Titus 2 — Titus 1-2

0:00 Well, before we start, let's open a word of prayer. Ask the lord to bless our time and let's do that. Heavenly father, we thank you and praise you. For you are and should be our our heart's desire And we do long to worship you and and lord, we appreciate the time that we had this morning already to remember your son, the lord Jesus, and what he did for us in providing a way of salvation. And we pray that this morning, you'd be honored and glorified through the discussion that happens.

0:32 And as we open your word, we just thank you so much for a manual of instruction that we can follow and and know your will. We pray that you'll bless the time that we have in your name. Amen. Okay. So, I probably could have just copied and pasted from Timothy, from second Timothy chapter two.

0:58 First of I have to thank Roger. You know, he sets me up after a month of guest speakers and Dwight Knight and, you know, then I come in and so it's a tough act to follow, of course, but something that was said last week that's actually going to come into play today, and there's quite a few things, if you didn't walk out of there last week at least thinking about things, then probably something wrong, there's a lot to think about by the time we were done. So I had a few thoughts that stuck with me, so hopefully today is another one of those days, there's some tough areas in this, and I've been praying all week and longer about how to address some of them and how to approach them because there's some touchy areas that, you know, and then I, you know, what came to me was speak the word, speak the truth in love, right? And that's what we do. So we're gonna speak the truth in love and let the Holy Spirit do what he does, which is much better than what we can do anyway.

1:58 So as we look at Titus chapter two, and and I love, Timothy and Titus are really good for a lot of things, but one, if you want a kind of a road map to discipleship, how to disciple, it's great for that, right? What your focus should be discipling someone, I think it's wonderful for that. I also think that when it comes to through a lot of the teachings of first and second Timothy and Titus that we see a lot of the characteristics of the church and what we're supposed to be as a body. Not just here as we conduct ourselves together, but what we are to be in the world. And that's where Titus kinda takes that and and and takes it a little bit further.

2:40 When it comes in to... When it comes down to the conduct of Christians and how we're to conduct ourselves in the world as a represent... Representation of Christ at all times. That therein lies the challenge, and we're gonna go over some of those things today. So if we were to break it down if we were to break down, we're gonna go back and read some of we're gonna go back and read some of chapter one before we get into chapter two.

3:05 And I feel justified this time in reviewing because it's been over a month since John spoke on chapter one, so I feel like I'm I'm okay to do that this time. But what we see that in in Titus is that a church that honors God has qualified leaders, and that's what chapter one was about. That the leadership is qualified. And we're going to talk about what that, you know, not go into the qualifications again necessarily, but that qualifications do not mean superiority. And this is a topic that comes up over and over again as people...

3:41 Because people constantly misunderstand the truths of scripture and what submission is and roles and all those things that that we as a body should believe in and promote even though they are completely against what the world tells us is right and wrong and equal and fair. Right? That those things don't matter because of what God's word tells us. Right? The world is wrong all the time.

4:05 And that's the thing that came up last week. He said Satan, Dwight Knight said, Satan only has two problems, right? Everything he says and everything he does. Yes? And it's a cute saying and it's memorable, here I am quoting it again, but he's right on.

4:20 We're going talk about some of the lies of Satan and how that's seeped into the church and how we have to be aware of that and careful of that. Because that's where doctrine is changed. And remember that doctrine is more than just doctrine is more than just the gospel and more than just the the specific teachings of Christ, but it's also our conduct as a church and how we meet as a body and the order of the church and all those things are part of doctrine. Right? It's the teachings of God and that's everything that shows up in the Bible is teachings of God, and so therefore we have to be careful with those and make sure that we're staying consistent to what the Bible teaches.

4:56 Right? So, we have to have qualified leaders that adhere to and protect sound doctrine, as we'll read in chapter one, that that is the main role of the elder. The main role of the elder. And the elders will tell you that they have many roles, right? They have many roles and and many facets to what they have to do.

5:18 But their main role is to protect and adhere to sound doctrine. And what is sound doctrine? And you know, I was thinking about how do we explain to the kids what sound means? What is... What do you guys think sound means?

5:30 When we talk about sound doctrine, what does that even mean? So that... We don't wanna go on beyond this if we don't really understand what sound doctrine means. So what is sound? Alright.

5:39 Let me give you an example. Okay? A house sits on a foundation. Right? And everybody wants their foundation to be sound so that their house doesn't collapse.

