Titus 2:1-3
~19 min read
💭 Consider this: Which younger persons has God placed in your sphere of influence? What spiritual influence have you had on them? And what more can be done?
TRANSCRIPT
I greet all of you in the blessed name of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Our text for today’s message is taken from Titus 2:1-3. Allow me to read for you. “But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things”. The Lord bless the reading of His holy and sacred Word.
If you remember in chapter 1, Titus was left in Crete to set things in order in those churches and he must appoint elders in every city. But first, he must deal with the qualifications of the elders. And then with the help of the elders, he must deal with the false teachers. In chapter 2, Paul told him, Titus, what were the things that he ought to teach the members of the church.
So, Paul turned his attention from the leaders to the members. And he addressed five groups of people within the congregation: verse 2, the aged men; verse 3, the aged women; verse 4, the young women; verse 6, the young men — and finally — verse 9, the servants.
As we study this chapter, we will learn what it means to be a spiritually healthy church and how we ought to function as such a church for the glory of God.
Beginning with verse 1, Paul instructed Titus. “But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine”. The word “[but]” was a contrast between the false teachers in chapter 1 and Titus. Remember, the false teachers were destroying the houses, turning them upside down by their false doctrines. So, they had to be identified, silenced, and rebuked sharply.
In other words, Paul was saying, ‘But you, Titus, as for you, you are different from the false teachers. You must teach sound doctrine’. “[Sound] doctrine” simply means healthy teaching. John Calvin said this: ‘Sound teaching or doctrine is wholesome, it is good; it is that which actually feeds our souls’. False teaching cannot feed our souls. Only the truth of God’s Word can feed our souls.
When we feed our physical bodies with healthy food, it will produce in us a strong and healthy body right? Likewise, when we feed our spiritual bodies, our souls, with healthy teaching, sound doctrine, it will and it must produce something in us. And that is godly living. Healthy teaching must produce healthy spiritual living. This morning, we’ll be focusing on the older men and women. And the title of our message is ‘What Legacy Are You Leaving Behind’?
We often hear people say, ‘We need younger people’. We seldom hear people say, ‘We need older people’. Perhaps they are indirectly saying, ‘Well, it is time for these old people to go’. Maybe because with the increase in age comes along all these sicknesses, loneliness, decreased energy, diminished hearing and vision, more aches and pains, and also a sense of hopelessness. That is why people do not look to these old people. But they look to the younger ones who are more energetic; more passionate; more fiery.
In the last chapter of Ecclesiastes, the Bible says, “Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth, while the evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh, when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them; While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain: In the day when the keepers of the house shall tremble, and the strong men shall bow themselves, and the grinders cease because they are few, and those that look out of the windows be darkened” (Ecclesiastes 12:1–3).
That is a picture of a house to illustrate the human body. Just as the ‘sky will soon turn dark and gloomy’, the human body will soon grow old and frail. The “keepers of the house” are the arms which will “tremble”. The “strong men” are the legs which will be weakened. And then ‘they will bow down’. The “grinders” are the teeth which will start to fall. And there will be very “few”. The “windows” are the eyes which will be “darkened” and cannot see clearly. That is what happens when a person grows old. And it seems to be a sad and grim picture of growing old.
Now, the writer of Ecclesiastes, Solomon, was not trying to discourage those who are growing old. But rather, he was encouraging the young people to remember God — your Creator — when you are still young and healthy, that you may serve and glorify Him in the best of your youth. Dear friend, are you sad and afraid of growing old? Do you feel that you are useless and you are a burden to the people around you? Please do not feel that way and you need not feel that way. Aging can be a great blessing because it is the older people that provide the strength, stability, and wisdom. Especially for the family and the church.
