1
00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:07,360
When you study the New Testament, you see very clearly and you hear the Lord talk about his

2
00:00:08,080 --> 00:00:17,920
church with a series of beautiful descriptive metaphors. Sometimes he refers to us as the temple

3
00:00:17,920 --> 00:00:27,120
of God, made up of living stones. That's us. With Jesus as the foundation, Jesus as the cornerstone,

4
00:00:27,120 --> 00:00:34,160
and the Holy Spirit indwelling it. It's a beautiful picture. At other times, he calls us the household

5
00:00:34,160 --> 00:00:40,320
of God, which is a beautiful picture of a house that's filled with redeemed sons and daughters.

6
00:00:41,760 --> 00:00:45,920
And then there are the two most common and beloved metaphors. The church is the

7
00:00:45,920 --> 00:00:53,280
body of Christ, with each believer functioning as an individual part of that body, but

8
00:00:53,280 --> 00:00:58,720
the truth that we're also members of one another, such that we are one in him.

9
00:00:59,680 --> 00:01:04,480
And then finally, the church is the bride of Christ, the bride whom he loves. In fact,

10
00:01:04,480 --> 00:01:13,680
we're told in Ephesians 5 that this is how much Jesus loves his bride. He gave himself up for her

11
00:01:14,560 --> 00:01:20,320
so that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,

12
00:01:20,320 --> 00:01:26,480
that he might present to himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle

13
00:01:26,480 --> 00:01:34,560
or any such thing, but that she would be holy and blameless. So God, the Son, emptied himself,

14
00:01:34,560 --> 00:01:40,960
took on the form of a humble servant, and being found in the likeness of men, he gave himself up

15
00:01:41,920 --> 00:01:46,880
for us, for his beautiful bride, suffering and dying on that cross. Yes, first of all,

16
00:01:46,880 --> 00:01:52,880
to save us from our sins, but more to sanctify us. We sometimes forget about this. We get the

17
00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:59,840
salvation part, but to sanctify us, to set us apart among all of humankind for divine cleansing,

18
00:02:00,640 --> 00:02:07,360
washing us by the power of his word. And for what reason? Ultimately, that one day we might be

19
00:02:07,360 --> 00:02:15,680
presented to him as a perfectly chaste and holy bride. No more stains. Amen. No more stains.

20
00:02:15,680 --> 00:02:21,840
No more spots. No more wrinkles. A bride that is perfectly fit for a perfectly holy bridegroom.

21
00:02:23,680 --> 00:02:28,320
And as we wait for that day here in this local church at Oak Hill, we're supposed to be doing

22
00:02:28,320 --> 00:02:34,320
our part as a piece of that bride. And that's where we're headed over the next few weeks in

23
00:02:34,320 --> 00:02:40,160
our study in the book of Titus, to answer this question, how can we here at Oak Hill develop

24
00:02:40,160 --> 00:02:47,680
into a healthy body and a beautiful bride, one that displays the splendor of Christ to a watching

25
00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:53,760
world? Isn't that a great goal? Let me say it again, that we would become a healthy body and

26
00:02:53,760 --> 00:03:00,800
a beautiful bride that displays the splendor of Christ to a watching world. Grab your Bibles,

27
00:03:01,760 --> 00:03:06,960
and let's go to Titus chapter two now. Oh, you're already there, aren't you?

28
00:03:06,960 --> 00:03:14,160
You guys are good. Okay, so far, Paul has been exhorting Titus to make sure the churches in

29
00:03:14,160 --> 00:03:20,640
Crete are moving in a healthy spiritual direction. First, by doing what? Establishing qualified

30
00:03:20,640 --> 00:03:27,600
elders in each local body, men who are both faithful to the apostolic teaching and able

31
00:03:27,600 --> 00:03:33,360
to refute error. That was step one. Step two was silencing the men who had slipped into the church

32
00:03:33,360 --> 00:03:39,280
in Crete and promoted all kinds of false teaching and man-made traditions. We saw all of that in

33
00:03:39,280 --> 00:03:44,640
chapter one. So if we now go back to our outline, we see again these three, the chapters line up

34
00:03:44,640 --> 00:03:50,240
really nicely, godly leadership in the church, that's the theme of chapter one, godly saints at

35
00:03:50,240 --> 00:03:56,960
home in chapter two, and eventually we'll get to godly citizens in society. And even as we look at

36
00:03:56,960 --> 00:04:02,240
these roles that God has for us in the home, both male and female, I want you to keep in mind,

37
00:04:02,240 --> 00:04:07,440
throughout chapter two, Paul still has in the back of his mind as an overarching goal,

38
00:04:07,440 --> 00:04:13,440
how to build churches that are spiritually healthy, because spiritually healthy churches are made up

39
00:04:13,440 --> 00:04:22,080
of spiritually healthy sheep. Does that make sense? Are you with me? Are you out there? Good. So

40
00:04:22,080 --> 00:04:27,120
Paul wants to promote sanctification in every aspect of life in Crete and then have an impact

41
00:04:27,120 --> 00:04:33,920
by strengthening and making us more effective as a bride. Strong leaders, sound doctrine, biblical

42
00:04:33,920 --> 00:04:40,000
marriages, and good citizens, all of those things adorn the gospel and they become a testimony to

43
00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:44,880
the lost world. So beginning here in chapter two, verse one, Paul's going to give Titus some very

44
00:04:44,880 --> 00:04:52,000
specific instructions about how to build churches that are spiritually healthy, and how to build

45
00:04:52,000 --> 00:04:57,840
churches that are spiritually healthy, and how we should exhort men and women in the congregation.

46
00:04:58,560 --> 00:05:03,760
And actually, before we get to chapter two, turn back to chapter one, and let's make sure we're

47
00:05:03,760 --> 00:05:08,640
reading in the context of the letter. And by the way, just as a general rule, when you open up the

48
00:05:08,640 --> 00:05:13,200
Bible and you're like, I'm going to read a chapter today, and the first word is but,

49
00:05:14,720 --> 00:05:19,920
you should stop and go back and figure out what that but's all about, because it's referring to

50
00:05:19,920 --> 00:05:25,840
chapter one, verse 16, and we'll sort of get the flow of it. It says, they, that is the false teachers

51
00:05:25,840 --> 00:05:33,360
who need to be silenced, they profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny him. Being detestable

52
00:05:33,360 --> 00:05:39,920
and disobedient and worthless or unfit for any good deed. And we sort of defined those things last week.

53
00:05:40,800 --> 00:05:46,320
Now, on to chapter two, verse one, but as for you, and there's the reason for the but, right?

54
00:05:46,320 --> 00:05:52,880
Paul is drawing a contrast now between what the false teachers have done in Crete and what Titus

55
00:05:52,880 --> 00:05:59,200
now needs to do in these churches. But as for you, Titus, here's what I want you to do. Speak the

56
00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:07,760
things which are fitting for sound doctrine. Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible,

57
00:06:08,400 --> 00:06:15,520
sound in faith, in love, in perseverance. Older women, likewise, are to be reverent in their

58
00:06:15,520 --> 00:06:22,480
behavior, not malicious gossips, nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good so that they may

59
00:06:22,480 --> 00:06:29,520
encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure,

60
00:06:29,520 --> 00:06:36,400
workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands so that the word of God will not be

61
00:06:36,400 --> 00:06:42,400
dishonored. Likewise, urge the young men to be sensible. In all things, show yourself to be an

62
00:06:42,400 --> 00:06:48,800
example of good deeds with purity and doctrine, dignified, sound in speech, which is beyond

63
00:06:48,800 --> 00:06:55,280
reproach so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us.