5:50 My sister was just telling me their foundation, they're having foundation issues and their house is sinking a little bit, and they have to get some work done on the house. If the foundation isn't sound, what does it mean? If it's not sound. Come on, boys, speak up, somebody. It's secure.

6:05 What? It's It's not flawed, isn't it? It's flawed. It's not secure. It's not...

6:11 It's flawed. And so you want a sound foundation, one that is firm, that is solid, that is secure. Right? And so when we talk about doctrine, these are the teachings of God, and we wanna make sure that what we teach and what is being taught is sound, that is secure, that is solid, that it's not flawed. And what makes it flawed?

6:32 Us. Right? In our interpretation or misinterpretation or, in our actions, in our... In the way that we tell people our our own... When we go at...

6:45 When we talk about God's word for our own design and not for his glory and for his honor, those are things that lead to unsound doctrine. Right? And that's what in Titus, that's what Paul was dealing with, or actually Titus was dealing with in the church in Crete. Okay? And so we need sound leadership, right?

7:07 Qualified leaders that can protect and make sure that the doctrine that is being taught is sound so that the local church will cling to what is true and conduct itself in a way that is consistent with the Gospel. So that's a big role, isn't it? That's a huge thing. The church itself has to conduct itself in a way that's consistent with the Gospel. And then as we'll see in Titus chapter two, so that the word of God is not blasphemed.

7:38 And if you've, if anybody went back and looked at Ezekiel and some of the things we were reading in the first service last week, that's a big... I I don't... I can't remember the number now, but I went back and I looked up, on Gateway, Bible Gateway, the number of times that, I'm having a blank here on the word. Not blasphemed, but my name has been profaned. Thank you.

8:08 Profaned. You didn't say it, but I thought it was a thing. Okay. My name has been profaned among the nations, right? I went back and and did did a search.

8:16 Profaned. And how many times it shows up in Ezekiel, and it's like, there's there's a bunch of them. I don't know if it was 14, 15 times at least that it showed up that my name had been profaned among the nations because of the Israelites and their conduct. Right? Well, that we have the same responsibility as a church that that the way we conduct ourselves, not just here together, but in the world around us, that is our responsibility, to not blaspheme the name of God and the word of God by our conduct.

9:07 But let's look at, Titus chapter one, and we're gonna start in verse seven. And we're gonna read through the end of the chapter. I'm not gonna make too many comments about it. But we have to see the contrast between Titus, what was happening in the church in Crete and the contrast between that and what was supposed to happen, right? What it's supposed to look like.

9:31 So let's start at verse seven. For a bishop, that's an elder, must be blameless as a steward of God, not self willed, not quick tempered, not given to wine, not violent, not greedy for money, but hospitable, a lover of what is good, sober minded, we'll be getting into that later, just, holy, self controlled, holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught. Notice that part too. That's a that's a highlight right there. Holding fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able by sound doctrine both to exhort and convict those who are...

10:13 Who contradict. So when things come up within the church that are not sound doctrine, the elders have the responsibility of addressing that. For there are many insubordinate, both idle talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision whose mouths must be stopped, who subvert whole households, teaching things they ought not for the sake of dishonest gain. One of them, a prophet of their own, said, Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons. This testimony is true.

10:49 Therefore, rebuke them sharply that they may be sound in the faith. I think this comes down because at first I wonder why, you know, rebuke sharply. Usually, everything is done in love and, you know, that's kind of the way it's done. But I think it's about knowing your audience. The Cretans were a different breed based on what we read here.

11:06 Right? The the... Those who lived in Crete, which is a beautiful island, went and looked pictures. It's... I wanna go there.

11:11 I never get to go anywhere, but I wanna go to Crete. I wanna try it. It looks beautiful on the Mediterranean in there, But it's a beautiful place, but the people were horrible. Know, they were just what is described here. This is one of their own that said that they were liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.

11:27 And obviously there are people, and there are different cultures around the world, where you have to be very direct with them. If you leave gray areas, they don't deal with that very well. And so that was the rule here. Let's be direct. This testimony is true, therefore rebuke them sharply that they may be sound in the faith, not giving heed to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn from the truth.

11:50 So we see there what was happening. There were there were teachings that were coming into the church saying that if you are really gonna be a follower of Christ, if you're gonna be a Christian, that's great, but you also need, you guys know most of them, you need to be circumcised, you have to follow religious holidays and feasts, you have to follow the Jewish customs, otherwise you're not really saved. Right? And these were teachings that took people away from the truth of the gospel which is you are saved by grace alone and it's by faith you are saved. Right?