Old age is often associated with such things as maturity, patience, and wisdom just as Job said in Job 12:12. “With the ancient” — which means with old age — “is wisdom; and in length of days [is] understanding”. As the believer grows old, he has seen and experienced more things, gone through many failures and successes in life, made some mistakes here and there, picked himself up, and moved on. He has learned to cherish things that are precious and let go of things that are empty. He has learned to listen more and speak less. And even when he speaks, he weighs his words very carefully.
He has learned that it is pointless to hold on to hatred and grudges. But rather to love. He has learned to be patient with people who make mistakes because he himself has also made mistakes in the past. He has learned that it is truly more blessed to give than to receive. He has studied the Bible and used God’s Word to help him make his decisions and choices. He has walked with the Lord for many years. And he understands the prospect of seeing God face-to-face one day. And that day is coming soon. And so he prepares himself to meet his Creator. That is what it means: ‘with age comes wisdom and understanding’.
Moses was 80 years old when God called him to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt and into the Promised Land. John Wesley — after having travelled almost 250,000 miles on horseback — preached more than 40,000 sermons and produced about 200 books. And at the age of 83, he regretted that he was unable to read and write for more than 15 hours a day without his eyes becoming too tired. After his 86th birthday, he admitted to an increasing tendency to lie in bed until 5:30am in the morning. Many of us who are much younger are still in bed at that hour of the day.
Old age should not stop us from serving God. But rather to be an example and encouragement to the people of God. Godly older believers who bring strength, stability, and wisdom to the church should be honoured. As Proverbs 16:31 says, “The hoary head is a crown of glory, if it be found in the way of righteousness”. In other words, ‘Only if they walk in the way of righteousness’. There is no value in being old if you are not godly. There is absolutely no value in being old if you are not an example.
So here, Paul laid down some characteristics that the older people in the church, the believers, they must manifest in their lives.
I. The Aged Men
Beginning with the “aged men” (Titus 2:2). Who were these “aged men” and at what age would a person be considered an “aged” man? The original Greek word for “aged men” is presbytēs. It means older men. The Apostle Paul used this word in Philemon to refer to himself as an old man (Philemon 1:9). And at that time, he was in the 60s. In some ancient Greek literature, this term was used to refer to people well over 50s. So we can safely say that these people were in their 60s and above.
And these “aged men” were called to be spiritually responsible, to demonstrate godly characters. Firstly, they ought to be “sober”. The word “sober” means free from intoxication, vigilant, able to discern. The general idea is that he is to be a moderate person. He has learned the high cost of self-indulgent living. He has learned the high cost of pursuing all his dreams. When he was young, it was all about accumulation. But as he accumulated, he realised that they were all vanity.
As a young man, he poured his energy into a lot of things. Now, as an old man, he is “sober”. He can look back and see how that energy was wasted on so many things. As a young man, he had many ambitions and wanted to accomplish a thousand things. Now, as an old man, he is “sober”. He can look back and see only a handful of things have eternal value. So, day after day, month after month, and year after year, as an older man, his life is being moderated by those experiences. He has filtered through all those experiences and comes down to what is valuable. He is able to discern his priorities. That is what it means to be “sober”.
When a man is “sober”, moderate, not overindulgent, and with sobriety through years and years of experience, he has the wisdom that can be passed down to the next generation. Just like a father who says to his children, ‘I know you do not understand why but you must trust me. You cannot do this. You cannot be living such a life. It is a life of vanity because I have been there. I have been down that road before’. I once knew an old Elder in a particular church. He loved to give to the people. And he was very fond of giving away his things.
One day, I visited him and I noticed that his house was quite empty. And yet, he was still giving away his things. So I asked him, ‘Why don’t you keep them for yourself’? He said to me, ‘When you grow older, you do not want to be tied down with the things you have accumulated. When you grow older, you want to travel light. You do not want to have many bags you need to carry along with you. And then the day will come when it is time for you to go. You go with nothing’.