64
00:06:56,480 --> 00:07:01,120
So you see where this is going. All these categories of people, but it's all heading up

65
00:07:01,120 --> 00:07:07,440
or heading towards this comment at the end, having nothing bad to say about us, a testimony

66
00:07:07,440 --> 00:07:12,720
to the lost world. So we'll stop there. Eight verses, again, that show us God's expectations

67
00:07:12,720 --> 00:07:19,200
for these four major categories of people in the church. In fact, the layout that Paul uses here

68
00:07:19,200 --> 00:07:24,400
is something that we call a semantic chiasm, which looks a little bit like this. You see, first of

69
00:07:24,400 --> 00:07:29,680
all, he's going to talk about older men and then older women, and then come back to younger women

70
00:07:29,680 --> 00:07:35,760
and end with younger men. That's a simple chiasm. And we're going to take one Sunday for each one

71
00:07:35,760 --> 00:07:41,760
of those categories. Now you may say, that's a lot of Sundays for just four groups of people,

72
00:07:41,760 --> 00:07:48,960
but this is how important each of those groups of people are to a fully functioning, healthy church.

73
00:07:49,600 --> 00:07:54,640
What does that mean for this morning? It means old guys, you're up first. Old men are up to bat.

74
00:07:54,640 --> 00:08:01,440
Tom, I see Tom over there. He's nice. Now, as we walk through the expectations of these four groups

75
00:08:01,440 --> 00:08:08,080
over these four Sundays, we have to remember that we're all called to grow in grace and understanding,

76
00:08:08,080 --> 00:08:13,760
all of us. And not just for ourselves, but for the benefit and well-being of all the others

77
00:08:13,760 --> 00:08:19,040
in the body of Christ. So my life should build you up and your life should build me up, and together,

78
00:08:19,040 --> 00:08:24,960
we encourage each other unto love and good deeds. We have to get that unity picture. And then together,

79
00:08:24,960 --> 00:08:30,880
the scripture of Peter tells us that's how the Spirit works in us to build us up as living stones

80
00:08:30,880 --> 00:08:36,800
into this beautiful spiritual house that reflects the glory and splendor of our bridegroom.

81
00:08:37,360 --> 00:08:42,160
So we don't just live and grow for our own sake, but in my opinion, that's one of the great heirs

82
00:08:42,160 --> 00:08:47,280
that evangelicalism has made over the last 40 years. We decided, I don't know who decided it or

83
00:08:47,280 --> 00:08:52,480
when, but this trend happened where we talked about this individualistic walk with Jesus. It's

84
00:08:52,480 --> 00:08:58,400
about me and God, me and God, me and God. And there is some truth to that, but the New Testament

85
00:08:58,400 --> 00:09:03,840
tells us that our growth is to be a benefit and an encouragement to every other member in the

86
00:09:03,840 --> 00:09:09,440
congregation. That unity piece is so important. So here in chapter two, Paul's saying to Titus,

87
00:09:09,440 --> 00:09:15,760
all right Titus, God's truth needs to be brought to bear on every category of people in the Cretan

88
00:09:15,760 --> 00:09:20,640
churches so that all of these local bodies, which have been struggling because of false teaching,

89
00:09:20,640 --> 00:09:27,200
so that they can all be strengthened and built up in the faith. Got it? Now, two important things

90
00:09:27,200 --> 00:09:33,040
before we talk about older men. We'll get there. First of all, there is something of a practical

91
00:09:33,040 --> 00:09:38,960
tension when we talk about this idea of categories of people in the church. Think about this for a

92
00:09:38,960 --> 00:09:44,560
second. On the one hand, we should acknowledge that there are legitimate distinctions between

93
00:09:44,560 --> 00:09:50,000
older folks and younger folks, and there are legitimate distinctions between men and women

94
00:09:50,000 --> 00:09:55,680
in the body, right? And there are various nuances in the way we address members of each of those

95
00:09:55,680 --> 00:10:01,600
groups, the way that we minister to them. And yet it's so important that we acknowledge this truth

96
00:10:01,600 --> 00:10:08,400
that it's important that men affirm the value and ministry of women, and that women affirm the value

97
00:10:08,400 --> 00:10:13,040
and ministry of men, and that the older folks should appreciate what the younger members bring

98
00:10:13,040 --> 00:10:18,960
to the body, and the younger folks have to value the older saints and what they contribute to the

99
00:10:18,960 --> 00:10:24,160
church. So those distinctions are present in any local church, but here's the other part of the

100
00:10:24,160 --> 00:10:29,520
tension. In spite of our differences, the local church should always strive to function in an

101
00:10:29,520 --> 00:10:35,920
intergenerational way, in an intergenerational way, meaning with the exception of, you know,

102
00:10:35,920 --> 00:10:40,880
specific ministries, we have men's ministry and women's ministries, with the exception of that,

103
00:10:40,880 --> 00:10:46,960
all four of these categories of members should be interacting and mixing in every possible scenario

104
00:10:46,960 --> 00:10:53,760
that you possibly can. When a church isolates individual groups too often, and I've seen this

105
00:10:53,760 --> 00:10:58,400
happens a lot in bigger churches where you've got, you got a ministry for everything, for left-handed,

106
00:10:59,200 --> 00:11:06,080
you know, graduates of community college with blue eyes, you know, and so we segment ourselves,

107
00:11:06,080 --> 00:11:12,320
I just literally made that up off the top of my head, we segment ourselves so much, and we isolate

108
00:11:12,320 --> 00:11:17,520
ourselves so much, and it stunts the overall growth of the body because we need each other.

109
00:11:18,240 --> 00:11:23,280
So let's remember that the church is a family, and in any family there's going to be ages and

110
00:11:23,280 --> 00:11:27,920
genders, and we have to be together. We have to figure out how to know people who are different

111
00:11:27,920 --> 00:11:33,360
than us and love people who are different from us. That's, that's God's design. It's God's design

112
00:11:33,360 --> 00:11:39,120
that we not only live life together, but catch this now, learn from each other. Wait, are you

113
00:11:39,120 --> 00:11:44,800
saying younger people can learn from older? Older can learn from younger? Wait, men and women? Really?

114
00:11:45,360 --> 00:11:50,320
Yeah, that's what I'm saying. To know each other, to serve each other, to love each other, and to learn

115
00:11:50,320 --> 00:11:53,760
from each other. This is one of the reasons why I cringe every time I hear about a church,

116
00:11:54,240 --> 00:11:57,840
and maybe you've heard about this, it has, they have multiple services, and one is called the

117
00:11:57,840 --> 00:12:03,840
traditional service, right? And who shows up at the traditional service? You know, all the old

118
00:12:03,840 --> 00:12:10,800
fogies, and they shake their fist at the sky, this is our traditional service, and then they have a,

119
00:12:10,800 --> 00:12:16,400
what, contemporary service, and that's where all the young people show up, and usually what's the

120
00:12:16,400 --> 00:12:22,800
distinction between the two? Yeah, music. Music and worship. Are we going to sing hymns or not?

121
00:12:22,800 --> 00:12:31,040
Are we going to have drums or not? And it's petty. It's petty, and it's harmful to the unity of the

122
00:12:31,040 --> 00:12:36,800
body. When it comes to preferences like music, we need to embrace our differences. Again, learn from

123
00:12:36,800 --> 00:12:43,200
each other in light of the Philippians 2 model, which is, guys, such an important principle. Man,

124
00:12:43,200 --> 00:12:48,960
tape this on your mirror at home. If you really want to love the church, know this passage. Be of

125
00:12:48,960 --> 00:12:56,800
the same mind, Paul says, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on your own purpose,

126
00:12:56,800 --> 00:13:04,560
whatever it is. No, intent on one purpose, one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty

127
00:13:04,560 --> 00:13:11,440
conceit, but with humility of mind, regard one another as more important than yourselves.