12:26 That... Those are the teachings that are subverting the gospel in those churches. And so, in that church... Well, it may be possibly churches, isn't it? And so this is what they had to get rid of.

12:37 This is what Titus... His mission was, to make sure that these teachings were eliminated. Verse 16, they profess to know God, but in works, they deny him being abominable, disobedient, and disqualified for every good work. So we see the contrast of the type of people that were were teaching false doctrines, and false doctrines were coming into the church, and how do you combat that? Well, that's by, number one, the elders' responsibility to know sound doctrine and be able to to get rid of things that aren't appropriate, right?

13:11 And and to be able to address those things. But it's also the responsibility of all the rest of us that are not elders as well. And we have responsibilities, and that's where in chapter two it gets into. It's how does our conduct of a church help to secure sound doctrine? That's part of the direction that Titus is going here, or that Paul is going with Titus.

13:53 Now I read that over and over again because it's one of those verses that you can kinda, okay, is he qualifying these things as sound doctrine? The things that he's about to go into. Or is he saying, speak these things so that sound doctrine can be manifested by the conduct of the church? I would say, okay, both. Let's just go with both.

14:17 Because I think, you know, once again, this is teaching on what our conduct is supposed to be in the church, so it is part of doctrine, right? But I ask for you to speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine. That the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience. So the older men are addressed. Older ladies, here you are.

14:40 The older women, likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things, that they admonish the younger women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed. And I don't think, at least my take on this, is that the blasphemy of the word of God does not just come through that final part, but it's through everything that was mentioned beforehand. Right? And what continues after, that if you're not careful about those things that we take the chance of profaning the name of God. Likewise, exhort the young men to be sober minded in all things showing yourselves to be a pattern of good works, In doctrine, showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility.

15:38 Sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you. Exhort bond servants to be obedient to their own masters, to be well pleasing in all things, not answering back, not pilfering, but showing all good fidelity that they may adorn, and I love this line, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our savior in all things. We're gonna stop there for a second and take a look at a couple of these. So, older gentlemen, like I said, this is a passage that has a little bit of something for everybody. Alright, so we can all walk away.

16:22 And I'm gonna need to hopefully get that all on there. There we go. So, this is, you know, that saying, you do with this as you will, but Sound Doctor is confirmed and promoted through the execution of our roles within the body. That's one of the things that we're gonna learn in this section. And it's kind of twofold.

16:45 It's not just about our roles, you know, it talks about what older men should be and and what example they should be to others. It talks about what older women should be as far as their role within the church and how they influence and disciple the younger women. It talks about the younger women's roles. It talks about the young men's roles. And then through the young men, it it gives through Titus, he's saying, Titus, through your example, show the young men what they should be.

17:11 Right? So he puts that on on Titus to do, to handle. Okay? So, like I said, there's a couple of things that, you know, certainly could be controversial in terms of how they're approached, but I'm hoping that the Lord and the Holy Spirit will help bring some clarity to that this morning, both to me and to you. So, let's talk about the older men first.

17:33 So older men, sober. What does sober mean? Kids. Yeah, what's that?

17:43 Free of a certain thing.

17:45 Say it again.

17:45 Free of a certain thing.

17:46 Of what thing? Okay. Certainly, when we think of sober, we think alcohol right away, right? And sobriety talks about either the absence of, or if you if you put it this way, and I think this might help, sober, being of sober mind, is being clear minded. Right?

18:17 And so, without getting into that whole other debate, if you are hammered, you're not clear minded. Would you agree? Okay, so we could put in that, but I think it's more than that. I think when he's talking about older men being sober, they are to be clear minded, they are to be thoughtful, right, in the way they approach things. Not emotional, not responding based on emotion or anger or what...

18:41 That those things should be taken out of the mix. That they respond to the situations, the challenges within the church with a sober mind. Yes? Does that make sense? Okay.

18:52 Let's look at reverence. What does reverence mean? Because as I was going through this, was thinking, if kids are gonna hear these, they don't know what these words really are sometimes. We talk about reverence. What is reverence?

19:03 Devotions at home, what is my reaction if you fool around while we're praying or reading the Bible?

19:11 You're reverending the 10,000.

19:13 What's that? There are very few things that I snap on, but that's one that I snap on, right? Because when we're reading God's word, when we're speaking to God, we should be reverent. What does that mean then? Respectful.