That Elder had already been called home to be with the Lord. But I will never forget what he has taught me. He had much wisdom. And it is through his life experiences with God. Older men ought to be “grave”. The word “grave” means dignified or worthy to be respected. It can also mean to be serious. It does not mean that old men are boring and gloomy. What it means is that they are serious about life. Let me quote the words of this old man when he wrote about the experiences of his life, which I find most enriching.
This is what he wrote: ‘I have buried my parents. I have buried my brothers and sisters. I have stood in hospital waiting rooms while those I love died. I waited for the surgeon to come out and explain what happened in the surgery of my beloved wife. I have watched a child rebel. I’ve watched a child born and then turn away from God and everything he believed in. I watched a child die of leukaemia. I’ve watched a child die of cancer. I have seen it all. I have felt it all. I have felt the burdens of my own life, my family, and others whom I love dearly’.
‘I have watched people saying the world is getting better. But it didn’t. I’ve watched people saying they are going to fix everything. But they didn’t. How can I not be serious about life? Things are not as funny as they were when I was young because life is serious. I can still laugh because that is a gift from God. But I see life the way it really is. If I laugh, I laugh at what is laughable, not what is tragic. And if I smile, I smile because there is something to smile about: the sunset, a beautiful day, a wonderful scenery, a precious child, and true blessings from God’.
Indeed, older men ought to be “grave”. They are not to play the fool. Life is not a game of cards. There is to be a seriousness about them that reflects the seriousness of life and the seriousness of the things of God. The older men must behave themselves in such a way that befits their years. When they do that, they will be worthy of respect and be a strength to the family and the church. Next, older men ought to be “temperate”. The word “temperate” means to have self-control, to be sensible, to have discernment. And that comes with age.
They have gone through all those experiences. And they have developed a strength of mind, a depth of experiences, a grip of God’s Truth, and a devotion to what is right. They have learned how to control their passions. In other words, they are able to think soberly; to think soundly. They are able to say no to certain things. Finally, there were three more virtues: “sound in faith, in charity, [and] in patience”. To be “[sound] in charity” — or firstly, to be “sound in faith” — simply means to be healthy in faith. They have a spiritual faith that is biblical and solid.
What does that mean? That means their faith in God is unwavering. The 50, 60, 70, or 80 years of their lives have proven to them that God is to be trusted. They don’t doubt God. They don’t question God. They don’t lose their trust in God’s plan. They don’t lose their confidence in God’s purposes. They don’t blame God just because of disappointments. They don’t doubt the Word of God. They don’t question the power of the Holy Spirit. They don’t question whether the Gospel can save or not. They know God. And they believe in Him. And their faith is sound.
They have lived through all those years and through all those struggles and difficulties of life. God has been there. And He has proven Himself, that He is true; that He can be trusted. Now, as an older person, he says, ‘I believe God’. ‘I believe God, not because my friends believe Him. I believe God, not because my children believe Him. But I believe Him’.
I love to hear the prayers of old Christians who have faithfully walked with the Lord for many, many years. Even simply with them saying these few words: “Our Father who is in Heaven”. Somehow, those words would touch my heart and I know that they really know God. They are “sound in faith” because of a life of believing in Him. And a life of believing in Him has taught them to trust Him.
The old man also must be “[sound] in charity”. To be “[sound] in charity is to be healthy in love. He ‘loves God’ (Matthew 22:37-38). And he ‘loves his neighbour as himself’ (Matthew 22:39-40). He loves to ‘bear the burdens of others, thus fulfilling the law of Christ’ as in Galatians 6:2. He is not a bitter man. One of the saddest things about aging is when you grow to be bitter.
The older man has learned through the years what to love and what not to love. He has learned to love when love is not returned. He has learned to love when love is rejected; when love is not deserved. He has learned to forgive and let go. He has learned to love to serve. Part of growing old is that we do not love everything by our feelings. We do not just love out of emotions. We love out of principle and what we have been taught through the Word of God. And we love what is right. That is to be “[sound] in charity”.