128
00:13:11,440 --> 00:13:18,160
Imagine a church where everybody is doing that. How amazing that would be. Do not merely look out

129
00:13:18,160 --> 00:13:23,600
for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others. So that's one thing. The other

130
00:13:23,600 --> 00:13:28,160
thing I want to talk about before we dive in is that everybody in this body now, I've laid out a

131
00:13:28,160 --> 00:13:32,880
preaching schedule for these four groups, right? You're all going to be tempted to look ahead and

132
00:13:32,880 --> 00:13:39,440
say, oh, that's my Sunday, and I don't need the other Sundays because it's not addressing me.

133
00:13:39,440 --> 00:13:44,000
You're going to be tempted to do that, right? After all, why should the 30-year-old woman

134
00:13:44,000 --> 00:13:50,960
care about what God says to older men, right? Well, you need to care. You need to care because,

135
00:13:50,960 --> 00:13:55,920
again, we're a family and our lives are intertwined. The spiritual growth of an older saint

136
00:13:55,920 --> 00:14:01,680
affects the younger saint and vice versa. And God's calling upon women affects the men

137
00:14:01,680 --> 00:14:08,480
and vice versa. So guys, get to know each other and strive to understand the unique challenges

138
00:14:08,480 --> 00:14:14,480
and temptations that other types of people in the body face. I cannot stress this enough.

139
00:14:15,040 --> 00:14:19,520
We get so locked into us, and again, me and God, well, this is what I'm dealing with. Have you

140
00:14:19,520 --> 00:14:24,320
thought about somebody who's different than you? Older, younger, male or female, what are they

141
00:14:24,320 --> 00:14:30,800
faced with? What challenges, what temptations? So that you can minister to them and encourage

142
00:14:30,800 --> 00:14:37,120
them and live life with them in a way that builds them up. Oh, and by the way, as we address the

143
00:14:37,120 --> 00:14:44,640
older saints this morning, younger folks, your day is coming. You will be there, trust me,

144
00:14:44,640 --> 00:14:51,360
and it will be faster than you can imagine. I was barely into my 40s when God put it on my heart to

145
00:14:51,360 --> 00:14:58,160
plant Oak Hill Bible Church and snap, I woke up in my 60s. And I don't know how it happened. So it

146
00:14:58,160 --> 00:15:03,920
will happen to you as well. As the great theologian Mick Jagger once said, time waits for no one.

147
00:15:03,920 --> 00:15:12,240
Time waits for no one. By the way, that's 1974 for you young whippersnappers.

148
00:15:15,440 --> 00:15:21,840
You guys know who Mick Jagger is? I just, it just dawned on me. Not that you need to, but ask me

149
00:15:21,840 --> 00:15:29,120
later. Okay. All right. Let's look back at verse one again. Verse one. Remember, Paul is writing

150
00:15:29,120 --> 00:15:34,320
here with this backdrop of the false teachers in Crete, right? Who are what? Rebellious, he said,

151
00:15:34,320 --> 00:15:40,000
empty talkers, deceivers who are out there promoting all kinds of myths and manmade traditions.

152
00:15:40,000 --> 00:15:45,200
But as for you Titus, he says, speak to things which are fitting, or maybe your translation says,

153
00:15:45,760 --> 00:15:52,560
which are consistent with sound doctrine. And back to our key question, how does the church

154
00:15:52,560 --> 00:15:57,280
develop into the kind of healthy body and beautiful bride that points people to Christ?

155
00:15:57,280 --> 00:16:02,320
Well, it's through the sanctification of God's people. This is how this happens. You know,

156
00:16:02,320 --> 00:16:08,320
guys know sanctification, the spiritual maturity, the spiritual growth of the people in the churches.

157
00:16:08,320 --> 00:16:13,760
So members growing, members loving, members serving, members practically living out what

158
00:16:13,760 --> 00:16:19,600
they profess to be true about their salvation. So that's how we're going to adorn the gospel.

159
00:16:19,600 --> 00:16:24,240
That's how we're going to build a beautiful bride and a healthy body. But before we get to the people,

160
00:16:24,240 --> 00:16:29,680
you've got to see this truth in verse one. What is the foundation of sanctification?

161
00:16:30,160 --> 00:16:36,320
The things which are consistent with sound doctrine. See, the temptation in Titus two is to jump into

162
00:16:36,320 --> 00:16:42,720
these categories of people and miss this statement. This is what powers and this is what promotes

163
00:16:42,720 --> 00:16:50,480
sanctified living, sound doctrine. Let me say it again. Sound doctrine is what powers and promotes

164
00:16:50,480 --> 00:16:55,920
sanctified living. Remember Paul wrote to Timothy, 2 Timothy 3. He said, it's the God-breathed

165
00:16:55,920 --> 00:17:02,720
scriptures which reprove us, correct us, and train us in righteousness so that we're equipped for every

166
00:17:02,720 --> 00:17:08,640
good work. That is sanctification. And it's in the scriptures that we discover which doctrines are

167
00:17:08,640 --> 00:17:14,240
sound and which ones are unsound. So if you don't start here with sound doctrine, you're not going

168
00:17:14,240 --> 00:17:19,600
to get to your goal. Now the word sound is found everywhere in the pastoral epistles. Paul

169
00:17:19,600 --> 00:17:25,120
loves to use this word as a descriptor. In fact, 10 times in his letters to Timothy and Titus,

170
00:17:25,120 --> 00:17:31,360
he talks about things that are sound. And he says sound doctrine, sound teaching, sound words,

171
00:17:31,360 --> 00:17:36,960
sound faith, and sound speech. And I mentioned this just recently in our study of elders,

172
00:17:36,960 --> 00:17:42,000
the Greek word for sound here is the same one that was used in chapter one, hugiaeino,

173
00:17:42,000 --> 00:17:50,080
and it's where we get our word hygiene from. Hygiene. Which tells you that wherever you see

174
00:17:50,080 --> 00:17:56,720
this word sound in scripture, it's a reference to something that is healthy. So you could say sound,

175
00:17:56,720 --> 00:18:02,160
but it also means just healthy. It's rooted in good hygiene. If there's anything clear from the

176
00:18:02,160 --> 00:18:07,520
pastoral epistles, it's that the Lord is concerned about His church being healthy, both in its

177
00:18:07,520 --> 00:18:14,800
doctrines and also in its practical application. Both of those things, right? And the teaching of

178
00:18:14,800 --> 00:18:20,160
sound doctrine, when it's received by the people, when it's believed by the people, and then it's

179
00:18:20,160 --> 00:18:27,760
applied by the people, that produces sound living. Healthy doctrine, healthy living. And it's not an

180
00:18:27,760 --> 00:18:32,960
either or proposition. You can't just, as a church, say, well, we're going to talk just about sound

181
00:18:32,960 --> 00:18:38,880
doctrine. Whereas a church, we're just going to talk about healthy living. It can't be either or,

182
00:18:38,880 --> 00:18:43,840
it's got to be both. And I've heard of churches that make this mistake. Maybe you know a church

183
00:18:43,840 --> 00:18:48,000
like this, where they lean too strongly on one or the other. There's a lot of churches out there

184
00:18:48,000 --> 00:18:53,440
that you would say, man, they are so strong on teaching and doctrine, but then they miss the

185
00:18:53,440 --> 00:18:58,960
application side of it, right? And you can't just fill people's heads with theology and expect them

186
00:18:58,960 --> 00:19:04,080
to live healthy, right? The Christian life is not just about, hey, can I go to church today and

187
00:19:04,080 --> 00:19:10,880
accumulate some more facts and information about the Bible? That is not sufficient. And then there's

188
00:19:10,880 --> 00:19:14,800
churches that are out there saying, okay, we're going to focus really heavily on practical

189
00:19:14,800 --> 00:19:21,200
application, so go live out the Bible. But then they fail to exposit the deep truths of doctrines

190
00:19:21,200 --> 00:19:26,880
that serve as the foundation for that kind of living. So we can't err on those things. Both

191
00:19:26,880 --> 00:19:32,960
doctrine and practical application are required for healthy congregations and healthy churches.

