WEBVTT 00:00:09.769 --> 00:00:13.230 As Nicholas mentioned, we are in Titus chapter 00:00:13.230 --> 00:00:16.570 2 today, getting back to our study of Paul's 00:00:16.570 --> 00:00:21.449 epistle or letter to Titus. And though our exposition 00:00:21.449 --> 00:00:24.510 today is focused on verses 1 through 10 of Titus 00:00:24.510 --> 00:00:28.109 chapter 2, I will begin our reading at chapter 00:00:28.109 --> 00:00:32.990 1 and verse 16. This is God's holy, inspired, 00:00:33.270 --> 00:00:38.250 and inerrant word. They profess to know God. 00:00:38.719 --> 00:00:42.420 But by their deeds they deny him, being detestable 00:00:42.420 --> 00:00:46.759 and disobedient and worthless for any good deed. 00:00:47.399 --> 00:00:50.960 But as for you, speak the things which are fitting 00:00:50.960 --> 00:00:54.259 for sound doctrine. Older men are to be temperate, 00:00:54.259 --> 00:00:58.020 dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love 00:00:58.020 --> 00:01:01.640 and perseverance. Older women likewise are to 00:01:01.640 --> 00:01:03.840 be reverent in their behavior, not malicious 00:01:03.840 --> 00:01:07.719 gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what 00:01:07.719 --> 00:01:10.540 is good. so that they may encourage the young 00:01:10.540 --> 00:01:13.519 women to love their husbands, to love their children, 00:01:13.680 --> 00:01:17.620 to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, 00:01:17.840 --> 00:01:20.560 being subject to their own husbands, so that 00:01:20.560 --> 00:01:23.959 the word of God will not be dishonored. Likewise, 00:01:24.079 --> 00:01:27.620 urge the young men to be sensible. In all things, 00:01:27.659 --> 00:01:30.159 show yourself to be an example of good deeds 00:01:30.159 --> 00:01:33.480 with purity and doctrine, dignified, sound in 00:01:33.480 --> 00:01:36.000 speech which is beyond reproach, so that the 00:01:36.000 --> 00:01:37.859 opponent will be put to shame, having nothing 00:01:37.859 --> 00:01:42.079 bad to say about us. Urge bond slaves to be subject 00:01:42.079 --> 00:01:44.780 to their own masters in everything, to be well 00:01:44.780 --> 00:01:47.159 -pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering, 00:01:47.180 --> 00:01:50.420 but showing all good faith, so that they will 00:01:50.420 --> 00:01:54.099 adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every 00:01:54.099 --> 00:02:00.239 respect. Let's pray. Gracious Heavenly Father, 00:02:00.439 --> 00:02:04.900 we come before you as your people today. thankful 00:02:04.900 --> 00:02:08.620 for your word. As we open the scriptures, we 00:02:08.620 --> 00:02:12.080 ask you to use them to bring clarity where there 00:02:12.080 --> 00:02:15.819 is confusion, conviction where there is sin, 00:02:15.979 --> 00:02:20.219 and strength where there is weakness. Shape us 00:02:20.219 --> 00:02:23.919 not only to confess the truth, but to live it. 00:02:24.539 --> 00:02:27.620 Lord Jesus, our head and our savior, be honored 00:02:27.620 --> 00:02:31.879 among us. Conform us to your image and guard 00:02:31.879 --> 00:02:35.840 us from hypocrisy. Make us a people whose lives 00:02:35.840 --> 00:02:38.599 adorn the doctrine of God and bear witness to 00:02:38.599 --> 00:02:42.479 the power of your gospel. Holy Spirit, do the 00:02:42.479 --> 00:02:45.379 work of illuminating our minds and softening 00:02:45.379 --> 00:02:48.340 our hearts. Produce in us the fruit of sound 00:02:48.340 --> 00:02:52.680 doctrine. Train us in godliness. Guide and correct 00:02:52.680 --> 00:02:56.599 us when we are confused and out of order. Cause 00:02:56.599 --> 00:02:59.479 us to reflect the beauty of the truth we profess. 00:03:00.240 --> 00:03:02.819 These things we ask in the mighty name of Jesus. 00:03:03.550 --> 00:03:07.610 Amen. You may be seated. I suppose I'll begin 00:03:07.610 --> 00:03:13.569 by stating the obvious. We live in a time when 00:03:13.569 --> 00:03:21.469 voices are everywhere. There is no shortage of 00:03:21.469 --> 00:03:28.849 opinions, and there is no shortage of folks who 00:03:28.849 --> 00:03:34.599 love to air their opinions. YouTube, Facebook, 00:03:34.960 --> 00:03:41.039 X, formerly Twitter, podcasts, cable news, radio. 00:03:41.900 --> 00:03:46.759 People are constantly speaking. You may have 00:03:46.759 --> 00:03:51.340 noticed that. People are constantly, to use a 00:03:51.340 --> 00:03:56.659 very popular term, influencing. And the reality 00:03:56.659 --> 00:04:01.039 is that many of those voices belong to false 00:04:01.039 --> 00:04:06.979 teachers. Some of them are quite obvious. They 00:04:06.979 --> 00:04:10.099 preach a different gospel and deny essential 00:04:10.099 --> 00:04:16.459 truths. Thus, they are exposed by what they say. 00:04:17.579 --> 00:04:23.079 But others are far more subtle, and in some ways, 00:04:23.279 --> 00:04:28.620 because of their subtlety, they are more dangerous. 00:04:30.250 --> 00:04:33.470 Because now there is a growing number of voices 00:04:33.470 --> 00:04:39.629 who say many of the right things. They talk about 00:04:39.629 --> 00:04:45.829 truth. They talk about order. They love to talk 00:04:45.829 --> 00:04:50.670 about family values. You'll even hear them discuss 00:04:50.670 --> 00:04:54.949 the ways in which we can save Western culture. 00:04:55.589 --> 00:04:58.110 All of those things sound good, do they not? 00:04:59.759 --> 00:05:02.800 They talk about morality. They even talk about 00:05:02.800 --> 00:05:06.899 God. Some of them claim the name of Jesus Christ. 00:05:07.439 --> 00:05:12.160 They claim his name for themselves and mention 00:05:12.160 --> 00:05:17.899 their Christianity on a regular basis. However, 00:05:18.100 --> 00:05:24.879 their lives tell a different story. Oftentimes, 00:05:24.959 --> 00:05:32.050 these same folks have speech that is coarse and 00:05:32.050 --> 00:05:39.769 vulgar. Their tone is harsh and combative. Their 00:05:39.769 --> 00:05:44.649 relationships are marked by constant conflict. 00:05:45.329 --> 00:05:50.649 Some of them seemingly desire to have public 00:05:50.649 --> 00:05:57.269 conflict. Some of them almost seem to enjoy constant. 00:06:00.089 --> 00:06:04.490 There is little evidence among them of humility 00:06:04.490 --> 00:06:09.610 or holiness in their lives. They want to influence 00:06:09.610 --> 00:06:13.850 people, but the fruit they produce is poisonous. 