The older man must also be “[sound] in patience”, in perseverance, and in endurance. He has been through enough trials. He has suffered enough. And he knows that he has to be an example of the believers “in patience”. He has seen and experienced all those difficult times so often that he is disciplined. And he never loses heart in spite of disappointment, physical weakness, or loneliness. His body may be weak but his spirit is strong. And he is able to endure to the very end. And this is what makes his testimony shine for the Lord Jesus Christ. He is a man of discipline.
Many years back, we had a church camp at the Grand Pan and I had the opportunity to climb up to the pinnacle of the Grans. I was walking with a man in his early 70s, most certainly, he would be an “aged” man. As we were walking, he shared with me this story of an old man and a young man: ‘One day, an old man and a young man decided to climb up to the top of the mountain. The young man started off very well; very energetic. The old man caught up with him. And they progressed along the way. And finally, both of them reached the top of the mountain. But, the young man was panting terribly, almost out of breath, while the old man was very calm and he breathed steadily’.
’The young man was surprised and asked, ‘What is your secret? We finished the race. But we respond very differently’. The old man calmly replied, ‘The difference is that I have been doing this every day of my life’’. In other words — if you translate into the spiritual application — ‘I have been living such a life. I have been doing all these things every day of my life. This is how I live my life’. Dear friend, how have you lived your life? Are you an example of the believers? When you have lived your life every day walking in the way of righteousness, you will be “sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, [sound] in charity, [and sound] in patience” (Titus 2:2).
I. The Aged Women
Next, Paul moves on to the “aged women”. Look at verse 3, “The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things”. “[Aged] women” are to be a godly resource to the church. And here, Paul listed several qualities that should characterise these women.
THE BOOK OF TITUSGod’s Prophecy and Promise Had Come To PassGod’s Prophecy and Promise Had Come To PassExodus 1:1-7
From Prosperity to PersecutionFrom Prosperity to PersecutionExodus 1:8-14
God’s Protection in the Midst of AdversitiesGod’s Protection in the Midst of AdversitiesExodus 1:15-21
The Faith of JochebedThe Faith of JochebedExodus 1:22-2:10
The Faith Of A Beloved MotherThe Faith Of A Beloved MotherExodus 1:22-2:10; Hebrews 11:23
Moses in EgyptMoses in EgyptExodus 2:11-15
Moses in the Desert of MidianMoses in the Desert of MidianExodus 2:16-25
Moses and the Burning BushMoses and the Burning BushExodus 3:1-9
Who Are You?Who Are You?Exodus 3:10-15
Who Am I?Who Am I?Exodus 3:10-15
God’s Message to Israel and EgyptGod’s Message to Israel and EgyptExodus 3:16-22
What If They Still Don’t Believe?What If They Still Don’t Believe?Exodus 4:1-9
Send Someone ElseSend Someone ElseExodus 4:10-17
Moses’ Return to EgyptMoses’ Return to EgyptExodus 4:18-20
When Things Seemed to Get Better, They Got WorseWhen Things Seemed to Get Better, They Got WorseExodus 5:10-21
When We Have Done Everything Right, and Yet Trouble ComesWhen We Have Done Everything Right, and Yet Trouble ComesExodus 5:22-6:5