192
00:19:32,960 --> 00:19:39,280
And elders, okay, elders are still in view here. Elders have to make sure that both of those things

193
00:19:39,280 --> 00:19:45,840
are happening. We need to feed the flock by, Paul says, speaking of these things. Now that word

194
00:19:45,840 --> 00:19:51,200
speak is interesting. You see that in your text in verse one? Speak. In the original Greek, it's

195
00:19:51,200 --> 00:19:58,560
laleo. Put it on the screen here, which by the way is not the typical word for teaching or for preaching.

196
00:19:58,560 --> 00:20:05,040
So what Paul's talking about here is more than just, you know, formal teaching from a pulpit

197
00:20:05,040 --> 00:20:10,720
or from a music stand. He is talking about everyday conversations. He's talking about ordinary

198
00:20:10,720 --> 00:20:16,960
language. So he says to Titus, in all your interactions throughout the day and in every

199
00:20:16,960 --> 00:20:22,560
aspect of church life, proclaim and talk about sound doctrine that's going to line up with

200
00:20:22,560 --> 00:20:28,880
apostolic teaching. By the way, it's also important to notice that laleo here is in the present tense,

201
00:20:28,880 --> 00:20:35,600
which means that he's telling Titus, make sure the elders are continually doing this. That's what

202
00:20:35,600 --> 00:20:42,480
present tense does. Keep on doing these things. Keep talking, keep proclaiming. In every aspect

203
00:20:42,480 --> 00:20:48,640
of church life, healthy doctrine that leads to healthy living and be relentless about it.

204
00:20:49,280 --> 00:20:53,680
Keep doing it. Why? Because do you think the false teachers are going to just quit and go away?

205
00:20:54,400 --> 00:20:59,360
They are not. And they still aren't even to this day. So you've got to be relentless about

206
00:20:59,360 --> 00:21:05,360
speaking of these things all the time when you're together. Healthy doctrine, healthy living. Make

207
00:21:05,360 --> 00:21:10,400
sense? Understand that's the foundation for everything we're about to talk about for old

208
00:21:10,400 --> 00:21:15,760
men. Okay, so let's get to this group. Older men. Can I get a little whoop whoop for the older guys?

209
00:21:17,200 --> 00:21:24,640
By the way, yesterday morning, we had a baby boomer breakfast buffet for bees and was amazing.

210
00:21:25,440 --> 00:21:31,680
We all brought our favorite cereals from our childhood. Mine actually isn't even available

211
00:21:31,680 --> 00:21:35,920
anymore, but that's a whole nother thing. But it was so sweet to be together and just get to know

212
00:21:35,920 --> 00:21:41,200
each other better and to have a good breakfast and we're going to keep doing it because we're boomers.

213
00:21:42,320 --> 00:21:49,440
I'm the youngest boomer in the church, by the way. Very proud of that. Just barely made it. Okay,

214
00:21:50,800 --> 00:21:59,280
so what is an older man? How do we define older man? Well, Paul doesn't tell us. In God's wisdom,

215
00:21:59,280 --> 00:22:03,280
he doesn't give us a number. And I think that's smart, right? Because it's going to be relative

216
00:22:03,280 --> 00:22:09,120
to each, you know, historical age that people live in. Back in the first century Roman Empire,

217
00:22:09,120 --> 00:22:15,040
life expectancy was much, much shorter than it is today. So catch this now. Some of you guys who

218
00:22:15,040 --> 00:22:20,000
are starting to see middle age coming. In first century Crete, to be an older man might have meant

219
00:22:20,000 --> 00:22:31,920
35 or 40. Grant? Sorry, man. But today, we're going to be talking about the first century

220
00:22:31,920 --> 00:22:36,960
Roman Empire. But today, as we look at our culture today, the best way I think we should think about

221
00:22:36,960 --> 00:22:43,360
it is probably 50 and over. And why do I say that? Because that's about the time when your kids are

222
00:22:43,360 --> 00:22:49,120
becoming adults, they're ready to leave the nest. And at the same time, you're dealing with elderly

223
00:22:49,120 --> 00:22:53,680
parents. Maybe you've already lost them, but you're dealing with elderly parents as well.

224
00:22:53,680 --> 00:22:59,280
And at that point, you're starting to face the prospect of retirement. So there's a lot going on.

225
00:22:59,280 --> 00:23:04,080
It's also that age where you really realize, man, my physical body just doesn't work anymore.

226
00:23:04,880 --> 00:23:11,200
It is, it is, I know in my head what I should do, but my body can't cash that check. And it can be

227
00:23:11,200 --> 00:23:16,640
very, very frustrating. You also realize that the vitality and the good looks you once had, all gone.

228
00:23:18,320 --> 00:23:25,600
All gone. Nobody's looking anymore. But what's beautiful about hitting this age, and this is for

229
00:23:25,600 --> 00:23:32,160
both men and women, is that there is another form of beauty that comes with age, that can grow over

230
00:23:32,160 --> 00:23:38,640
the years. And it's not a skincare routine. It's not a weight loss program. I'm talking about the

231
00:23:38,640 --> 00:23:45,600
beauty of a person who, who over their lifetime has developed a resume of experience and wisdom

232
00:23:45,600 --> 00:23:51,600
and Christ-like character that can be passed down to others, and also can be set before the world as

233
00:23:51,600 --> 00:23:58,400
a testimony to how the Holy Spirit changes lives. That is a beauty that we all, even if you're young

234
00:23:58,400 --> 00:24:04,480
right now, need to be shooting for. But I'm sad to report that far too often, that is not the case.

235
00:24:04,480 --> 00:24:09,360
In my experience, in all the years I've been in the church, that's often not the case with older men.

236
00:24:10,480 --> 00:24:16,080
Uniquely older men, even more so than older women. And let me share a few of my observations why that

237
00:24:16,080 --> 00:24:20,400
might be. And by the way, obviously this is very personal to me right now, because I'm in this

238
00:24:20,400 --> 00:24:27,200
category. But these are all things I'm about to describe that I am actively trying to resist as an

239
00:24:27,200 --> 00:24:33,680
older man. So that I don't be, I don't fall into these things. For example, age makes you grouchy.

240
00:24:35,680 --> 00:24:42,240
And just more disagreeable than you once were. Now some of that is due to physical aches and

241
00:24:42,240 --> 00:24:49,280
pains, and some of that really can't be helped. But they're, they're, being grouchy and disagreeable

242
00:24:49,280 --> 00:24:55,680
can come from something that you can work on and fix over time. And that is the fact that you're

243
00:24:55,680 --> 00:25:02,000
just set in your ways more than you ever were. Which is a nice way of saying you're just stubborn.

244
00:25:03,520 --> 00:25:06,880
You're just, you're set in your ways and you're stubborn and you're not going to look at anything

245
00:25:06,880 --> 00:25:13,440
else. And where that becomes unhealthy in the church, this is a great temptation to get critical

246
00:25:13,440 --> 00:25:20,320
of everything that you see. Just critical. And you get that, that, oh those young whippersnappers

247
00:25:20,320 --> 00:25:26,080
don't know what they're doing back in my day. Right? Old man shakes his fist at the sky, right? That,

248
00:25:26,080 --> 00:25:31,920
that type of thing. Constantly criticizing. And you start to grumble in this, this negative attitude,

249
00:25:31,920 --> 00:25:36,320
because you're not feeling well or you're, whatever it is, age has crept up on you. And now

250
00:25:36,320 --> 00:25:40,640
in your body language and the way you speak to others around you, it's becoming apparent.