19:25 Respectful. Right? So we want to be respectful. How about temperate, older men? Temperate.

19:37 Even tempered? Even tempered, Bingham, yes. Even tempered. Says the guy who never gave me a warning. Right?

19:46 Even tempered. Even tempered. But isn't that, I mean, let's think back to some business meetings and things in the past and I know the stories of temper's flare, but that's not what we're supposed to be. Right? Even tempered.

20:00 What about sound in the faith? Now these three are all about sound. Being sound, once again, secure, firm. Right? Sound in faith, in love, in patience.

20:09 Sound in faith. Talk to me. Sound in faith. They're not mixed up about what they believe. They're not Secure.

20:21 Washing. Exactly. Secure in what they believe. In the truth. Right?

20:26 Secure in the truth. Knowing what God's word teaches and being secure in your faith. In love. You know what's with men? This one comes up all the time, doesn't it?

20:36 Love. Love. Love. We are constantly reminded to love. Love your wife, love each other, love, right?

20:41 Love. Because men sometimes are not good at that. Right? It's demonstrating that. But that comes up all the time.

20:48 And in the church, the older men should be... Things should be done in a loving way. Should they be discipling and bringing up the younger men? Absolutely. In love.

20:58 In love. And then in patience. And that one's mentioned because, guys, we're not known for our patience either, are we? Right? So these are things that, you know, we should be different.

21:09 The Holy Spirit works on us differently to change us. Behold, I'm a new creation. Right? Old things have passed away. All things have become new.

21:19 That that's what we should... The the fruit of the spirit, all those things that we talk about, those are the things that should be coming from us as older men in the church. Is that just in the church? Because that's why I don't think that Paul is talking about, you know, we have to remember too, what'd he say? People Just are.

21:43 Just where people are. That's a good, yeah, that's a good thing. Just where people are. So, you know, when you look at this, it's not just about what's happened in the church and you have to also consider the time period. Churches were very...

21:57 The way they conduct themselves very different. It's much more communal living. Right? And so they were communally living and sharing amongst each other and all that kind of stuff we see in Acts in the in the early church. And I don't I don't know that in Crete it was exactly that way, but I would bet it's more that way than it is now, right?

22:14 And so I think some of that comes into play, but also there, there you go. You're allowed to tell me, my kids at school would always tell me, Mr. Binger, what's on the ceiling? Alright, Julie's back there making fun of me. Alright, so let's talk about the older women.

22:48 Says bad things about you. Says bad things about other people, right? A gossip, a mudslinger, call it what you will, but we we know through the experiences of our lives how detrimental that is when those things go on. Not given too much wine. Teachers of good things.

23:08 Right? Teachers of good things. And then there's the responsibility that is given to them that is the one that Titus has not given. And I think that's important. This one is not given to Titus.

23:23 Paul doesn't say, Titus, now take the younger women aside and tell them the way... Nope, he doesn't do that. Remember, Titus is a young man. That's that's a big part of it. But I also think that it has to do with the functioning within the body, where these things, where these teachings come from best.

23:40 How they are best learned, right? And how they are best accepted. And it's not from some guy telling you this is what you should do. There's some difficult things here, and I wanna talk about it because I think, you know, we're gonna stop after this for a minute. But that they admonish the younger women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet.

24:01 Ladies, what do we mean by discreet? Discreet? Modest. Modest. Right.

24:13 Modest. How about chaste? That's not a word we use a lot, is it? How about chaste? Chaste has a couple of meanings.

24:22 Say it again? Not flirtatious. Not flirtatious, right? So certainly modest in your approach with men. I think it reflects it, but also, to be modest in how you dress and those types of things as well, to be careful of that.

24:35 So discreet and chaste are, you know, they're close in some ways. Homemakers, good. That's pretty general, right? Good. Obedient to their own husbands that the word of God may not be blasphemed.

24:50 And I thought about this, how do I how do I tackle that one? Right? Because it's, you know, was a weight of my heart in how to deal with this. So I thought, okay. And this has really been a few weeks in the making as I've been considering these things.

25:09 Let's go through, and I want you to tell me, this is interactive again, what are some of the greatest lies that Satan has convinced the world of? What are the big lies? I mean, there's a million of them, right? There's a million lies that Satan has convinced the world of. What's one big one?

25:28 Yeah. Men are just trying to... Overlord. Overpower. I I don't even mean in relation to this idea.