Having to Learn the Same Lesson TwiceHaving to Learn the Same Lesson TwiceExodus 6:6-12
Faithful or UnfaithfulFaithful or UnfaithfulExodus 6:13-27
What God Wants Is Our Faithfulness and ObedienceWhat God Wants Is Our Faithfulness and ObedienceExodus 6:28-7:7
The First Plague - The River of BloodThe First Plague - The River of BloodExodus 7:14-25
The Second Plague - The FrogsThe Second Plague - The FrogsExodus 8:1-15
The Third PlagueThe Third PlagueExodus 8:16-19
The Fourth PlagueThe Fourth PlagueExodus 8:20-32
The Fifth PlagueThe Fifth PlagueExodus 9:1-7
The Sixth PlagueThe Sixth PlagueExodus 9:8-12
The Seventh PlagueThe Seventh PlagueExodus 9:13-35
The Eighth PlagueThe Eighth PlagueExodus 10:1-20
The Tenth PlagueThe Tenth PlagueExodus 11:1-10
The First PassoverThe First PassoverExodus 12:1-13
The Feast of the Unleavened BreadThe Feast of the Unleavened BreadExodus 12:14-28
Departure From EgyptDeparture From EgyptExodus 12:29-42
This Do In Remembrance of MeThis Do In Remembrance of MeExodus 12:43-51; 1 Corinthians 11:23-32
Message 2: What is Church to you? My Covenantal Family!Message 2: What is Church to you? My Covenantal Family!Exodus 12:48-49, Colossians 2:11-12
Redemption and ConsecrationRedemption and ConsecrationExodus 13:1-2, 11-16
Precious Lord, Take My HandPrecious Lord, Take My HandExodus 13:17-22
Between the Desert and the Red SeaBetween the Desert and the Red SeaExodus 14:1-14
Crossing the Red SeaCrossing the Red SeaExodus 14:15-31
The Song of PraiseThe Song of PraiseExodus 15:1-21
Will You Obey Or Not?Will You Obey Or Not?Exodus 15:22-27
The Danger of a Complaining SpiritThe Danger of a Complaining SpiritExodus 16:1-3
God’s Response to Israel’s ComplaintsGod’s Response to Israel’s ComplaintsExodus 16:1-10
The Test of FaithThe Test of FaithExodus 16:11-20
Lessons About the SabbathLessons About the SabbathExodus 16:21-36
Do Not Test GodDo Not Test GodExodus 17:1-17
Lift Up Your HandsLift Up Your HandsExodus 17:8-16
The Blessedness of ReunionThe Blessedness of ReunionExodus 18:1-12
Why Do We Have Leaders?Why Do We Have Leaders?Exodus 18:13-27
I Will Carry You On Eagles’ WingsI Will Carry You On Eagles’ WingsExodus 19:1-6
Approach God Fearlessly or FearfullyApproach God Fearlessly or FearfullyExodus 19:7-15
God Reached Out And SpokeGod Reached Out And SpokeExodus 19:16-25
Thou Shalt Have No Other GodsThou Shalt Have No Other GodsExodus 20:1-3
Thou Shalt Not Make Graven ImagesThou Shalt Not Make Graven ImagesExodus 20:4-6
Thou Shalt Not Dishonour God’s NameThou Shalt Not Dishonour God’s NameExodus 20:7
Thou Shalt Keep The Sabbath DayThou Shalt Keep The Sabbath DayExodus 20:8-11
Honour Thy Father And Thy MotherHonour Thy Father And Thy MotherExodus 20:12
Thou Shalt Not KillThou Shalt Not KillExodus 20:13
Thou Shalt Not Commit AdulteryThou Shalt Not Commit AdulteryExodus 20:14
Thou Shalt Not StealThou Shalt Not StealExodus 20:15
Thou Shalt Not LieThou Shalt Not LieExodus 20:16
Thou Shalt Not CovetThou Shalt Not CovetExodus 20:17
The Response To The Ten CommandmentsThe Response To The Ten CommandmentsExodus 20:18-21
How God Wants Us To Worship HimHow God Wants Us To Worship HimExodus 20:22-26
Why Would God Allow Slavery?Why Would God Allow Slavery?Exodus 21:1-11
The Punishment Fits The Crime — a life for a lifeThe Punishment Fits The Crime — a life for a lifeExodus 21:12-17
The Punishment Fits The Crime — an eye for an eyeThe Punishment Fits The Crime — an eye for an eyeExodus 21:18-36
