Stay the Course: Honoring God's Word Through Discipleship - Titus 2:1-8

6:13I'll start with chapter 2, verse 1. And Paul is writing to Titus. This is God's word, by the way. And here's what he says to Titus. But as for you, Titus, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine. Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, and love and perseverance. Older women, likewise, are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips, nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good. Verse 4. So that, that's the reason. So that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored. Likewise, urge the young men to be sensible. In all things, show yourself to be an example of good deeds with purity and doctrine dignified, sound in speech, which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us.

7:18Well, if we could do a quick summary of what we just read, here it is. It's right on the screen. Well-taught Christians back up their beliefs with biblical, or their biblical beliefs. Beliefs with biblical actions so that the Word of God is not maligned. That's the whole reason here. We don't want to be in a situation where others can malign God's Word because of our behavior. Well, our text this evening demonstrates three components, three components, if I can advance my slide here, to discipleship at Emmanuel Baptist Church, much like it was 2,000 years ago. Here they are. Seeing the priority of discipleship. We have to see that there's a priority. Number two, knowing the portrait of a disciple maker. And number three, identifying the threefold purpose of discipleship. You can see where each one of those verses line up with each one. So Paul, in this section of Scripture, he addresses five distinct categories of people, five of them. It's pretty clear. First, it's Titus. And because he's addressing Titus by extension, he's addressing all the church leaders because that's why he's on Crete to train up new leaders for the churches. And so he's talking to pastors in our church. He's talking to elders in our church as much as he's talking to Titus. Number two, he's talking to older men. Number three, he's talking to older women. Four, younger women, and then, of course, younger men. That's who the audience of this is. And I think that pretty much describes each and every one of us in this room. I still feel like I'm in the younger crowd, but I don't know. It's just the way I feel. Well, you're going to see specific actions that each segment of these papers. People need to take three actual specific reasons to take actions in this text. So it's all very important because this church is under attack. This church that is on Crete, or the churches on Crete. You say, well, why is this church under attack? What's going on there? And I will tell you this: this church is under attack because the families in the church are under attack. Who's attacking them? What's going on here? If you would, just focus your attention over to chapter 1. It's probably on the same page as chapter 2. It's a small letter, right? Let me just read to you from verses 10 through 16, and I want you to get a sense for why discipleship is so important because these false teachers are ruining entire families. Here's what he says in verse 10. For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, the Jewish people, the Jewish religious leaders. Verse 11. These must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they ought not to teach for sordid gain. One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, and lazy gluttons. This testimony is true. He's saying, that rumor is not a rumor. That's what's going on.

10:21Verse 13, for this reason, reprove them severely so that they may be sound in the faith, not paying attention to Jewish myths and commandments of God. Men who turn away from the truth, to the pure, all things are pure. But to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure. But both their mind and their consciences are defiled. They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed. So here's the deal: the church is under attack when whole family structures are being destroyed by false teachers trying to make a buck. So, older men and women, you need to hear what Paul is telling Titus here. You need to listen to what's being said. You and I, older men, older women, we have a responsibility. We have a very serious responsibility before the Lord to prepare the next generation with the gospel of Christ. That's our purpose here in chapter 2. When you disciple a younger man or a younger woman, your ministry is really reaching out to, well, it's multi-generational. When you reach a younger person for Christ, you are reaching not just that person, but their entire family, and not just their family, but their children's children. What we do here at Emmanuel affects two and three generations away from us, according to this text. You have a very serious ministry because. What you say can have an impact on the lives of people for many decades. Well, the first key component to disciple-making at Emmanuel is this. We need to see the priority of discipleship. And that's in verse 1. We need to see this priority. He says to Titus, but as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine. The priority of discipleship is directed to Titus by implication, as I said earlier, all leaders, all leaders in the church. And I want you to focus on that very small word in verse 1. The word but. The word but in verse 1 commands us to speak differently than the false teachers in chapter 1. He says, don't be like them, but be like this. Indeed, verse 1, for pastors and elders, they must be those who are speaking things which are fitting for sound doctrine. In order for pastors and elders to set things in order, Titus 1:5, they are to be characterized by speaking forth a specific kind of speech. You can see again in verse 1. In the New American Standard, this speech is a, it's fitting for sound doctrine, is the words that are used. There are the words that are used. If you're using the ESV, it's according to sound doctrine. Speak words that are according to sound doctrine. This speech is, well, it's distinguished. It's suitable. It's proper. It's good.