251
00:25:40,640 --> 00:25:45,520
And there's an arrogance behind it, a prideful attitude that says, well, I'm older, my age makes

252
00:25:45,520 --> 00:25:52,880
me smarter than all these young people. But that's not always true. That's not always true.

253
00:25:54,400 --> 00:25:59,760
Having more years on the planet can make you wiser, but it's not automatic.

254
00:26:01,360 --> 00:26:06,000
There's a lot of young fools in this world, but there are many old fools as well,

255
00:26:06,000 --> 00:26:10,880
who haven't grown in wisdom. And they just think that age has made them that, but that's,

256
00:26:10,880 --> 00:26:15,920
again, that's not automatic. Sometimes older men are just resistant to change.

257
00:26:16,480 --> 00:26:21,440
We just want things to be like they've always been, because it's comfortable and we don't want

258
00:26:21,440 --> 00:26:27,280
to change. We're poor at adapting to new ideas. And again, if we're not careful, we're going to

259
00:26:27,280 --> 00:26:31,920
find ourselves, you know, reminiscing about the good old days or talking about how hard it was

260
00:26:31,920 --> 00:26:37,280
back in our day, right? And the reality is whether it's right or not, folks have moved on.

261
00:26:39,040 --> 00:26:43,520
They've moved on. And what's most important is what's happening in the present, not just

262
00:26:43,520 --> 00:26:50,160
constantly looking back to the past. But that truth can make an older man become critical of

263
00:26:50,160 --> 00:26:55,680
anything that the younger generation of believers are doing. And I see this in churches sometimes.

264
00:26:55,680 --> 00:27:00,000
I just can't get behind all these newfangled ideas, these new things that we're doing,

265
00:27:00,000 --> 00:27:05,440
these newfangled ideas, these new things. And rather than striving to learn those new things,

266
00:27:06,000 --> 00:27:11,600
rather than trying to discover new ways to minister in today's world, we just get more hardened

267
00:27:12,640 --> 00:27:15,600
in the seats that we're sitting in. And that's not good. It's not healthy.

268
00:27:17,200 --> 00:27:21,520
And then there's the one thing that I see that's probably the most common fault among older men

269
00:27:21,520 --> 00:27:26,480
in the church today. And this is the one that just breaks my heart to no end.

270
00:27:26,480 --> 00:27:33,120
It's when older men are just checked out. They're just checked out. There's a lot of reasons why

271
00:27:33,120 --> 00:27:41,840
this happens. For some, it's because of past hurts in life, maybe regrets, bitterness sets in,

272
00:27:41,840 --> 00:27:48,240
causing us to pull back from letting people really know us or investing time in getting to know them.

273
00:27:49,200 --> 00:27:54,480
For some, we're just emotionally disconnected, spiritually disconnected. And then tragically,

274
00:27:54,480 --> 00:28:00,080
sometimes men, because of their past, they'll go passive and they'll just let their wife lead

275
00:28:00,080 --> 00:28:06,960
spiritually because it's easier and she's better at it than me. So I'll just check out and go passive.

276
00:28:07,840 --> 00:28:12,800
I've seen that so many times. And there are men who are just tired from all the battles

277
00:28:13,600 --> 00:28:19,600
that they've had to fight in life to get to where they are today. Battles in relationships,

278
00:28:19,600 --> 00:28:25,520
battles in careers, whatever it might be. And so there gets into the mind of a man,

279
00:28:25,520 --> 00:28:33,360
you know what? Retirement sounds pretty good. Maybe if I just disappear, things will get better.

280
00:28:34,160 --> 00:28:42,240
So I buy that plot of land in Montana and I escape city life and off I ride into the sunset.

281
00:28:42,240 --> 00:28:50,000
I don't want to be bothered anymore. That happens to a lot of guys in their older years.

282
00:28:50,000 --> 00:28:56,000
The problem is nowhere in scripture does God give older men permission to drop out of the race.

283
00:28:57,600 --> 00:29:02,720
It's not there. Retirement is a completely modern concept that the first century believers would

284
00:29:02,720 --> 00:29:09,600
have said, what? What do you mean? We're not given permission to drop out of the race.

285
00:29:09,600 --> 00:29:16,240
So with those things in mind, let's see what we should look like, older guys, in our season of

286
00:29:16,240 --> 00:29:21,200
life. Look at verse two again and let's walk through what Paul says we should look like.

287
00:29:23,040 --> 00:29:27,840
Now I don't think this is a comprehensive list. Paul's just giving us a few important examples

288
00:29:27,840 --> 00:29:32,720
of what a godly older man's life would look like. And again, we should note that these things don't

289
00:29:32,720 --> 00:29:38,880
automatically come with age. They've got to be pursued. Brothers, we should know that these

290
00:29:38,880 --> 00:29:42,960
things are not going to be pursued. Brothers, they've got to be pursued. They've got to be

291
00:29:42,960 --> 00:29:48,640
cultivated in your life and ultimately they've got to be produced by the Holy Spirit as we submit our

292
00:29:48,640 --> 00:29:54,400
lives to him and say, Lord, sanctify me, grow me. I'm not going to be one of those hardened old guys

293
00:29:54,400 --> 00:29:59,600
who just sits here, you know, shaking my fist. No, I want to grow. I want to learn. So Holy Spirit,

294
00:29:59,600 --> 00:30:05,520
do work in me. So three things are given to us here at the beginning of verse two. The first one

295
00:30:05,520 --> 00:30:12,240
is temperate, nephalios in the Greek. Temperate. Now in a literal sense, this word means to be sober.

296
00:30:12,960 --> 00:30:18,640
But Paul's got a bigger idea. What he's driving at here is being sober-minded, being clear-headed

297
00:30:18,640 --> 00:30:25,840
about life. This is what we should be. The man who's entered into his 50s, 60s, 70s or more,

298
00:30:25,840 --> 00:30:37,840
Bill Henderson. We love Bill. Are you 90 yet? Almost 90. Love it. That man has entered a place

299
00:30:37,840 --> 00:30:43,040
in his life where, guess what, he's more moderate than he used to be. He's more clear-thinking than

300
00:30:43,040 --> 00:30:47,680
he used to be. He's learned the lessons of being a younger man and all the foolishness that goes

301
00:30:47,680 --> 00:30:53,920
with it, all the self-indulgent living, and he's a different man. When he was younger, he probably had

302
00:30:53,920 --> 00:30:59,440
big dreams. He poured his energy into all kinds of pursuits, and now he's looking back and he has the

303
00:30:59,440 --> 00:31:05,040
wisdom to say, you know what, that was worth it, but so much of it was not. Age gives you that

304
00:31:05,040 --> 00:31:12,240
perspective. He now understands the proper value of certain things looking back. Other things in the

305
00:31:12,240 --> 00:31:16,240
long run, you know what, they just didn't matter that much. They meant so much when I was in my

306
00:31:16,240 --> 00:31:22,880
20s, but now looking back, they actually don't. And so he has that perspective. Maybe he looks back and

307
00:31:22,880 --> 00:31:28,240
he sees all the things that he wanted so badly. I want possessions and achievements. I want this

308
00:31:28,240 --> 00:31:33,280
career, and even as he might have met some of those goals, he now realizes they never really

309
00:31:33,280 --> 00:31:38,960
brought me satisfaction. They just didn't. That there were more important things I could have been

310
00:31:38,960 --> 00:31:46,000
throwing my life into than those pursuits, and that wisdom that only comes from experience now