25:39 I just mean in general terms, what's a lie that Satan has convinced the world of? So we'll get to that in a minute. I wanna I wanna address that. But but what's a lie that Satan has convinced the world of? I'll give you an example.

25:51 That basically, if you do good things, if you're good, if you're a good person, God's never gonna send you to hell. What kind of God would put people in hell that are trying to be good? Right? That's a lie of Satan. That's a lie.

26:08 He's convinced the world that that's the case. Many in the world that that's the case. Right? And so people live their lives thinking, if I'm good, I'll get to heaven. If there is a God, he's not gonna throw me in heaven as long as I'm good.

26:21 I'm not Charles Manson. You know what I mean? As long as I'm not Charlie Manson, I'll be okay. But here's the truth of it. If Charlie Manson, and I believe he's still alive because I haven't heard anything otherwise, but he's not in the news as much as he used to be.

26:34 Did he die? When did he die? Recently? Last Last year? Okay.

26:37 Alright. So Charlie Manson, if, now that he's dead, it's too late. But if, before, I should've done a little research before I decided to bring him up, right? That was spontaneous, but he was that Put him on your phone. I knew Hitler was dead, so I wasn't gonna bring him up, right?

26:53 So if Charlie Manson had, in the weeks prior to his death, come to a place of repentance and come to God and said, I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and what he did on the cross for me, that he died for my sin, and no matter how terrible my crimes, that the that the Lord can take those away and cover my sins with his blood, and I accept the Lord Jesus Christ as my savior. Guess what? Charlie Manson would be in heaven right now. Right? And that person that lives their life doing all those wonderful things that they think are so good, and I buy Girl Scout cookies and do whatever else I do that's good.

27:29 Okay? If they haven't done that, they don't go to heaven. It's that simple. That's the truth of scripture. That's a truth that Satan has lied to the world of.

27:41 Give me another one. I gave you an example. Give me another one.

27:44 If you deny yourself anything.

27:45 Yeah. If you're appetizing. If it feels good and... Yeah, I mean, do it. Do it.

27:51 Do what makes you feel good. What makes you feel right. You know? Regardless of what biology has told you, just do what makes you feel... Yeah, right.

28:01 Exactly. That's another one. Follow your heart. Follow your heart. We heard that one last week, right?

28:07 Follow your heart, and all your dreams will come true. Follow your heart. No? No? Because your heart is deceitful above all things, right?

28:18 So don't follow your heart. Your heart gets you into trouble. Your heart finds problems. What's another one? To be happy.

28:26 I Why am I not happy? I deserve it. That's, yeah, that's a lie, isn't it? Yes. Well, that's why that one song, and now I am happy all the day.

28:39 I can't sing that and I go, please. Guy, come on. Are you kidding me? Yeah. What else?

28:52 See, you're going into my spot. Because that's, to me, one of the greatest lies that Satan has perpetrated on the world is that is that having a role having a role and sometimes that role being in submission, and what I'm going to demonstrate today is that we are all in submission and we are all to be in submission, not just to God but to one another, right, as the Bible teaches. We are to be in submission to one another. But that word, submission, subject to your husbands, subject to the elders, subject... People have taken that word and twisted it into something it is not.

29:32 And Satan has done that and he's convinced the world that if you submit in any way, even though we all do, in our daily life, we all submit all the time, we all do it, that somehow you've become inferior. You are inferior if you were in a place of submission. Well, let's talk about that because, and I'm gonna tell you, I really, I battled. Do I go into this? Do I wanna be that guy?

29:55 And I thought, again, let's speak the word in truth, right, in love. Speak the truth in love is what I meant to say. Right? Okay. So let's take some examples of just everyday life that we submit.

30:05 Name to me a society or any type of form of government, society, anything that we see today in the world, or that has ever existed, whether it was the family hierarchy or whatever the case may be, that has not had a headship in terms of authority. Has it ever existed? Please share. Tell me that utopia in a society where everyone was of equal authority and decision making and all those types of things. Where has that happened?

30:34 Venezuela.

30:38 They had one guy making a whole bunch of, believe me, that was not it. In fact, wasn't communism an attempt to kind of do that? Right? We're gonna put everybody on the same plane and what did that turn into very quickly? Well, right.

30:53 But what did that turn into very quickly? A dictatorship in every single case, right? It became that in every single case. And so, actually perverted that idea of equality and freedom and whatnot. We're not gonna get political here, but okay.