The Punishment Deters The Crime — property lawsThe Punishment Deters The Crime — property lawsExodus 22:1-15
The Character Of GodThe Character Of GodExodus 22:16-20
Reaching Out To The Down-And-OutReaching Out To The Down-And-OutExodus 22:21-24
The Compassion, Authority & Holiness Of GodThe Compassion, Authority & Holiness Of GodExodus 22:25-31
Truth Cannot Be Subjected To Anything But TruthTruth Cannot Be Subjected To Anything But TruthExodus 23:1-9
Remember Who God IsRemember Who God IsExodus 23:10-19
What Must We Do To Have VictoryWhat Must We Do To Have VictoryExodus 23:20-33
How We Ought To Worship GodHow We Ought To Worship GodExodus 24:1-4, 7
On What Basis Can We Approach His Majesty?On What Basis Can We Approach His Majesty?Exodus 24:4-8
Responding To God’s InvitationResponding To God’s InvitationExodus 24:9-18
The Right Attitude Of GivingThe Right Attitude Of GivingExodus 25:1-8
There I Will Meet YouThere I Will Meet YouExodus 25:9-22
Physical Or Spiritual Bread, Which Is More Important?Physical Or Spiritual Bread, Which Is More Important?Exodus 25:23-30
Let Your Light So Shine Before MenLet Your Light So Shine Before MenExodus 25:31-40
The Veil That SeparatesThe Veil That SeparatesExodus 26:1-37
A Day In Thy Court Is Better Than A ThousandA Day In Thy Court Is Better Than A ThousandExodus 27:1-19
Who Can Represent Us Before God?Who Can Represent Us Before God?Exodus 27:20-28:14
How Can We Know God’s Will?How Can We Know God’s Will?Exodus 28:15-30
Is Our Worship Attire Really Important?Is Our Worship Attire Really Important?Exodus 28:31-43
The Ordination Of PriestsThe Ordination Of PriestsExodus 29:1-21
The Provision For PriestsThe Provision For PriestsExodus 29:22-29
Remind Us For We Always ForgetRemind Us For We Always ForgetExodus 29:36-46
Sweet Hour Of PrayerSweet Hour Of PrayerExodus 30:1-10
The Danger Of The Number GameThe Danger Of The Number GameExodus 30:11-16
The Importance Of SanctificationThe Importance Of SanctificationExodus 30:17-21
The Anointing Of OilThe Anointing Of OilExodus 30:22-38
No Such Thing As An Unimportant Calling Or GiftNo Such Thing As An Unimportant Calling Or GiftExodus 31:1-11
The Most Ignored CommandmentThe Most Ignored CommandmentExodus 31:12-18
We Forget So QuicklyWe Forget So QuicklyExodus 32:1-6
Guilty As ChargedGuilty As ChargedExodus 32:7-14
Who Is To Be Blamed?Who Is To Be Blamed?Exodus 32:15-24
Who Is On The Lord’s Side?Who Is On The Lord’s Side?Exodus 32:25-29
I Will Die For You If I CanI Will Die For You If I CanExodus 32:30-35
I Will Not Go With YouI Will Not Go With YouExodus 33:1-11
If Thy Presence Go Not With Me, Carry Us Not Up HenceIf Thy Presence Go Not With Me, Carry Us Not Up HenceExodus 33:12-23
If Thy Presence Go Not with Me, Carry Us Not Up HenceIf Thy Presence Go Not with Me, Carry Us Not Up HenceExodus 33:12-23
I Will Show You Who I AmI Will Show You Who I AmExodus 34:1-7
What It Means To Be In A Covenant Relationship With GodWhat It Means To Be In A Covenant Relationship With GodExodus 34:8-17
Worship The Right God In The Right WayWorship The Right God In The Right WayExodus 34:18-27
The Glory That Fadeth Not AwayThe Glory That Fadeth Not AwayExodus 34:28-35
The Importance Of Keeping The Christian SabbathThe Importance Of Keeping The Christian SabbathExodus 35:1-3
Offering To God Our BestOffering To God Our BestExodus 35:4-29