311
00:31:46,000 --> 00:31:51,280
shapes his priorities. He's more careful in his decisions. His judgments are more balanced. They're

312
00:31:51,280 --> 00:31:57,600
more discerning. Today he can see what really matters. He can throw his time and his energy

313
00:31:57,600 --> 00:32:03,360
into things that truly matter. The peace of knowing Christ and abiding with him. The value of deep

314
00:32:03,360 --> 00:32:09,120
relationships and family. The richness of life in the church and opportunities that he's given by

315
00:32:09,120 --> 00:32:15,600
God to serve other people. And as you get older, those are the things that really matter. Friends,

316
00:32:15,600 --> 00:32:22,720
this is wisdom. This is what it means to be sober-minded about life. Temperate. The second

317
00:32:22,720 --> 00:32:29,600
thing in this list here is that older men should be dignified. Semnos in the Greek. And it means to

318
00:32:29,600 --> 00:32:38,000
be revered or to be worthy of respect. Older men should be worthy of respect. Now in the English

319
00:32:38,000 --> 00:32:44,320
vernacular, the word dignified, it might have a negative connotation. You might think of a dignified

320
00:32:44,320 --> 00:32:50,400
man as arrogant and condescending. I picture like this this British lord on his country manor.

321
00:32:50,400 --> 00:32:55,680
He's stately and he's dignified, but that is not what the biblical word means. In the biblical sense,

322
00:32:56,320 --> 00:33:02,240
dignified means a man is humble. A man who is respected because of his humility.

323
00:33:02,960 --> 00:33:10,080
Respected because of his kindness and his godly habits and the words that he chooses carefully.

324
00:33:10,080 --> 00:33:15,840
The way he prioritizes his wife and others in the body of Christ. And as others look at him,

325
00:33:15,840 --> 00:33:21,440
especially younger men, because younger men need role models. They need examples to look up to.

326
00:33:21,440 --> 00:33:26,960
Younger men get to know him and they see his life. Not just what he presents, but they get to know

327
00:33:26,960 --> 00:33:32,160
him in the back room of his life, in his home, in relationship. And they say, you know what?

328
00:33:32,160 --> 00:33:39,760
I respect that man. I honor that life in the body of Christ. That's what it means to be dignified.

329
00:33:41,280 --> 00:33:47,600
It's a great thing. Third thing is that men should be sensible, suffering in the Greek.

330
00:33:47,600 --> 00:33:52,400
Paul says they should be sensible. Really what this word means is their lives should be balanced

331
00:33:52,400 --> 00:34:00,080
and they should be under control. Right? All the crazy, you know, emotions and desires and passions

332
00:34:00,080 --> 00:34:06,320
of youth have been tamed. And now life is under control. This older gentleman is not impulsive

333
00:34:06,320 --> 00:34:12,960
any longer. He's not careless or foolish in the decisions that he makes. He's self-disciplined.

334
00:34:14,400 --> 00:34:19,200
Self-disciplined. His experience over the years and the work of the Holy Spirit within him have

335
00:34:19,200 --> 00:34:24,800
produced good judgment and discernment. And so he's the type of man that can be trusted.

336
00:34:24,800 --> 00:34:29,440
And that is such an important thing, right? He can be trusted by his wife, by his kids, by his

337
00:34:29,440 --> 00:34:35,680
friends, by his brothers and sisters in the church. He's sensible. So you see here three

338
00:34:35,680 --> 00:34:41,280
character traits that do come with age, but also with spiritual maturity. The recklessness of youth

339
00:34:41,920 --> 00:34:48,400
gets replaced by being sober-minded. And the foolishness of youth gets replaced with being

340
00:34:48,400 --> 00:34:54,560
dignified. And the impulsiveness of youth gets replaced with being self-controlled. And guys,

341
00:34:54,560 --> 00:35:01,680
older men with these character traits are a powerful force in the local body of Christ.

342
00:35:02,080 --> 00:35:07,360
We need more of them. We need more of them. And if you're an older gentleman, you're already a

343
00:35:07,360 --> 00:35:12,240
part of Oak Hill here, let this be a great challenge to you. I'm challenged by it, that we

344
00:35:12,240 --> 00:35:16,960
might grow in these areas, that we might become these men that Paul says we are. And we might

345
00:35:16,960 --> 00:35:24,880
grow in these men that Paul says we ought to be. Again, why? To make our body healthier and to make

346
00:35:24,880 --> 00:35:32,000
the bride more beautiful for the glory of Christ. Amen? Okay, but Paul goes on, right? Let's finish

347
00:35:32,000 --> 00:35:39,200
verse two. There's more to come. After those three great character traits, Paul gives us like a triad

348
00:35:39,200 --> 00:35:45,280
of characteristics, a threefold statement. Older man should be sound in faith, sound in love, and

349
00:35:45,280 --> 00:35:52,320
perseverance or endurance. Which, by the way, if you think about 1 Corinthians 13, the great,

350
00:35:52,320 --> 00:35:58,240
the excellence of Christian love, remember how Paul says, now these three remain, faith, hope, and

351
00:35:58,880 --> 00:36:03,360
love, but the greatest of these is love. This sort of echoes that, right? Some of these same,

352
00:36:03,360 --> 00:36:08,960
same things. So let's walk through them. First of all, an older man should be sound in faith. He

353
00:36:08,960 --> 00:36:15,760
should be, his faith should be biblically healthy. And that means, this is an important word, his

354
00:36:15,760 --> 00:36:22,240
faith is unwavering. By the time a man becomes an older man, he gets into his 50s, 60s, 70s, 90s,

355
00:36:23,040 --> 00:36:30,000
his faith should be unwavering. It's the kind of personal faith that is deeply rooted in two things.

356
00:36:31,200 --> 00:36:35,680
Catch this now, deeply rooted in two things. His personal study of scripture,

357
00:36:35,680 --> 00:36:39,600
his per, not just hearing sermons and teaching, but his personal study of scripture,

358
00:36:40,000 --> 00:36:45,680
and his daily abiding with Christ. Guys, you will not become unwavering in your faith without those

359
00:36:45,680 --> 00:36:51,920
two things. You hear me with that? Your personal study of scripture and abiding with Christ. That's

360
00:36:51,920 --> 00:36:56,720
what gets you to being unwavering in your faith. So the older man who's seen enough, been through

361
00:36:56,720 --> 00:37:02,560
enough, now he's older, he looks back and he knows, he can look back and say, God has been faithful

362
00:37:02,560 --> 00:37:08,960
all throughout my life. That doesn't mean he hasn't had hardships and struggles. Every man on the

363
00:37:08,960 --> 00:37:16,480
planet has to fight battles. We fight battles each and every day. It doesn't mean that hardship goes

364
00:37:16,480 --> 00:37:21,600
away. It's that he can look back and go, God carried me through those times. He is both sovereign

365
00:37:21,600 --> 00:37:28,160
and he is good. And I know that he's faithful. The older man is convinced of this. The doubts he once

366
00:37:28,160 --> 00:37:32,720
had, and sometimes doubts creep in, especially when we're younger and we're trying to figure out

367
00:37:32,720 --> 00:37:39,920
the world, those have disappeared. He's convinced of it. And he's not, the God, the older man is not

368
00:37:39,920 --> 00:37:46,960
bitter about the past. He's not angry with God because of the things that, that, that God allowed

369
00:37:46,960 --> 00:37:51,520
him to go through, the trials of life. He doesn't feel like God disappointed in him in some way.

370
00:37:51,520 --> 00:37:57,600
He's actually able to look back and go, Lord, I saw how you grew me through those times. I'm

371
00:37:57,600 --> 00:38:03,920
through me through those difficulties and I'm thankful for it. That's what the older man does.