31:07 So, we all, through the structures, you think about, I have children. I have children, and because Tammy and I had children, they are in submission to us. They are to be. They are called to be in submission to us as an authority. Does that make them inferior to us?

31:29 No. They are our children. We are to raise them in the ways of the Lord. Teach them the paths of righteousness so that they don't leave those paths. Right?

31:37 In the hopes that they don't leave those paths. It does not make a fear. In fact, I will say this that, where's Jenna? Jenna, I know that I am no way superior to Jenna. She is smarter than me.

31:49 She is, you name it. Right? In most cases, more mature. You like you name it. There is no inferiority.

31:58 Jenna should have no inferiority complex. But yet, God has asked her to be in submission to me. Has told her, obey your parents in the Lord for this is right. And there are blessings that go along with that. Right?

32:12 When I am driving down Hilliard at 45 miles an hour and I see the wonderful flashing lights behind me, what do I do? I pull over. I pull over. I pull over in submission to the police officer who has been given the responsibility and authority to make sure that there's order on those streets. Right?

32:37 When he comes to my window, do I say to him, you think you're so superior to me. No. He's not superior, he has a role. He has a role and I am called to submit to that role. And what happens if I don't?

32:52 Who would I take off? What if I just speed off and I say, yeah, you know, the chase is on. Come on, you guys have all watched Cops. You know how that ends. It ain't good.

33:01 It ain't good. There are consequences when we don't submit. I have a principal at my high school. Okay? I like him a lot, but in no way do I feel inferior to him even though I am to submit to him, as we'll look at chapter three, this is part of our deal too, right?

33:18 I am to submit to him as my authority. He has a role. My role is to teach children in the classroom. He has a role to maintain the order of the school. And I am under his authority to do that.

33:32 And it doesn't make me less than him. It makes his role different than mine. And this has been something that just through the last few weeks, I've just been thinking about over and over and over again. Now, do people do it wrong? Do people take those positions of authority and abuse those in a way that they shouldn't so that they act superior and treat people as inferior?

33:52 Yes, because we're human and we screw up and we do it the wrong way. But, that's not what it's supposed to be and that's certainly not God's way. And so we look at the actual, you know, the the the greatest example of submission that any person on this planet has ever witnessed or read about or heard about, and it is the Lord Jesus Christ himself. Let's go to Philippians chapter two. It's so familiar, but it's so poignant that we look at it.

34:56 It's a message about all of us submitting to one another. All of us in terms of the church submitting to the elders. Right? Because we're called to do that as well. And it's all of us having a heart of submission because that's what it takes to be like Christ.

35:10 Period. That's what it's about. We all should have hearts that are submissive to one another. We should all have hearts. And then within those roles, we we respect God's headship that he said, and that's why when we try to explain back there in Sunday school, when we try to explain to these kids why we have elders instead of a minister or a pastor or somebody, and this is now a condemnation of what anybody else Don't take it that way.

35:35 I'm talking about what we do. Because once again, it doesn't make us better. It's just trying to be obedient. Right? But we have a plurality of elders because Christ is the head of the church and there is no other head.

35:47 Christ alone is the head of the church. And so there is no man that we look to and say, that's the guy. That's the guy that makes it all run. That's the guy who makes it happen. And and quite frankly, sometimes there's disadvantages to that, isn't there?

36:01 Because sometimes things don't happen and things don't get done, and it's because we all volunteer to jump in and and work as a body to make this thing go. So, yeah, there there's some convenience to having that guy maybe, but but that's not what it is. Christ is our guy and that's our head and that's why we have it that way. Let's take a look. Verse three of chapter two.

36:27 Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind. What's another word for that? Lowliness of mind. Connor, what does that mean? Lowliness of mind.

36:39 Humility. What? Humility. Right? In humility in humility of mind, let each esteem others better than himself.

36:53 Take that in for a second. Our job, our responsibility, esteem others better than my... You know what I mean? If anything, I am intentionally putting myself in a position of inferiority. Well, and it's not really that, but a place of submission to others.

37:08 Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others. And then look at the next statement, this is one we read all the time, and it's such a great verse. Let this mind be in you which was in Christ Jesus. That's what he's saying. Put the interest of others first.

37:28 Put yourself in that place of submission because you know who did it? You know who did it? How about the creator of the universe? For whom all things were made. Right?

37:37 And by whom all things were made, did what? Let's keep reading. Who being in the form of God did not consider robbery to be equal with God but made himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bond servant and coming in the likeness of men. He became a slave. The son of God, creator of the universe, became a slave.