00:06:14.810 --> 00:06:17.970 It's not the fruit of the Spirit. It's not love, 00:06:18.089 --> 00:06:20.550 joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 00:06:20.589 --> 00:06:24.050 gentleness, self -control. Instead, their lives 00:06:24.050 --> 00:06:26.670 are marked by the deeds of the flesh. And just 00:06:26.670 --> 00:06:28.670 because I think it's so helpful, turn with me 00:06:28.670 --> 00:06:34.550 to Galatians 5. We all know Galatians 5, 22 and 00:06:34.550 --> 00:06:36.990 23, where Paul gives us the fruit of the Spirit, 00:06:37.110 --> 00:06:39.750 which I just mentioned. But oftentimes we forget 00:06:39.750 --> 00:06:44.430 about those deeds of the flesh, which Paul mentions, 00:06:44.810 --> 00:06:50.189 which precede the fruit of the Spirit. In verse 00:06:50.189 --> 00:06:53.269 19, now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which 00:06:53.269 --> 00:06:57.600 are. And notice how... Some of these sins, in 00:06:57.600 --> 00:07:00.779 our own way of looking at them, seem rather minor, 00:07:00.839 --> 00:07:05.759 and others seem quite large. Now, the deeds of 00:07:05.759 --> 00:07:07.939 the flesh are evident, which are immorality, 00:07:08.079 --> 00:07:13.939 impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, 00:07:13.980 --> 00:07:16.779 strife, jealousy. Those aren't as big a deal, 00:07:16.779 --> 00:07:21.100 right? Outbursts of anger. Uh -oh. Disputes, 00:07:21.180 --> 00:07:27.470 dissensions, factions, envying. drunkenness, 00:07:27.470 --> 00:07:30.129 carousing, and things like these, of which I 00:07:30.129 --> 00:07:32.149 forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, 00:07:32.230 --> 00:07:34.930 that those who practice such things will not 00:07:34.930 --> 00:07:38.889 inherit the kingdom of God. And then, of course, 00:07:38.889 --> 00:07:40.709 Paul, like I said, gives us the fruit of the 00:07:40.709 --> 00:07:42.629 Spirit. And, of course, this is all right in 00:07:42.629 --> 00:07:47.810 the middle of a whole section on the law. And 00:07:47.810 --> 00:07:51.629 he then says, against such things there is no 00:07:51.629 --> 00:07:53.870 law, when referring to the fruit of the Spirit. 00:07:54.379 --> 00:07:56.740 But for those who practice the deeds of the flesh, 00:07:56.879 --> 00:08:02.120 they will not inherit the kingdom of God. We 00:08:02.120 --> 00:08:04.180 might be tempted to think that a public scandal 00:08:04.180 --> 00:08:10.339 or that people who decide to strive with one 00:08:10.339 --> 00:08:14.819 another in public are not committing some form 00:08:14.819 --> 00:08:18.620 of sin. But the scripture seems rather evident 00:08:18.620 --> 00:08:22.879 here that that is... on par with idolatry and 00:08:22.879 --> 00:08:28.579 sorcery and carousing and drunkenness? At some 00:08:28.579 --> 00:08:32.159 point, you have to stop asking, what are these 00:08:32.159 --> 00:08:35.700 people saying? What you have to start asking 00:08:35.700 --> 00:08:42.779 is, what does their life reveal? As we move from 00:08:42.779 --> 00:08:46.639 Titus 1 to chapter 2, the Apostle Paul employs 00:08:46.639 --> 00:08:50.299 a juxtaposition, a contrast. that serves as a 00:08:50.299 --> 00:08:54.019 bridge between these two passages. In verse 16, 00:08:54.220 --> 00:08:57.100 he wrote what we just read. They profess to know 00:08:57.100 --> 00:09:00.799 God, but by their deeds they deny him. By their 00:09:00.799 --> 00:09:04.399 deeds they deny him. They profess to know God, 00:09:04.580 --> 00:09:14.580 but by their deeds they deny him. And listen 00:09:14.580 --> 00:09:16.519 to the description that he gives of these folks. 00:09:17.710 --> 00:09:22.730 being detestable and disobedient and worthless 00:09:22.730 --> 00:09:28.669 for any good deed. There's come a point in this 00:09:28.669 --> 00:09:31.110 sermon where I'll quote James, and a lot of people 00:09:31.110 --> 00:09:33.210 down throughout church history have tried to 00:09:33.210 --> 00:09:39.029 create a false argument between Paul, Mr. Justification 00:09:39.029 --> 00:09:42.610 by faith, and James, faith without works is dead. 00:09:42.830 --> 00:09:44.889 But when you read through the book of Titus, 00:09:44.909 --> 00:09:47.240 you can see that there's clear agreement. between 00:09:47.240 --> 00:09:53.480 these two apostles here paul is referring to 00:09:53.480 --> 00:09:55.919 the false teachers he called out in those previous 00:09:55.919 --> 00:09:58.220 verses we're not going to read them again but 00:09:58.220 --> 00:10:00.799 if you look back at the very end of verse 9 in 00:10:00.799 --> 00:10:03.240 chapter 1 and read all the way through verse 00:10:03.240 --> 00:10:06.019 15 and of course even 16 which we just quoted 00:10:06.019 --> 00:10:09.580 you'll see that paul has really laid into the 00:10:09.580 --> 00:10:12.139 false teachers who were apparently creeping into 00:10:12.139 --> 00:10:15.659 the churches in crete who were seeking to make 00:10:16.029 --> 00:10:20.950 Issues out of the law that were not beneficial 00:10:20.950 --> 00:10:25.230 for these young congregations teaching what was 00:10:25.230 --> 00:10:29.070 false. While the false teachers Paul called out 00:10:29.070 --> 00:10:31.950 in Titus 1 may have said some of the right things, 00:10:32.090 --> 00:10:34.870 on their face, much of what they said about the 00:10:34.870 --> 00:10:38.509 law probably seemed right. It probably sounded 00:10:38.509 --> 00:10:41.149 good. It probably sounded like they were pious 00:10:41.149 --> 00:10:45.269 and holy. And I think that's partly why. Their 00:10:45.269 --> 00:10:50.210 teaching was so deceptive. But their lives, their 00:10:50.210 --> 00:10:55.289 lives proved something different. Their lives 00:10:55.289 --> 00:11:00.129 were inconsistent with their claims. Scripture 00:11:00.129 --> 00:11:04.110 reinforces this principle many times over. And 00:11:04.110 --> 00:11:06.049 I know that it will cost us a little bit of time. 00:11:06.539 --> 00:11:08.860 And Ashley saw how many pages of notes I had 00:11:08.860 --> 00:11:11.179 and gave me one of those looks. But I can't resist 00:11:11.179 --> 00:11:14.080 the opportunity to do this. Turn to Matthew chapter 00:11:14.080 --> 00:11:18.159 7. Of course, you know Matthew 5 through 7. That's 00:11:18.159 --> 00:11:19.659 where we see the Sermon on the Mount, right? 00:11:21.279 --> 00:11:23.399 Famous passage of Scripture, those three chapters. 