Manifesting the Gospel in the Manse

Note: Our microphone cut out out on us about 1/2 through the sermon. We apologize that the latter part of the recording is absent from the audio.

Introduction

The Ancient Household

Household and the Fam—Basic Building Block of Communities

Titus 2:1-10

¹But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine.

Contrasting with the teachers causing division at the end of Chapter 1

² Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness.

Way of Life  

• Sober-minded – can have the meaning temperate – cautious in using wine – not crazy
• Dignified – respectable, having character worthy of respec
• Self-controlled – this is a big one in Titus, it would be opposite of Cretan – liar, lazy, glutton…

Way of Faith  

• Sound in Faith, trust in God
• Sound in Love, service to others
• Sound in Steadfastness, endurance, not quitting – HOPE!

Not grumpy old men, but aging with grace in the gospel

³ Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good

• Reverent – respectable, honorable person, life indicates an inner spiritual reality and love for God…
• Not slanderers – this means cutting folks up with your words, accusing people…just an interesting side note – it is also the word, “accuser” – Diabolos – that is used as a noun for “The Devil” – older women, don’t be the devil…
• Slaves to much wine – indicates he is likely speaking to upper class people, prominent households on Crete – that people are watching

⁴ and so train the young women to love their husbands and children,

I stumbled across the information that educated women who are in a position to have a whole range of choices about their lives were choosing to marry and stay home with their children instead of remaining in the world of work.  What they actually had done was recreate the 1950s life. Then I asked the question, “Is this good?” according to the standards of secular Western goodness.  I applied those standards to the decision to stay home and tend children and the household, and I found that they were, in fact, lacking. These women are not using their full human capacity. They are not independent, and they are not doing more social good than harm.

I'm not sure what is going on. If they, in fact, believe the things that they tell me, then they are incredibly stupid and foolish. I'm hoping that they're reciting it like a mantra: "choice, choice, choice, choice," or "I never met a man who wished on his deathbed he spent more time at work." These are mantras that these women recite; they send them to me in e-mails. And so, when the whole society is telling you a set of things, it becomes very easy to just recite it. The interesting question is why they are unwilling to think through what they're doing. And I think it's because what they're doing is destructive and dangerous and they're afraid to face it.

Linda Hirshman, Alice Chasan, "On the Frontline of the Mommy Wars - an Interview with Linda Hirshman", Beliefnet http://www.beliefnet.com/story/202/story_20237_1.html (accessed February 28 2007).

If women who desire to be moms to their kids are called destructive and dangerous we truly live in an age of madness. Ladies, our culture may shame you for wanting to love your husband and children, but let me say this with loud affirmation – GOD says otherwise.  

Older women, teach the younger women to love your husbands and children – love here is not an emotion – it is other-centered action…

⁵ to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.

 Encouragements and Exhortations:

To Stay at Home Moms

• Encouragement: You are not doing some job that is somehow less worthy
• Exhortations: You should encourage and help other Moms who choose or have to work – do not judge them.  Proverbs 31, exemplifies an wife of noble character...and she worked.

To Moms Working Outside the Home

• Encouragement: We are standing with you, our missional communities want to help one another. You want to raise your own kids – do not left lifestyle choices, the kind of car you drive dictate a choice to you – the window of time with young children is very small.  
• Exhortations: Do not look downupon stay at home Moms as "less successful" Educated, professional, young moms who choose to stay at home when their kids are young are doing a good thing.

Men, Young Couples

• Encouragement – Plan to give your family a choice
• Exhortations –Don’t force your wife to work so you can get a boat and bigger TV

Submissive?

• You should be fully on your husbands team...
• Single ladies, if you don't want to submit to an idiot, don't marry one

A Word to Quarrelsome and Nagging Women

Proverbs 21:9, Proverbs 21:19, Proverbs 27:15

⁶ Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled.

⁷ Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, ⁸ and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us.

⁹ Slaves are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, ¹⁰ not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.

The Purpose of it All

• To Show off the Glory of God
• Not as perfect people...but as gospel centered, repenting people being transformed by Jesus
• We can either graffiti or decorate the gospel of God with our lives?

Community Meditations

• What is the difference between living as a gospel centered household and putting up a “we are a perfect family because of Jesus” front?
• What are some of the potential pitfalls of age? Blessings?
• Why is it so crucial for God’s people to invest in the next generation?  Why is it sometimes difficult for the older to connect with the younger and the younger with the older?
• How can living in gospel/missional communities help this?
• If you are married what are some ways you need to apply the gospel in your marriage?
• This passage urges self-control for all of us? Why is this so crucial in following Jesus? Read Galatians 5:16-25—Where does “self” control really come from?
• How can imperfect people still adorn the teaching of Jesus?