38:09 And being found in the appearance of a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. That's That's who we want to follow. Let that mind be in you. Let that mind be in you. Submission takes strength.

38:30 Not weakness. It takes strength. No one was greater in strength and might than the Son of God who showed perfect submission to His Father and humbled Himself even to death on the cross. Right? And that word has been destroyed out there because people don't get it.

38:51 They don't get what it is and they certainly don't get the hard attitude that God wants us to have. And we are all guilty of this at times, all of us, Of not having submissive hearts. But that's what God wants for us. And and we don't do it because the elders are smarter than us or because they deserve it, but because God wants us to have... It's for us.

39:13 You know what I mean? It's for us. When I submit to the elders, it's not because I agree with everything they say. But it's because what God wants me to have that hard attitude of submission because he's put them in that authoritative position. Not to lord over me, but to shepherd me.

39:32 Right? Does this help at all? Or does this make it worse? I don't know. Yes?

40:02 So it's kinda like a jet going in a jet stream.

40:05 Know? You're using that.

40:06 Same power, and you you... And it's the same power either way, whether it's jet stream or not. But one way, you get there an hour earlier because you were aligned with the power of God in nature. You created nature. And it's the same way that a ship or going upstream.

40:22 So God has his power that he puts in our lives. And if we take our own personal power of choice that he gives us, and we submit to that, we are multiplying and becoming hugely more powerful, yet it feels like we're submitting, like we're not using

40:38 our power, it's too strong

40:39 or weak, and it's not, it's the exact opposite.

40:42 Strength, it takes strength. You know what, here's an example. I'll give you an example. Let's say the elders make a decision, right? And it's one that I don't think is right, I could maybe even point to scripture to say it's incorrect or whatever the case may be.

40:55 Although if it was scripture to point to it, I would definitely come and say something. But but let's say I didn't have scripture, but I just didn't agree with that decision. I didn't think it was smart to do it this way, and and it's better. If I want to if I want to create a problem and start... Make a stink about it, right, What is really driving that?

41:14 What's really driving it?

41:16 My prediction.

41:17 My pride. My pride that I think I know better and I should do it. Well, I'm smarter than that guy, which isn't true in any case. I wish I could say that one of them I was smarter than, but I'm not. So, but whatever.

41:29 But, you know, I'm smarter than that guy. I got this figured out. That's our pride that gets into that. And so, to be, you don't, that's why I come back to this idea. Christ's example of submission was perfect.

41:47 Perfect submission. I'm doing the Father's will. Right? And that is what our submission can be if we let it be. Our submission can be simply an act of I wanna do the Lord's will.

41:59 And so I don't have to agree with everything. I don't have to necessarily, you know, and if you look at the husband and wife situation, many wives are smarter than husbands, wiser than husbands, and so and so that's tough. That's tough. I I submit to this guy. You know what I mean?

42:15 And so I get that. I get where that's that's difficult at times. But we have to put those things aside because God said, is this is our order. This is our headship. I want you to follow it, and I want you to do it to be more like my son.

42:28 Forget anything else. Who cares? Who cares about all the other stuff? Be more like my son. Let that mind be in you.

42:35 To me, you know, without getting too crazy on it, but I just felt the Holy Spirit leading that some of those things need to talk, you know, be talked about. Because I really think it's sad that something beautiful is tainted and perverted by him. So young men, we're to be sober minded. And this is where Titus comes into his example. Let's take a look at the verses again in Titus chapter two and let's start in verse six.

43:11 Likewise, exhort the young men to be sober minded. This is the only thing he says. This is this is what he says. He says, you know, and you can almost see Paul going, hey, tell the young men they should be so right. Woah, woah, woah, woah, woah, woah, woah, better the better yet.

43:24 Better yet. Look at verse seven. In all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works. So it went from tell the young men to demonstrate, model to the young men what they're to be, right? So in all things, showing yourself to be a pattern of good works.

43:43 In doctrine, showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility. Some versions took out incorruptibility. But incorruptibility. Not being able to have your teachings corrupted, your doctrine corrupted. Your teaching should have integrity.

44:00 It should be based on the truth and stick to the truth. It should be reverent. It should be reverent and respectful to God. Sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you. So this is where he goes with the young men.

44:18 To talk to young men, first be an example. Be an example and teach them those things through your example. It's another tough one. But I equate it not to bond servants. Unfortunately, some of those things have existed and still in some forms and some places still exist, unfortunately.