00:11:27.779 --> 00:11:30.259 And if you go to Matthew chapter 7, most of you 00:11:30.259 --> 00:11:31.940 probably are already guessing where I'm headed 00:11:31.940 --> 00:11:34.759 here. But in Matthew chapter 7, beginning in 00:11:34.759 --> 00:11:40.320 verse 15, Jesus says this. Beware of the false 00:11:40.320 --> 00:11:42.259 prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing 00:11:42.259 --> 00:11:46.679 that inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know 00:11:46.679 --> 00:11:51.919 them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered 00:11:51.919 --> 00:11:55.399 from thorn bushes, nor figs from thistles, are 00:11:55.399 --> 00:11:59.480 they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but 00:11:59.480 --> 00:12:04.450 the bad tree bears bad fruit. fruit. A good tree 00:12:04.450 --> 00:12:07.889 cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree 00:12:07.889 --> 00:12:12.509 produce good fruit. Every tree that does not 00:12:12.509 --> 00:12:15.629 bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the 00:12:15.629 --> 00:12:19.649 fire. So then you will know them by their fruits. 00:12:20.730 --> 00:12:23.129 Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord, will 00:12:23.129 --> 00:12:25.850 enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does 00:12:25.850 --> 00:12:30.159 the will of my Father who is in heaven will enter. 00:12:30.360 --> 00:12:32.980 Many will say to me on that day, Lord, Lord, 00:12:33.159 --> 00:12:36.000 did we not prophesy in your name and in your 00:12:36.000 --> 00:12:38.720 name cast out demons and in your name perform 00:12:38.720 --> 00:12:42.659 many miracles? And then I will declare to them, 00:12:42.820 --> 00:12:48.860 I never knew you. Depart from me, you who practice 00:12:48.860 --> 00:12:53.539 lawlessness. Oh man, can you imagine the heartache, 00:12:53.639 --> 00:12:57.519 the terror. Of hearing those words from the Lord 00:12:57.519 --> 00:13:04.139 on that final day. In James chapter 2. The brother 00:13:04.139 --> 00:13:06.200 of our Lord argues that works must accompany 00:13:06.200 --> 00:13:10.740 genuine saving faith. That works must accompany 00:13:10.740 --> 00:13:15.639 genuine saving faith. In verse 17 of that chapter 00:13:15.639 --> 00:13:21.019 he writes. Even so faith if it has no works is 00:13:21.019 --> 00:13:26.149 dead being by itself. Even John. Whom we refer 00:13:26.149 --> 00:13:30.029 to as the apostle of love. Talked about this. 00:13:30.429 --> 00:13:34.629 He wrote about this. In 1st John. Chapter 2. 00:13:34.730 --> 00:13:40.129 Let's turn there. 1st 2nd Peter. 1st 2nd 3rd 00:13:40.129 --> 00:13:45.529 John. You guys know where they're at. 1st John 00:13:45.529 --> 00:13:50.809 chapter 2. Verses 3 through 6. By this we know 00:13:50.809 --> 00:13:55.850 that we have come to know him. If. We keep his 00:13:55.850 --> 00:13:59.590 commandments. The one who says, I have come to 00:13:59.590 --> 00:14:02.049 know him, and does not keep his commandments 00:14:02.049 --> 00:14:06.429 is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoever 00:14:06.429 --> 00:14:09.629 keeps his word, in him the love of God has truly 00:14:09.629 --> 00:14:13.169 been perfected. By this we know that we are in 00:14:13.169 --> 00:14:16.549 him. The one who says he abides in him ought 00:14:16.549 --> 00:14:21.730 himself to walk in the same manner as he walked. 00:14:24.269 --> 00:14:30.929 This is not merely about inconsistency. This 00:14:30.929 --> 00:14:37.470 is a matter of denial. Think back to verse 16 00:14:37.470 --> 00:14:42.350 there. They profess to know God, but by their 00:14:42.350 --> 00:14:48.990 deeds they deny Him. Having the right words with 00:14:48.990 --> 00:14:57.389 the wrong life is not sound practice. It is a 00:14:57.389 --> 00:15:02.590 denial, a repudiation of sound doctrine. Let 00:15:02.590 --> 00:15:06.730 me say that one more time. Having the right words 00:15:06.730 --> 00:15:14.769 with the wrong life is not sound doctrine. It 00:15:14.769 --> 00:15:20.769 is a denial of sound doctrine. Because what you're 00:15:20.769 --> 00:15:25.360 doing is claiming to know God. but denying his 00:15:25.360 --> 00:15:34.259 power in your life. In Titus chapter 2 and verse 00:15:34.259 --> 00:15:39.320 1, the juxtaposition, the contrast, comes into 00:15:39.320 --> 00:15:42.659 view, as Paul says, but as for you, speak the 00:15:42.659 --> 00:15:46.480 things which are fitting for sound doctrine. 00:15:46.860 --> 00:15:50.100 In other words, don't just produce people, because 00:15:50.100 --> 00:15:53.159 of course, obviously, Paul is speaking to Titus 00:15:53.159 --> 00:15:57.139 in this pastoral epistle as Titus is ministering 00:15:57.139 --> 00:15:59.759 to the churches on the island of Crete, a place 00:15:59.759 --> 00:16:01.759 where the gospel certainly shined brightly because 00:16:01.759 --> 00:16:08.799 it was such a hellscape, right? So he's giving 00:16:08.799 --> 00:16:11.700 him this admonition as a minister of the gospel, 00:16:11.899 --> 00:16:15.460 but as for you, speak the things which are fitting 00:16:15.460 --> 00:16:18.019 for sound doctrine. Don't just produce people 00:16:18.019 --> 00:16:21.879 who say the right things. Let me tell you, let 00:16:21.879 --> 00:16:27.509 me tell you. This is an easy trap into which 00:16:27.509 --> 00:16:32.409 we can fall. And we can do it very subtly and 00:16:32.409 --> 00:16:37.669 not even notice that we've done it. Don't just 00:16:37.669 --> 00:16:40.889 produce people who say the right things. Build 00:16:40.889 --> 00:16:48.730 a church where the doctrine is visible in people's 00:16:48.730 --> 00:16:55.279 lives. That phrase, but as for you, heightens 00:16:55.279 --> 00:16:57.700 our awareness of the contrast Paul is making 00:16:57.700 --> 00:17:01.159 at the outset of chapter 2. In chapter 1, you 00:17:01.159 --> 00:17:03.120 remember it's just been a few weeks ago, so it's 00:17:03.120 --> 00:17:04.839 not been terribly long. Hopefully it wasn't that 00:17:04.839 --> 00:17:08.500 forgettable. In chapter 1, we saw chaos, false 00:17:08.500 --> 00:17:11.740 teachers, and disorder. In chapter 2, we're going 00:17:11.740 --> 00:17:16.000 to see order, clarity, and healthy gospel -centered 00:17:16.000 --> 00:17:21.839 living. A church whose people are marked by godliness. 