372
00:38:03,920 --> 00:38:09,280
He doesn't accuse God of being unfair. He does not angry at God for what he's gone through.

373
00:38:10,320 --> 00:38:14,240
He's firm in what he believes. He knows why he believes it and he is all in. You know,

374
00:38:14,240 --> 00:38:23,520
poker metaphor, he is all, all in on Jesus all the way to the end. Amen. Second thing, he's got to be

375
00:38:23,520 --> 00:38:30,880
sound in love, a healthy spiritual love, which as we know is first of all, vertically with God and

376
00:38:30,880 --> 00:38:35,760
horizontally out to others. It's not just vertical. Can't just be, well, I'm sitting at home and I'm

377
00:38:35,760 --> 00:38:42,160
fine with God. No, it, it gets manifested horizontally out to others, to the family of faith.

378
00:38:43,040 --> 00:38:48,400
So rather than growing old and crotchety and hard to live with, this is a man who is a joy to be with

379
00:38:48,400 --> 00:38:54,400
because he loves other people, because he puts other people first. Look, guys, we all love people

380
00:38:54,400 --> 00:39:01,920
who prior to our prioritize us and others, right? An unselfish man. He's known for his kindness and

381
00:39:01,920 --> 00:39:08,400
gentleness for putting others first. He loves in both word and action. He doesn't just say he cares

382
00:39:08,400 --> 00:39:16,160
for you. He cares for you. He practices the one another's. He's an encourager. He's bearing with

383
00:39:16,160 --> 00:39:22,720
others. Listen, his body may be weaker, but his spirit is growing stronger. Again, that's the beauty

384
00:39:22,720 --> 00:39:27,680
of growing old. Your body is going to get weak, but man, your, your faith and your love and your

385
00:39:27,680 --> 00:39:35,600
spirit can get stronger in the final season of life. Lastly, Paul calls the older man to be sound

386
00:39:35,600 --> 00:39:39,840
in endurance. And of all the people on the earth, this should be true of Christians, right?

387
00:39:40,400 --> 00:39:44,240
Especially if you're getting older, you're getting closer to physical death, to heaven.

388
00:39:44,240 --> 00:39:49,120
So we got to endure. We know how the story ends, right? The story of the world, the story of our

389
00:39:49,120 --> 00:39:55,280
lives. And so we can endure whatever else comes our way. And let's, we can be honest as you get

390
00:39:55,280 --> 00:40:02,880
older, yeah, sickness, illness, disease. I'm not looking forward to it. None of us does, but we can

391
00:40:02,880 --> 00:40:09,280
endure it because we know how the story ends. Right? We know where we're headed. We're sure of it.

392
00:40:09,280 --> 00:40:13,440
By the time you're in your sixties and seventies, a man has suffered a lot.

393
00:40:14,880 --> 00:40:20,160
I could go around the room. You've suffered, yet you're still here. You're still kicking. What does

394
00:40:20,160 --> 00:40:26,880
that mean? God wants you here. So don't lose heart. He has a purpose for you. Old guys,

395
00:40:27,600 --> 00:40:32,720
he has a purpose for you. And we just have to watch to see what that purpose is and then engage

396
00:40:32,720 --> 00:40:39,840
with it. Not pull back, not walk away, not ride off into the subset. The godly man keeps enduring.

397
00:40:39,840 --> 00:40:46,640
He doesn't drop out of the race. He runs all the way to the end, right to the very last moment.

398
00:40:47,600 --> 00:40:53,360
So he's sound in faith. He's sound in love. He's sound in endurance. And this friends is the type

399
00:40:53,360 --> 00:40:59,760
of mature faith that builds a church and sustains the church. And we need to be able to be able to

400
00:40:59,760 --> 00:41:05,760
build a church and sustain the church. And we need more and more of it here at Oak Hill. Amen?

401
00:41:07,840 --> 00:41:11,200
So I'll close with this. Let's talk practically. What does this mean for me

402
00:41:12,000 --> 00:41:16,560
and for my fellow older gentlemen in the church? Well, let's go back to the Bible. Let me give you

403
00:41:16,560 --> 00:41:22,800
a couple of important passages. Proverbs 16-31. A gray head is a crown of glory.

404
00:41:22,800 --> 00:41:28,480
But look, how is it found in the ways of righteousness?

405
00:41:30,480 --> 00:41:32,480
I mean, just having gray hair is actually not great.

406
00:41:34,560 --> 00:41:39,920
But if that age, that gray hair is leading you into the ways of righteousness, it's of great value

407
00:41:39,920 --> 00:41:47,520
to Christ and to his church. Proverbs 20-29. The glory of young men, young guys, is your strength.

408
00:41:47,520 --> 00:41:55,280
And the honor of old men is their gray hair. Honor. Honor. How about a couple of Psalms?

409
00:41:55,280 --> 00:42:02,080
Psalm 92. This is great. The righteous thrive like a palm tree and grow like a cedar tree in Lebanon.

410
00:42:02,080 --> 00:42:07,440
Planted in the house of the Lord, they thrive in the courts of our God. And look at this last

411
00:42:07,440 --> 00:42:15,920
statement. They will still bear fruit in old age, healthy and green. If you're planted in the courts

412
00:42:15,920 --> 00:42:23,120
of God, you will continue to produce spiritual fruit right to the end. And then the Psalm we read

413
00:42:23,120 --> 00:42:30,160
is our call to worship earlier. Psalm 90-12. Teach us to number our days that we may present to you

414
00:42:30,160 --> 00:42:38,160
a heart of wisdom. So guys, this is our calling, right? Not to stubbornness, not to bitterness,

415
00:42:38,160 --> 00:42:46,400
not to withdrawal, not to retirement. God wants you and I to keep on bearing spiritual fruit. Keep

416
00:42:46,400 --> 00:42:56,400
learning. Keep growing. And yes, even as an old man, keep maturing in your faith. And to do that,

417
00:42:56,400 --> 00:43:02,480
we can't check out. We can't check out. In fact, we have to do the opposite. We have to dig in.

418
00:43:02,480 --> 00:43:09,760
And we have to number each and every day that God gives us. Every day is a gift. Number your days

419
00:43:09,760 --> 00:43:15,840
while you're on this side of heaven. See every opportunity to serve and to love before that

420
00:43:15,840 --> 00:43:21,920
glorious day that he calls us home. And I can't wait for that. But until then, every single day

421
00:43:21,920 --> 00:43:29,280
matters. Number it. Find your purpose and dig in. Amen? Can't just sit around waiting for heaven.

422
00:43:29,280 --> 00:43:32,640
I mean, I know it's going to be amazing, but we can't just sit around. We've got work to do.

423
00:43:32,640 --> 00:43:37,680
This is supposed to be the crowning time of your life. So embrace the challenges in this season.

424
00:43:38,640 --> 00:43:43,760
Grow old in a productive way. Yeah, you know, one of the great truths, and we'll probably pick up on

425
00:43:43,760 --> 00:43:48,240
it in a couple of weeks, is that younger people, they've got more energy than you, but they're

426
00:43:48,240 --> 00:43:53,840
really busy. They've got kids and they're building, they're doing all these things. Old guys, we've

427
00:43:53,840 --> 00:44:01,440
got time. We've got more free time. So use it. Use it productively. Now it's going to look a little

428
00:44:01,440 --> 00:44:06,320
bit different for each one of the old guys based on who we are, our gifts and our skills and our

429
00:44:06,320 --> 00:44:12,640
personalities, but we've got to be about mentoring and discipling younger men. Showing them what a

430
00:44:12,640 --> 00:44:18,880
godly life looks like. Having conversations all the time. Showing them experience and wisdom to

431
00:44:18,880 --> 00:44:23,840
help them get along. Encouraging them, exhorting them. Let the younger generation know that you're

432
00:44:23,840 --> 00:44:29,440
for them. You're not the cranky old guy that's like, ah, you young whippersnappers.