45:04 But I relate it as an employee, and I believe that Christians should be the greatest employees ever. We should be the most honest. We should be the hardest working. We should be demonstrating those things through everything we do, that no matter what the job, we do it. Now it doesn't mean you get trampled on.

45:20 I'm not saying you can't take problems to your boss and all those things. That's normal and natural. But to be obedient, right? Mentioned up there, obedient to their masters. To be obedient.

45:30 If this is what my job is and I signed up for it, then do it, right? Boy, got work to do on that. I got progress reports that are overdue. To be well pleasing in all things, not answering back, so not to be disrespectful. Right?

45:45 Not pilfering, stealing, but showing all good fidelity. Fidelity, another word for that is loyalty. Right? Showing loyalty in all things. And this is the part of the verse that I love.

45:57 That they may adorn, adorn. You know what I mean? You're wearing it. You adorn the doctrine of God our savior in all things. Don't you think that applies to every single thing that's been talked about in this chapter so far?

46:13 Right? As far as our conduct in the church, outside of the church, that we wanna adorn, we want to demonstrate the beauty of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the world and and to each other. Verse 15, 11 through 15. And as usual, I'll have to bust through this pretty quickly. I'm gonna read it first.

46:49 Verse 11, For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. There's some really wonderful truths in this section of scriptures. A lot of, you know, when you talk about doctrine, things that we hold onto fast, things that we hold on to securely. For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. That's one important one, isn't it?

47:14 Salvation was presented and appeared to all men. All men have that opportunity. Teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lust, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age. Looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and savior, Jesus Christ. See, there's a reward.

47:40 Right? Just like often there's a reward for our submit... If I stop and, you know, and this has happened before. I remember, when Tammy and I, one time, we were, this is when we were dating and got pulled over by a cop, and I don't think I might have mentioned that one. But got pulled over, and he let us go.

47:59 Yeah, dad's writing this down. Okay, let's see. 1989. Yeah, but we pulled over and he came up and he said, Hey, just want to warn you about blah blah blah, and let us go. You know, sometimes you're rewarded for that submission, right?

48:14 We didn't give him a hard time, we just did... There are rewards for submission, but we definitely have a reward for our our life of submission to Christ in our... In the way we conduct ourselves, and that is the promise the promise of a future with him, a blessed hope that the Lord is coming back. So we see salvation, that being Jesus Christ, appeared to all men. Right?

48:37 So God's grace was manifested through his son, the Lord Jesus. That's the first thing that we hold true. That's one thing we hold true, should say. And appeared to all men. Alright?

48:47 Let me bring the next one out. And then for those who have accepted Christ, We reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey its lust, but that we should live, as we see in verse 12, as we live in verse... Or as we see in verse 12, that we should be denying ungodliness and worldly lust. We should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age.

49:30 So having that salvation has appeared to all men, and we having accepted the salvation that came with Jesus Christ and the gospel, that that's how we are to conduct ourselves, right? And we don't need to let sin. This is a Romans reference, obviously. Sin doesn't have to reign in our lives because we're dead to it. These are verses that are sometimes challenging to understand for, especially for kids and stuff.

49:54 But I have been crucified with Christ. It's no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. That the life which I now live in the flesh, live by faith in the son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. It's one of my favorites, a beautiful verse, and I love how personal it is from Paul there in Galatians. And so we look for that blessed hope and glorious appearing of our god and...

50:21 Great god and savior Jesus Christ. It's another truth, isn't it? That he's coming back. Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for himself his own special people. And what are we purified for?

50:49 Zealous for good works means we seek to do good, not just when it happens randomly, but that we seek to do good. And then we do have that great reward in verse 13 of knowing that we have a hope in heaven with him. So, with that, I'll close. I mean, have more, obviously, I wanna talk about there, but that's okay. We're out of time.

51:12 Alright, Heavenly Father, we thank you so much for your word, and we pray, Lord, that the Holy Spirit would work on us in these things. That we would love one another, that we would, take seriously the roles that we have here within the church to build one another up, to disciple one another, to to teach, to admonish, to exhort. We pray that these things we would do gladly knowing that it is in service to you and that it glorifies you. Lord, we do not want to blaspheme your name, so please help us to conduct ourselves the right way together as a body, and we pray that you'll, bless the time that we have today as we consider these things and apply them in our lives. In your name, amen.