00:17:23.079 --> 00:17:26.019 This is the core concept of our study, not only 00:17:26.019 --> 00:17:29.559 today, and I've mentioned this before, but throughout 00:17:29.559 --> 00:17:32.519 the entire letter. Sound doctrine is not merely 00:17:32.519 --> 00:17:35.579 correct thinking or proper understanding. These 00:17:35.579 --> 00:17:39.019 words carry the idea of health and sincerity 00:17:39.019 --> 00:17:42.519 of faith. Sound doctrine produces spiritual health, 00:17:42.680 --> 00:17:45.799 moral clarity, godly living. just as Paul wrote 00:17:45.799 --> 00:17:48.819 to Timothy in 1 Timothy 1 .5, another of the 00:17:48.819 --> 00:17:52.220 pastoral epistles. But the goal of our instruction 00:17:52.220 --> 00:17:57.039 is love from a pure heart and a good conscience 00:17:57.039 --> 00:18:02.359 and a sincere faith. So here's the primary principle 00:18:02.359 --> 00:18:05.759 of our study. Sound doctrine is not proven by 00:18:05.759 --> 00:18:10.589 how loudly or passionately it is declared. Rather, 00:18:10.710 --> 00:18:15.349 it is proven by how clearly it is displayed in 00:18:15.349 --> 00:18:21.970 our lives. Borrowing Paul's words from verse 00:18:21.970 --> 00:18:24.329 10, which we'll handle near the end of the message 00:18:24.329 --> 00:18:28.490 today, and really using them to entitle the sermon, 00:18:28.670 --> 00:18:32.549 borrowing Paul's words there in verse 10, adorn 00:18:32.549 --> 00:18:37.579 the doctrine of God. Adorn the doctrine of God, 00:18:37.660 --> 00:18:43.339 beautify the doctrine of God, which we claim 00:18:43.339 --> 00:18:49.680 to believe. Our good deeds must adorn, they must 00:18:49.680 --> 00:18:53.339 beautify the doctrine of God and his gospel of 00:18:53.339 --> 00:18:58.660 grace in Christ Jesus. Now to demonstrate this, 00:18:58.740 --> 00:19:00.980 Paul structures the church in a very practical 00:19:00.980 --> 00:19:04.339 way. It's extremely helpful because we can identify 00:19:04.339 --> 00:19:08.519 to it. even these 2 ,000 years later. He moves 00:19:08.519 --> 00:19:12.140 through age and gender to show us that godliness 00:19:12.140 --> 00:19:18.000 is not an abstract concept. It is not ethereal. 00:19:18.099 --> 00:19:20.500 I love that word because it just makes me think 00:19:20.500 --> 00:19:24.000 of something that's just floating around. Godliness 00:19:24.000 --> 00:19:30.660 is not abstract. It is practical. It is lived 00:19:30.660 --> 00:19:35.009 out in every age and every stage of life. And 00:19:35.009 --> 00:19:38.170 Paul begins with older men in verse 2. Look there 00:19:38.170 --> 00:19:40.450 with me again. Older men are to be temperate, 00:19:40.450 --> 00:19:42.650 dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, 00:19:42.769 --> 00:19:45.730 in perseverance. The pattern of godliness and 00:19:45.730 --> 00:19:48.369 good deeds in older men. Older men, this is for 00:19:48.369 --> 00:19:51.049 you. I'm not going to count myself in that category 00:19:51.049 --> 00:19:54.410 just yet. The pattern of godliness and good deeds 00:19:54.410 --> 00:19:57.210 in older men should be marked by character and 00:19:57.210 --> 00:20:01.130 stability. I'm just kidding. I probably do fall 00:20:01.130 --> 00:20:05.640 into this category. They should be sober -minded, 00:20:05.839 --> 00:20:11.700 dignified, self -controlled, doctrinally and 00:20:11.700 --> 00:20:16.740 spiritually stable. They should exercise and 00:20:16.740 --> 00:20:20.160 exemplify these virtues for the benefit and edification 00:20:20.160 --> 00:20:26.380 of the whole church. Older men, do not forget 00:20:26.380 --> 00:20:29.980 this. It seems so weird to say this to a group 00:20:29.980 --> 00:20:31.799 of men who are all about the same age as me. 00:20:33.960 --> 00:20:40.559 You are here for the benefit of the body. You 00:20:40.559 --> 00:20:47.099 are meant to bring stability to this body. You 00:20:47.099 --> 00:20:54.799 have a purpose to serve. We should exercise and 00:20:54.799 --> 00:21:00.049 exemplify these values, these virtues. Paul writes 00:21:00.049 --> 00:21:03.589 in 1 Corinthians 16, 13, be on the alert, stand 00:21:03.589 --> 00:21:05.849 firm in the faith. Does anybody know the next 00:21:05.849 --> 00:21:15.809 line? Act like men. Be strong. There you go. 00:21:15.910 --> 00:21:18.710 For everybody who's worried about biblical masculinity, 00:21:19.250 --> 00:21:23.730 there you have it. If you're a man, you should 00:21:23.730 --> 00:21:34.319 be strong. Right? In 1 Thessalonians 5, 6 we 00:21:34.319 --> 00:21:37.200 read, So then let us not sleep as others do, 00:21:37.359 --> 00:21:43.940 but let us be alert and sober. Be strong, be 00:21:43.940 --> 00:21:49.579 alert, be sober. Older men bear the responsibility 00:21:49.579 --> 00:21:52.299 of guiding the church and remaining vigilant 00:21:52.299 --> 00:21:57.039 on her behalf. Sound doctrine with which the 00:21:57.039 --> 00:22:00.140 older men of the church have become so well acquainted. 00:22:00.599 --> 00:22:07.240 produces stability, not volatility. You get on 00:22:07.240 --> 00:22:10.480 a hobby horse with a particular doctrine, that's 00:22:10.480 --> 00:22:13.440 all well and good. There's certainly nothing 00:22:13.440 --> 00:22:16.180 wrong with getting excited about what Scripture 00:22:16.180 --> 00:22:19.539 teaches, both in principle and in precept. That 00:22:19.539 --> 00:22:24.400 is a wonderful thing. But even if you are right 00:22:24.400 --> 00:22:27.039 about your doctrine and you bring it into the 00:22:27.039 --> 00:22:31.160 church and you start... destabilizing the church, 00:22:31.400 --> 00:22:36.720 you better start questioning your motives. And 00:22:36.720 --> 00:22:44.380 it happens. It does happen. This is especially 00:22:44.380 --> 00:22:48.759 true in speech and temperament. I say this as 00:22:48.759 --> 00:22:50.740 someone who struggles in this particular area. 00:22:51.819 --> 00:22:56.319 He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty. 00:22:56.579 --> 00:23:00.140 Proverbs 16. The anger of man does not achieve 00:23:00.140 --> 00:23:05.720 the righteousness of God, James 1 .20. A lot 00:23:05.720 --> 00:23:08.599 of people love to say, but it's righteous indignation 00:23:08.599 --> 00:23:12.519 that I have. Zeal for your house, O Lord, right? 00:23:13.259 --> 00:23:16.819 Well, when David felt zeal for the house of God, 00:23:16.900 --> 00:23:20.759 when Jesus turned over tables and whipped people 00:23:20.759 --> 00:23:25.759 and drove them out of the temple, that is righteous 00:23:25.759 --> 00:23:29.130 indignation. But being upset about something 00:23:29.130 --> 00:23:32.349 that is akin to doctrine or being angry with 00:23:32.349 --> 00:23:34.490 someone because they have offended you personally 00:23:34.490 --> 00:23:39.250 is not righteous anger. And again, I confess 00:23:39.250 --> 00:23:41.650 to you that is an area that I struggle with myself. 