433
00:44:31,040 --> 00:44:38,400
I've been working on that. No, show them that you're for them. How can I come alongside you and

434
00:44:38,400 --> 00:44:44,400
support you and love you? Because I'm gone soon, but you're going to be around, so I want to be a

435
00:44:44,400 --> 00:44:52,160
help. Show them what a godly life looks like. Could there be a greater compliment to an older

436
00:44:52,160 --> 00:44:57,360
man than to hear in his old age a young man walk up and go, you know, I've watched you,

437
00:44:58,320 --> 00:45:03,760
and that's what I want to be like someday. That's what I want to be like someday.

438
00:45:06,720 --> 00:45:12,720
Now I know that there's an objection to this, and I can almost hear it out of my head, but

439
00:45:12,720 --> 00:45:18,800
I can almost hear it in my ears. You're like, Jeff, look, I see it in the scripture. I'm

440
00:45:18,800 --> 00:45:24,960
convicted of this, but I'm older, and I just haven't been working on this. I'm not equipped

441
00:45:24,960 --> 00:45:30,320
to do the things that you're talking about here, to which I respond, brother, it is never too late

442
00:45:30,320 --> 00:45:38,000
to start. It is never too late to start. To start learning, to start growing, to start getting equipped

443
00:45:38,000 --> 00:45:44,560
to be a discipler of others, and if you need help, we'll help you. If you're really convinced, like,

444
00:45:44,560 --> 00:45:50,160
okay, I see it in the scripture, the spirit convicts me, I want to be more like this, reach out to an

445
00:45:50,160 --> 00:45:54,480
elder, we'll sit down, buy me coffee. How many times do I say that? If you'll buy me coffee,

446
00:45:54,480 --> 00:46:00,080
I'll tell you, no, I'll tell you anything you want to hear, no, I will, I will seriously, we'll talk

447
00:46:00,080 --> 00:46:06,000
about what that looks like to become this type of older man, and then I'll just close with this.

448
00:46:06,000 --> 00:46:11,040
If your other objection is, look, physically I can't do this, I'm just not in shape to do that,

449
00:46:11,040 --> 00:46:19,600
you know what you can do? You can pray. You can be in your home, and you can be a prayer warrior,

450
00:46:20,880 --> 00:46:26,000
right, for your family, for your church family, for the gospel to spread. You have the time,

451
00:46:26,000 --> 00:46:32,400
but maybe not the body to do it, but you can pray. And as we strive after these things, guys,

452
00:46:32,400 --> 00:46:36,560
you know what we should keep in mind? If you want an example, you want to see what's been modeled

453
00:46:36,560 --> 00:46:44,080
for you, how about the apostle Paul himself? How did Paul go out from a Roman prison?

454
00:46:45,040 --> 00:46:50,640
You talk about suffering, from a Roman prison, he writes to Timothy, a younger man that he has been

455
00:46:50,640 --> 00:46:57,040
discipling and working with for all these years, what does he say to him? He says, look, my life's

456
00:46:57,040 --> 00:47:03,200
about to be poured out, but he says this with a clean conscience, I have fought the good fight,

457
00:47:04,880 --> 00:47:12,240
and I have run the course, and I have kept the faith. Isn't that what we all want to say

458
00:47:13,520 --> 00:47:20,160
on the day that we pass? And so to the rest of you, to my fellow members who are younger,

459
00:47:20,480 --> 00:47:25,600
can I ask this of you, please don't write off the older saints. That happens a lot in churches,

460
00:47:25,600 --> 00:47:30,640
don't write off the older saints, you need us. We need each other in the body of Christ.

461
00:47:30,640 --> 00:47:36,080
Older saints make the church a richer place. They have wisdom that they can pass along to you.

462
00:47:36,080 --> 00:47:42,720
Follow their example. Thank the Lord for their precious lives. I'll close with this brief story.

463
00:47:42,720 --> 00:47:49,680
This is a testimony that came from Pastor Ligon Duncan, who I enjoy reading. He wrote this in an

464
00:47:49,680 --> 00:47:56,640
article some years ago. He said, my granddaddy, that's my southern voice, my granddaddy was a

465
00:47:56,640 --> 00:48:04,720
Titus II kind of man, a Georgia dirt farmer raised by a harsh stepmother. He had a fifth grade

466
00:48:04,720 --> 00:48:11,840
education, and yet he was without question one of the godliest men I've ever known.

467
00:48:13,360 --> 00:48:19,120
Not well educated, afflicted with severe arthritis, and done wrong on more than one occasion because

468
00:48:19,120 --> 00:48:27,760
of his trusting nature, he never lost faith in his Lord. And he never questioned the plans and the

469
00:48:27,760 --> 00:48:35,600
workings of God in his life. He lived simply on a day-to-day basis, trusting in Christ. He said,

470
00:48:35,600 --> 00:48:41,440
an example any mother or father could have pointed to and said to their son, I hope you grow up someday

471
00:48:41,440 --> 00:48:48,080
to be like Charles Galloway in the way that you love the Lord and serve other people. And that is

472
00:48:48,080 --> 00:48:56,400
God's assignment for older men. Gentlemen, let's get to work on helping this local church

473
00:48:57,600 --> 00:49:05,040
be a healthier body and a more beautiful bride for his glory. Amen. Let's bow our heads.

474
00:49:05,040 --> 00:49:12,960
Father, thank you for the testimony that we have in Scripture of Paul's life and how he lived life

475
00:49:12,960 --> 00:49:19,920
to the fullest, all the way to the end, all the way to a Roman prison, still working, still striving

476
00:49:19,920 --> 00:49:27,280
to see the gospel spread all over the world, faithful to the very last moment. And I thank you

477
00:49:27,280 --> 00:49:33,760
for that. I thank you for the testimony that we have in Scripture of Paul's life and how he lived

478
00:49:33,760 --> 00:49:41,920
to the very last moment. Lord, we want to be men like this. I speak for myself. I speak for my

479
00:49:41,920 --> 00:49:48,560
brothers who are older than 50 here in our body. We want to be more faithful men like that. Father,

480
00:49:48,560 --> 00:49:55,920
thank you for this chapter in Titus that lays it out for us so practically. May we strive to be

481
00:49:55,920 --> 00:50:02,720
these things, knowing that we can't do it ourselves, even if we're convinced this morning that this is

482
00:50:02,720 --> 00:50:07,760
what we should be, that we don't just run out and try to do things, but we come to you and we say,

483
00:50:09,760 --> 00:50:14,720
Spirit, I want to cooperate with the work that you want to do, the sanctifying work in me. And so I

484
00:50:14,720 --> 00:50:21,360
submit myself to you. Will you make me this kind of man? That that might be a decision we make

485
00:50:21,920 --> 00:50:28,080
even today. So Father, I thank you for the ears of those who are here who are not older men, but are

486
00:50:28,080 --> 00:50:33,120
in other categories that they might hear and understand some of the struggles and the temptations

487
00:50:33,120 --> 00:50:39,760
that us older men face and that you might use them to encourage us and to build into our lives so that

488
00:50:39,760 --> 00:50:44,640
our church family becomes more and more united together as one. And of course, all of it's for

489
00:50:44,640 --> 00:50:49,120
your glory, Lord. So we submit it to you and ask that you would continue to work by your spirit in

490
00:50:49,120 --> 00:50:53,840
this body and that we might become a more and more beautiful bride. Thank you for this time this

491
00:50:53,840 --> 00:50:59,840
morning. We praise you in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.