church?

Do you selflessly serve other people?

If you if you are a Christian and you do care about these

things and you're doing your best to do these things and I

want to say thank you. Thank you for caring about these

things. Keep fighting the good fight,

men, don't grow weary of doing good abide in Christ.

Rest in his strength and his provision for you and continue

making disciples. Make sure that they understand

the importance of these things, and May the grace and peace of

God be with you as you wage war every day, keep up the good

work. Or maybe you're a Christian, but

you've never thought about these things, maybe these things

don't, maybe you could honestly say no, that's not me.

I have failed in this. Well, I want to lovingly

encourage you to repent. Repent this morning.

Ask God to forgive you for that for not stepping into your role

as a man, as a husband, or a father.

We're not taking the role seriously, but let me also

encourage you in this. It's not too late.

Start right now. Start today.

Take up the sword of biblical manhood and start right now.

Today, trying to grow in these qualities, make up your mind

right now that you are not going to become the kind of man that

we talked about today that waivers on his responsibility to

do these things. Steak a flag in the ground and

say No longer. Am I going to live my life

according to the flesh? I'm going to live my life

according to God's word from this day forward.

I understand something you cannot do this in your own

strength and power. You will fail.

This growth, these qualities come only through trusting and

resting in Jesus Christ. We are all going to fail at

times men. None of us are perfect.

There's only been one perfect man as James said this morning

and it's not us, but we should be failing forward.

Looking to Christ and his strength to sustain us.

When we feel like we can't carry on So again, if you haven't been

doing this, be encouraged Christ wants this for you and he will

never give you a job without giving you the tools to do that

job. So, you've been called of this

life, but you've been equipped to do it.

Also, it is not impossible. So, start today in your own home

with your wife and your children, or in your own heart.

Be this kind of man? Now, maybe you're in here and

you're a man and you've never even placed your faith in

Christ. Maybe you've never done that,

maybe maybe you've never given your life to the Lord.

Maybe you've never even considered any of this, maybe it

doesn't matter. Start there start by admitting

that apart from Christ. There is no good in you.

Do you may think you're a good guy?

You may think I'm not that bad. I mean I might be like you know,

perfect but I'm not a bad guy. But Isaiah 64:6 says that we

Isaiah 64:6

have all become like one who is unclean and all our righteous

Deeds are like a polluted garment.

Now. I debated on whether to say this

or not, but I'm going to because it's in God's word, all right,

this is strong language, be warned, but I didn't make this

up. This is what God's word says.

We read polluted garment filthy rags.

As other translations say that means menstrual cloth.

Do your good. Deeds are like, menstrual Rags

To God. That's how disgusting it is.

Men, you're not good on your own.

It's only through Christ that any of this is possible, and

it's only through what he cultivates in you.

That anything can ever be good in you, you have to give your

life to Christ. All those good deeds, you can be

a great philanthropist. You can give to the community,

you can do all that stuff and it is meaningless.

If you've not given your life to Christ, So I urge you, I urge

you, if that is you today that you would surrender your life to

Christ that you would say, your will be done, your kingdom come.

I'm giving up my little sand castles that I've made, your

will be done in my life. What do you want from me?

Lord, Surrender Your Life to him today.

If you have never done that, Start there place your faith in

him and him alone, not yourself. And then after you've done that,

guess what? Then you get to join.

The rest of the brothers in this room as a child and a co-heir

with Jesus, a child of the king and you get to start living this

life of nobility and honor integrity.

And the men in this room will gladly be right there beside you

holding your hand along the way, picking you up when you fall

down. I want that for every one of you

men in this room today. Jesus was the ultimate example

of these qualities and traits. He was the only perfect human.

He is our brother and our King and now at this time we are

going to remember him. We're going to remember why we

worshipped him, why we give our lives to him and we do that

through the Lord's Supper. So our osiers are going to come

forward. They're going to pass out the

elements here in just a second. We're going to take communion

together.