00:23:45.430 --> 00:23:48.410 To rightly adorn the doctrine of God, older men 00:23:48.410 --> 00:23:51.789 should serve as anchors. They should serve as 00:23:51.789 --> 00:23:56.130 pillars, as stabilizing forces in the church. 00:23:59.019 --> 00:24:01.480 This is a direct contrast to the false teachers 00:24:01.480 --> 00:24:06.079 in Titus 1 .11 who must be silenced because they're 00:24:06.079 --> 00:24:08.859 doing what? Do you remember that? Because they 00:24:08.859 --> 00:24:13.779 are upsetting whole families. The type of man 00:24:13.779 --> 00:24:18.119 who runs around upsetting whole families is not 00:24:18.119 --> 00:24:21.920 a man who is adorning the doctrine of God. You 00:24:21.920 --> 00:24:26.259 are not beautifying the gospel when you upset 00:24:26.259 --> 00:24:35.819 families. with your teaching. Similarly, Paul 00:24:35.819 --> 00:24:38.400 has directions for older women. That's in verse 00:24:38.400 --> 00:24:42.079 3. Older women likewise are to be reverent in 00:24:42.079 --> 00:24:44.519 their behavior, not malicious gossips, nor enslaved 00:24:44.519 --> 00:24:49.279 to much wine, teaching what is good. Now there's 00:24:49.279 --> 00:24:53.380 definitely a direct connection between it and 00:24:53.380 --> 00:24:56.849 the following verses. But we're going to stop 00:24:56.849 --> 00:24:58.890 with verse 3 for just a moment and deal with 00:24:58.890 --> 00:25:02.210 older women. The pattern of godliness and good 00:25:02.210 --> 00:25:05.309 deeds in older women should be marked by mentorship 00:25:05.309 --> 00:25:08.789 and reverence. They should be reverent, self 00:25:08.789 --> 00:25:12.769 -controlled, guarded in speech, and actively 00:25:12.769 --> 00:25:18.140 discipling the younger women of the church. Looking 00:25:18.140 --> 00:25:22.460 at Ephesians 4 .29, let no unwholesome word proceed 00:25:22.460 --> 00:25:25.700 from your mouth, but only such a word as is good 00:25:25.700 --> 00:25:28.039 for edification according to the need of the 00:25:28.039 --> 00:25:31.880 moment so that it will give grace to those who 00:25:31.880 --> 00:25:38.720 hear. Some of these verses were pretty easy to 00:25:38.720 --> 00:25:42.299 think up because my mom used to really drive 00:25:42.299 --> 00:25:46.059 them into me as a young child and a young man. 00:25:47.049 --> 00:25:51.690 When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable. 00:25:52.970 --> 00:25:58.910 Where words abound, sin abounds. When there are 00:25:58.910 --> 00:26:02.509 many words, transgression is unavoidable. But 00:26:02.509 --> 00:26:09.170 he who restrains his lips is wise. Proverbs 10, 00:26:09.230 --> 00:26:15.819 19. Godly living requires holy speech. and self 00:26:15.819 --> 00:26:19.779 -control. It requires holy speech and self -control. 00:26:19.980 --> 00:26:24.579 And don't think I did not feel conviction as 00:26:24.579 --> 00:26:28.180 I was writing these words down on this piece 00:26:28.180 --> 00:26:31.359 of paper, or typing onto my computer, and then 00:26:31.359 --> 00:26:35.150 onto a piece of paper. Godly living requires 00:26:35.150 --> 00:26:38.930 holy speech and self -control. Just as the Lord 00:26:38.930 --> 00:26:41.509 himself said, the good man out of the good treasure 00:26:41.509 --> 00:26:43.450 of his heart brings forth what is good, and the 00:26:43.450 --> 00:26:47.809 evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth 00:26:47.809 --> 00:26:51.789 what is evil. For his mouth speaks from that 00:26:51.789 --> 00:26:57.509 which fills his heart. Luke chapter 6. Older 00:26:57.509 --> 00:27:02.450 women, you are not passive participants here. 00:27:05.130 --> 00:27:08.950 Your lives should be marked by godliness, not 00:27:08.950 --> 00:27:13.869 sitting around telling tales and sipping on wine. 00:27:18.269 --> 00:27:24.109 You are essential in the life of the church. 00:27:24.150 --> 00:27:27.990 You are essential in the life of the church as 00:27:27.990 --> 00:27:33.660 mentors, teachers, and encouragers. Next, Paul 00:27:33.660 --> 00:27:36.579 turns his attention to young women, verses 4 00:27:36.579 --> 00:27:41.240 and 5, so that they may encourage the young women, 00:27:41.319 --> 00:27:43.700 of course referring back to the older women there, 00:27:43.839 --> 00:27:46.180 so that they may encourage the young women to 00:27:46.180 --> 00:27:50.299 love their husbands, to love their children, 00:27:50.500 --> 00:27:54.420 to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, 00:27:54.619 --> 00:27:57.599 being subject to their own husbands, so that 00:27:57.599 --> 00:28:02.589 the word of God will not be dishonored. Here, 00:28:02.609 --> 00:28:07.450 with young women, we see the application of godliness 00:28:07.450 --> 00:28:10.529 in their lives. Notice older women and younger 00:28:10.529 --> 00:28:12.829 women, or young women, are linked at the beginning 00:28:12.829 --> 00:28:15.490 of verse 4. The older women, as I just mentioned, 00:28:15.549 --> 00:28:17.170 should be mentoring, teaching, and encouraging 00:28:17.170 --> 00:28:19.670 the young women. This implies that young women, 00:28:19.750 --> 00:28:23.630 deities, hear me for a moment. This implies that 00:28:23.630 --> 00:28:32.480 young women should be humble and gracious. Enough 00:28:32.480 --> 00:28:37.319 to be mentored, to be taught, and to be encouraged. 00:28:38.119 --> 00:28:43.380 Too often, young women tend to bristle when someone 00:28:43.380 --> 00:28:48.039 offers advice or counsel. Let this never be the 00:28:48.039 --> 00:28:51.579 case in young women who seek to adorn the doctrine 00:28:51.579 --> 00:28:59.000 of God with their lives. Ladies, humility will 00:28:59.000 --> 00:29:04.140 take you much further. than your pride. These 00:29:04.140 --> 00:29:07.640 older women have much to say and much experience 00:29:07.640 --> 00:29:11.500 upon which they can draw and they can be of a 00:29:11.500 --> 00:29:16.400 huge benefit and blessing to you. As you love 00:29:16.400 --> 00:29:20.079 your husbands and you love your children, hear 00:29:20.079 --> 00:29:27.190 them. Be humble enough to hear them. The pattern 00:29:27.190 --> 00:29:29.650 of godliness in young women is demonstrated by 00:29:29.650 --> 00:29:32.430 their behavior in the home. Their love is rightly 00:29:32.430 --> 00:29:35.430 ordered. Their primary concern is for their husband 00:29:35.430 --> 00:29:37.950 and for their children. They are self -controlled, 00:29:38.150 --> 00:29:43.410 they are pure, and they are faithful to their 00:29:43.410 --> 00:29:47.490 husbands and their children. There's no mention 00:29:47.490 --> 00:29:51.789 of their appearance. There's no mention, ladies, 00:29:52.069 --> 00:29:57.519 of a beauty regimen. Because they are not merely 00:29:57.519 --> 00:30:00.279 concerned with outward beauty, rather they desire 00:30:00.279 --> 00:30:03.980 to beautify the gospel with their godliness. 00:30:04.400 --> 00:30:07.500 Just as Peter writes, your adornment must not 00:30:07.500 --> 00:30:10.440 be merely external, braiding the hair and wearing 00:30:10.440 --> 00:30:14.099 gold jewelry or putting on dresses, but let it 00:30:14.099 --> 00:30:16.920 be the hidden person of the heart with the imperishable 00:30:16.920 --> 00:30:20.099 quality of a gentle and quiet spirit which is 00:30:20.099 --> 00:30:25.559 precious in the sight of God. For in this way, 00:30:25.559 --> 00:30:28.799 in former times, the holy women also, who hoped 00:30:28.799 --> 00:30:31.779 in God, used to adorn themselves, being submissive 00:30:31.779 --> 00:30:35.099 to their own husbands. Just as Sarah obeyed Abraham, 00:30:35.259 --> 00:30:37.940 calling him Lord, and you have become her children 00:30:37.940 --> 00:30:40.220 if you do what is right without being frightened 00:30:40.220 --> 00:30:44.799 by any fear. 1 Peter 3. Paul writes in Colossians 00:30:44.799 --> 00:30:47.440 3 .12, So as those who have been chosen of God, 00:30:47.619 --> 00:30:51.539 holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, 00:30:51.940 --> 00:30:57.319 kindness, Humility, gentleness, and patience. 00:30:58.380 --> 00:31:04.299 The home is the primary school of godliness. 00:31:04.799 --> 00:31:09.539 And young women, you have the immense privilege 00:31:09.539 --> 00:31:16.200 and responsibility of being the teacher. Best 00:31:16.200 --> 00:31:18.359 of all, when the home is ordered rightly by a 00:31:18.359 --> 00:31:20.650 young woman who loves God. her husband and her 00:31:20.650 --> 00:31:23.529 children, when she adorns sound doctrine with 00:31:23.529 --> 00:31:26.750 godly living in these relationships, the word 00:31:26.750 --> 00:31:32.250 of God is esteemed. It is not dishonored, as 00:31:32.250 --> 00:31:34.450 it is in the homes and relationships of young 00:31:34.450 --> 00:31:39.890 women who refuse to lead godly lives. There is 00:31:39.890 --> 00:31:43.450 no shortage. If you'd like to test this out, 00:31:43.569 --> 00:31:46.009 I guess you can. I don't know that it would really 00:31:46.009 --> 00:31:48.769 be helpful. But there is no shortage of women 00:31:48.769 --> 00:31:52.130 online who love to tell you that they don't need 00:31:52.130 --> 00:31:55.750 a man, they don't want kids, and they're 38 years 00:31:55.750 --> 00:31:58.109 old, never been married, never had a child, playing 00:31:58.109 --> 00:32:01.029 with their cats on the side, and just enjoying 00:32:01.029 --> 00:32:06.309 their lives. Strong, independent women. And yet, 00:32:06.349 --> 00:32:10.289 so often, when you listen to them talk, they 00:32:10.289 --> 00:32:13.430 don't sound humble. They don't sound like they're 00:32:13.430 --> 00:32:17.539 at peace. They seem embittered. They seem angry. 00:32:20.019 --> 00:32:22.759 Next, Paul briefly focuses on young men. And 00:32:22.759 --> 00:32:25.799 this is really brief if you separate it from 00:32:25.799 --> 00:32:29.980 verses 7 and 8. But look again where Paul focuses 00:32:29.980 --> 00:32:33.019 on young men at verse 6 with me. Likewise, urge 00:32:33.019 --> 00:32:38.400 the young men to be sensible. It's brief, but 00:32:38.400 --> 00:32:42.339 honestly, I think it's the way it is for a reason, 00:32:42.380 --> 00:32:47.950 fellas. Young men who seek to adorn the doctrine 00:32:47.950 --> 00:32:51.490 of God are sensible. It's not the first time 00:32:51.490 --> 00:32:55.069 Paul's used that word here. But it is the only 00:32:55.069 --> 00:32:59.529 word he uses when he speaks directly about young 00:32:59.529 --> 00:33:03.950 men. Young men who seek to adorn. Are you seeking, 00:33:04.009 --> 00:33:08.150 young men? I'm speaking to you guys. Do you seek 00:33:08.150 --> 00:33:11.269 to adorn the doctrine of God with your lives? 00:33:12.650 --> 00:33:19.130 Because if you do, then you will be sensible. 00:33:19.829 --> 00:33:27.589 I was a young man once. Some people know. Thank 00:33:27.589 --> 00:33:31.490 God not all of you grew up with me. Sensible 00:33:31.490 --> 00:33:33.630 is probably not the word that most people would 00:33:33.630 --> 00:33:36.269 use to describe me from the ages of about 15 00:33:36.269 --> 00:33:42.099 to 18, maybe 19. Could be 20 or 21. until about 00:33:42.099 --> 00:33:45.019 the time Ashley came along. Then there was a 00:33:45.019 --> 00:33:48.920 rough couple of years of training, and I became 00:33:48.920 --> 00:34:01.779 more sensible by 2032. That word sensible carries 00:34:01.779 --> 00:34:04.619 the idea of self -control, sound judgment, and 00:34:04.619 --> 00:34:08.760 disciplined thinking. The word sensible carries 00:34:08.760 --> 00:34:12.570 the idea of self -control, Sound judgment and 00:34:12.570 --> 00:34:15.869 disciplined thinking. Young men, if you hope 00:34:15.869 --> 00:34:18.010 to adorn the doctrine of God, your lives must 00:34:18.010 --> 00:34:22.130 be marked by increasing discipline and growing 00:34:22.130 --> 00:34:25.750 maturity. A right understanding of the gospel 00:34:25.750 --> 00:34:28.969 and sound doctrine does not produce arrogance. 00:34:29.369 --> 00:34:35.409 It produces steadiness. So many young men in 00:34:35.409 --> 00:34:40.250 the world today are the opposite. They are brash. 00:34:40.800 --> 00:34:44.960 They are overconfident and they are reactionary. 00:34:45.199 --> 00:34:50.099 They lack wisdom to lead their own lives, yet 00:34:50.099 --> 00:34:55.119 speak as if they have authority. They're driven 00:34:55.119 --> 00:34:59.139 more by impulse, emotion, and cultural noise 00:34:59.139 --> 00:35:05.519 than they are by the truth. Scripture gives you 00:35:05.519 --> 00:35:11.289 a better pattern to follow. You are not required 00:35:11.289 --> 00:35:16.449 to figure this out in isolation on your own, 00:35:16.489 --> 00:35:26.090 young men. Don't attempt to do that. You're called 00:35:26.090 --> 00:35:30.070 to learn from the older men in the church, to 00:35:30.070 --> 00:35:33.429 observe their lives, study their conduct, follow 00:35:33.429 --> 00:35:36.409 their example. In doing so, you will grow to 00:35:36.409 --> 00:35:41.309 be temperate, dignified. Sensible, sound in faith, 00:35:41.309 --> 00:35:45.650 in love, and in perseverance. Young men, many 00:35:45.650 --> 00:35:48.809 of you desire good things in life. I guess I'm 00:35:48.809 --> 00:35:53.170 going to get a little pastoral here. Young men, 00:35:53.309 --> 00:36:01.989 many of you desire good things in life. A wife, 00:36:02.190 --> 00:36:08.780 a family, a home. I know some of you long. for 00:36:08.780 --> 00:36:12.340 leadership in the church and in your community. 00:36:13.780 --> 00:36:17.360 And those are good and right desires. Praise 00:36:17.360 --> 00:36:23.460 God that you desire those things. But before 00:36:23.460 --> 00:36:29.380 you can lead others, you must learn to govern 00:36:29.380 --> 00:36:38.170 yourself. To be sensible, you have to to exercise 00:36:38.170 --> 00:36:44.230 self -governance. Don't wait as late in life 00:36:44.230 --> 00:36:49.929 as what some of us older men did. Take advantage 00:36:49.929 --> 00:36:52.690 of the examples that are in front of you now. 00:36:54.789 --> 00:36:58.610 You need to be practical. You need to be reasonable. 00:36:59.530 --> 00:37:03.570 You should be guided by truth. Not emotion, not 00:37:03.570 --> 00:37:07.730 trends, not the noise of the culture. And I will 00:37:07.730 --> 00:37:11.889 grant you, you have a harder time ahead of you 00:37:11.889 --> 00:37:15.050 than I did at your age. You have a tougher row 00:37:15.050 --> 00:37:21.510 to hoe. Because the noise is everywhere now. 00:37:24.469 --> 00:37:27.909 In a very real sense, what I said at the beginning 00:37:27.909 --> 00:37:31.510 of the message, in the introduction, applies 00:37:31.510 --> 00:37:36.530 directly to you, men. Don't be shaped by the 00:37:36.530 --> 00:37:41.610 loudest voices online. Don't do it. Don't fall 00:37:41.610 --> 00:37:44.289 into that trap. Just because someone has a following, 00:37:44.429 --> 00:37:47.130 it doesn't mean they're worthy of being followed. 00:37:48.670 --> 00:37:55.909 You're not lemmings, right? Don't follow the 00:37:55.909 --> 00:38:03.000 pattern of men who speak much but live. Follow 00:38:03.000 --> 00:38:06.679 the example of godly, faithful men like the ones 00:38:06.679 --> 00:38:13.239 you see here, week in and week out. Speaking 00:38:13.239 --> 00:38:16.420 of examples, now Paul turns directly to Titus. 00:38:18.360 --> 00:38:22.139 The example of excellence, which is found in 00:38:22.139 --> 00:38:25.420 Titus himself as a minister of the gospel. Verses 00:38:25.420 --> 00:38:29.079 7 and 8. In all things, show yourself to be an 00:38:29.079 --> 00:38:31.179 example of good deeds with purity and doctrine, 00:38:31.239 --> 00:38:34.340 dignified, sound in speech, which is beyond reproach, 00:38:34.340 --> 00:38:37.199 so that the opponent will be put to shame, having 00:38:37.199 --> 00:38:41.500 nothing bad to say about us. Titus, the man of 00:38:41.500 --> 00:38:44.440 God, is the pattern for the church to follow. 00:38:44.699 --> 00:38:47.559 He must have good deeds, pure doctrine, and be 00:38:47.559 --> 00:38:52.280 dignified in all things. His speech should be 00:38:52.280 --> 00:38:57.750 sound, above reproach, and unassailable. This 00:38:57.750 --> 00:39:01.349 is true of all ministers of the gospel who long 00:39:01.349 --> 00:39:05.750 to adorn the doctrine of God. In 1 Timothy 4 00:39:05.750 --> 00:39:08.510 .12, Paul writes to his true child in the faith, 00:39:08.710 --> 00:39:11.949 Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but 00:39:11.949 --> 00:39:16.349 rather in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity, 00:39:16.530 --> 00:39:20.510 show yourself an example of those who believe. 00:39:21.840 --> 00:39:25.219 In Colossians 4 .6 we read, Let your speech always 00:39:25.219 --> 00:39:29.920 be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, 00:39:30.159 --> 00:39:33.619 so that you will know how you should respond 00:39:33.619 --> 00:39:39.699 to each person. The goal is not being right. 00:39:40.429 --> 00:39:43.869 but being beyond legitimate criticism so that 00:39:43.869 --> 00:39:45.690 the opponent will be put to shame having nothing 00:39:45.690 --> 00:39:48.809 bad to say about us, verse 8. This is how the 00:39:48.809 --> 00:39:50.690 minister, as an example of excellence in the 00:39:50.690 --> 00:39:53.369 church, adorns or beautifies the doctrine of 00:39:53.369 --> 00:39:57.010 God. This is why when a minister fails morally, 00:39:57.230 --> 00:40:04.909 it is such a big deal. He wants to preserve the 00:40:04.909 --> 00:40:07.829 preeminence and beauty of the gospel and sound 00:40:07.829 --> 00:40:11.750 doctrine. So he must live his life in a way that 00:40:11.750 --> 00:40:18.510 no one can malign due to his failures. To be 00:40:18.510 --> 00:40:21.469 clear, this portion is not intended for Titus 00:40:21.469 --> 00:40:24.630 only. Paul has in view other ministers of the 00:40:24.630 --> 00:40:28.289 gospel who will follow in Titus' footsteps. If 00:40:28.289 --> 00:40:30.389 someone claims truth but cannot control their 00:40:30.389 --> 00:40:33.489 tongue, or if they speak harshly, coarsely, destructively, 00:40:33.670 --> 00:40:37.349 or if they live in constant conflict, God does 00:40:37.349 --> 00:40:42.230 not excuse that as personality. That one cuts 00:40:42.230 --> 00:40:47.050 deep. It cuts real deep. Because there are a 00:40:47.050 --> 00:40:49.289 lot of things, even about myself, that I could 00:40:49.289 --> 00:40:52.789 say, it's just my personality. It's just how 00:40:52.789 --> 00:40:57.369 I am. God made me this way. I mean, if it weren't 00:40:57.369 --> 00:41:00.090 for the way I am, I wouldn't be who I am. You 00:41:00.090 --> 00:41:02.590 hear people say things like that all the time, 00:41:02.670 --> 00:41:09.059 right? But this is not... An excuse. Quite frankly, 00:41:09.099 --> 00:41:13.320 that pattern does not accord with sound doctrine. 00:41:13.500 --> 00:41:16.360 There must be no filthiness and silly talk or 00:41:16.360 --> 00:41:18.980 coarse jesting named among you. Ephesians 5, 00:41:19.019 --> 00:41:22.059 4. My brethren, these things ought not to be 00:41:22.059 --> 00:41:27.559 this way, James declares. Finally, Paul brings 00:41:27.559 --> 00:41:32.000 this even closer to home. By showing how ordinary 00:41:32.000 --> 00:41:34.900 daily conduct serves to adorn the doctrine of 00:41:34.900 --> 00:41:38.079 God, by treating everyday life as worship, verses 00:41:38.079 --> 00:41:41.880 9 and 10. Urge bond slaves to be subject to their 00:41:41.880 --> 00:41:44.500 own masters in everything, to be well -pleasing, 00:41:44.519 --> 00:41:47.320 not argumentative, not pilfering, but showing 00:41:47.320 --> 00:41:50.619 all good faith so that they will adorn the doctrine 00:41:50.619 --> 00:41:57.579 of God our Savior in every respect. Even in ordinary, 00:41:57.940 --> 00:42:04.420 lowly roles, like work, authority structures, 00:42:04.820 --> 00:42:10.380 daily responsibilities. We should adorn the doctrine 00:42:10.380 --> 00:42:14.840 of God with holiness and godly living. Ephesians 00:42:14.840 --> 00:42:17.880 6, 5 -8, Slaves, be obedient to those who are 00:42:17.880 --> 00:42:20.260 your masters according to the flesh, with fear 00:42:20.260 --> 00:42:22.059 and trembling in the sincerity of your heart 00:42:22.059 --> 00:42:26.099 as to Christ, not by way of eye service as men 00:42:26.099 --> 00:42:29.760 -pleasers, but as slaves of Christ. doing the 00:42:29.760 --> 00:42:33.539 will of God from the heart with goodwill, render 00:42:33.539 --> 00:42:36.599 service as to the Lord and not to men, knowing 00:42:36.599 --> 00:42:39.420 that whatever good thing each one does, this 00:42:39.420 --> 00:42:43.039 he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave 00:42:43.039 --> 00:42:48.280 or free. Colossians 3, 22 through 25, slaves 00:42:48.280 --> 00:42:50.539 in all things obey those who are your masters 00:42:50.539 --> 00:42:53.460 on earth, not with external services, those who 00:42:53.460 --> 00:42:56.539 merely please men, but with sincerity of heart, 00:42:56.699 --> 00:43:01.460 fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, do your work 00:43:01.460 --> 00:43:03.860 heartily as for the Lord rather than for men, 00:43:04.019 --> 00:43:06.559 knowing that from the Lord you will receive the 00:43:06.559 --> 00:43:09.559 reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ 00:43:09.559 --> 00:43:13.099 whom you serve. For he who does wrong will receive 00:43:13.099 --> 00:43:15.940 the consequences of the wrong which he has done, 00:43:16.099 --> 00:43:21.059 and that without partiality. Adorning the doctrine 00:43:21.059 --> 00:43:24.960 of God, adorning the gospel, beautifying the 00:43:24.960 --> 00:43:29.250 gospel. means that we make it attractive in every 00:43:29.250 --> 00:43:34.849 way possible, even in the mundanity of life. 00:43:36.550 --> 00:43:39.630 We're not seeking to add to sound doctrine, and 00:43:39.630 --> 00:43:42.530 we know we can't contribute anything to our salvation. 00:43:42.690 --> 00:43:47.130 Amen? However, our desire is to accompany what 00:43:47.130 --> 00:43:49.849 we've received with godliness in our lives that 00:43:49.849 --> 00:43:53.750 magnifies and glorifies the doctrine of God. 00:43:54.909 --> 00:43:57.150 Otherwise, we nullify the gospel's effectiveness 00:43:57.150 --> 00:44:00.269 to us by leading lives that betray the gospel 00:44:00.269 --> 00:44:05.989 and prove us to be liars. Imagine a company, 00:44:06.130 --> 00:44:09.769 let's say they chose some virtue as the name 00:44:09.769 --> 00:44:11.130 of their company. Let's take something like, 00:44:11.289 --> 00:44:15.969 how about Integrity? It's on everything, right? 00:44:16.670 --> 00:44:18.670 It's on their website, it's on their vehicles, 00:44:19.010 --> 00:44:22.230 it's in all their branding. They're built on 00:44:22.230 --> 00:44:25.489 integrity. However, in practice, their communication 00:44:25.489 --> 00:44:30.150 is harsh, their employees cut corners, their 00:44:30.150 --> 00:44:33.789 contracts are a mess, there's conflict everywhere 00:44:33.789 --> 00:44:36.769 in the organization, and they don't stand behind 00:44:36.769 --> 00:44:41.050 their products or services which they sell. Eventually, 00:44:41.050 --> 00:44:44.650 you stop listening to what they say and start 00:44:44.650 --> 00:44:49.130 judging them by what they do. That is exactly 00:44:49.130 --> 00:44:53.199 what Paul is addressing here. Holy living is 00:44:53.199 --> 00:44:56.320 the result. Chapter 1, we saw sound doctrine 00:44:56.320 --> 00:44:59.800 defined and defended. In chapter 2, we're seeing 00:44:59.800 --> 00:45:04.699 sound doctrine displayed. Sound doctrine produces 00:45:04.699 --> 00:45:07.940 proper order and brings about godliness in the 00:45:07.940 --> 00:45:11.760 church. Again, we're not doing this to be saved. 00:45:11.960 --> 00:45:14.679 We're not earning our salvation by doing these 00:45:14.679 --> 00:45:17.760 things. Christ did that work for us apart from 00:45:17.760 --> 00:45:20.659 anything we have done. in and of ourselves, quite 00:45:20.659 --> 00:45:25.039 frankly, in spite of ourselves. However, we should 00:45:25.039 --> 00:45:27.260 live to adorn the doctrine of God because the 00:45:27.260 --> 00:45:31.500 grace of God has appeared. Verse 11, verse 12, 00:45:31.539 --> 00:45:34.739 instructing us to deny ungodliness. We'll get 00:45:34.739 --> 00:45:37.760 into that a little more next week. For now, however, 00:45:37.780 --> 00:45:44.039 I do want to leave you with this. And I really 00:45:44.039 --> 00:45:51.539 think everybody should contemplate this. We can 00:45:51.539 --> 00:46:00.539 love doctrinal precision and still neglect holiness. 00:46:00.960 --> 00:46:04.360 I'll never forget hearing of a homeschool mother 00:46:04.360 --> 00:46:08.139 who once said her children had gotten into sin 00:46:08.139 --> 00:46:11.380 as they grew up and left the home. And she said, 00:46:11.440 --> 00:46:16.519 we thought we did everything right. We had reformed 00:46:16.519 --> 00:46:25.000 theology. We did family worship. We thought we 00:46:25.000 --> 00:46:30.019 did it all right. Well, you can say all of the 00:46:30.019 --> 00:46:33.980 right things and still be neglecting holiness 00:46:33.980 --> 00:46:43.420 in your life. Amen? This is common among Reformed 00:46:43.420 --> 00:46:54.889 people. We can win arguments and still fail to 00:46:54.889 --> 00:47:00.510 adorn the doctrine of God. You can be right and 00:47:00.510 --> 00:47:07.269 still be wrong. It's not about being right. It's 00:47:07.269 --> 00:47:10.289 not about winning debates. So I'll ask two questions. 00:47:11.190 --> 00:47:19.900 Does your life make the gospel beautiful? Or, 00:47:19.900 --> 00:47:23.079 do you profess to know God, but by your deeds 00:47:23.079 --> 00:47:27.800 are you denying Him? Because sound doctrine is 00:47:27.800 --> 00:47:31.119 not authenticated by volume or visibility, but 00:47:31.119 --> 00:47:34.659 by the godliness it produces in your life.