13:28Ephesians. Chapter 5. Would you turn to Ephesians 5 with me? As you're turning over there, let me just comment that he uses this word proper in Ephesians chapter 5. And if we understand it there, we'll understand a little bit better about this wholesomeness of this word, this distinguishable, suitable part of this word. Ephesians 5, chapter 5, verses 3 through 5. Paul writes to Ephesus and he exhorts them. He says, But immorality or impurity or greed must not even be named among you as is proper. There it is. As is proper among the saints, as is suitable, as is distinguishable among the saints. Verse 4, and there must be no filthy talk and silly talk or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks. For this you know with certainty that no immoral or impure person or covetous man who is an idolater has an inheritance in the kingdom of God. So our focus is on pure, on suitable kinds of speech. We need to recognize that proper speaking is the kind of action that is continuous in this text. And Titus, you can turn back over to Titus. It implies that pastors and elders should know sound doctrine, or that they already do know sound doctrine, otherwise they ought not to be there and are always able to articulate sound doctrine. Well, just what is sound doctrine? What is this text telling us? What is sound doctrine? What is he talking about? Well, the word sound is a medical term, and it speaks to a well, healthy body, a sound body, to health. It's a healthy person. Let me give you an example of how it's used in the New Testament in Luke. You don't have to turn there. But Luke 5, 31, Jesus uses this word to describe healthy. Here it is, Luke 5, 31. And Jesus answered and said to them, It is not those who are well, that's sound, who need a physician, but those who are what? Sick.

15:36If you're well, you don't need a physician. If you're sound, if your body is sound, you don't need a physician. Well, that word sound is also used elsewhere to mean free from error, specifically free from doctrinal error or bad teaching. You don't have to turn there. Let me just mention that 2 Timothy 4, verses 3 through 4, talk about sound teaching, free from error. Verse 3 in chapter 4 of 2 Timothy says this, For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine. That's doctrine free from error. Why? But they want to have their ears tickled. They will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires. In other words, they don't want sound, healthy teaching. They want stuff that tickles their ears, stuff that makes them feel good.

16:28We don't see that in Scripture. Verse 4, and they will turn away their ears from the truth and turn aside to myths. So unsound teaching deceives people. In fact, many people like it. They want more of it. And so that's why we read in Titus 1:9 that a qualification for an elder is to be capable of both to exhortation and sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict. As elders, we want to know that future elders can do this. Can they exhort people? Can they encourage people? Can they identify false teaching, unsound teaching? As pastors, we speak a depth of sound doctrine. That's what we looked for. The spiritual depth of people will be so great that God will use them to create an expansiveness, a breadth of the church that's important as we reach out to God's people. So the priority of discipleship starts with the pastors and the elders, the leaders of Emmanuel, and it's self-evident that as the shepherds go, so go the people. If the pastors and the leaders are weak at Emmanuel, so go our people. We can't allow that to happen. We all have to be growing in Christ. Well, for this reason, we must have a crystal-clear picture of what a godly disciple maker looks like. So that brings us to our second key component. Knowing the portrait of a disciple maker, knowing the portrait of a disciple maker. What does a godly disciple maker look like? Well, a key component to making disciples is to know what this person, what the makeup of this person is. And so we see that he addresses two kinds of disciple makers in this text. It's pretty simple, it's in the text. First, he addresses older men, and then he addresses older women. Now, Paul uses this word older, and it speaks to chronological birthdays. In other words, how many birthdays has this person had? And back in those days, when they were talking about older men or older women, they were starting somewhere right about the age of 50. Now, don't approach this text and think, well, I'm a long way from 50. I don't have to disciple anybody. What he's saying here is, this is what the older people ought to be doing. He's not saying young people don't help people understand the scripture. That's not what he's saying here. You're in the game, too, if you're under 50.

18:59So let's see how Paul details God's expectations for older men first, because that's what he places there first. And notice that the text reveals six expectations. There's six of them. The word likewise helps us to understand something very important here in verse 3. You can see it there. It indicates that these six qualities apply to the older women, too. That word likewise helps you ladies to know that what he's about to say to the older men applies to you too. Okay, so here we go. The first expectation requiring our attention is found in the word temperate. Temperate. Some English Bibles translate this as sober or as sober-minded. It means self-controlled or level-headed, right? Pretty clear what he's talking about. The idea is that a godly disciple maker doesn't behave like a drunk, right? Doesn't behave like a drunk. Drunks don't have self-control. Now, I know this from personal experience, not because I was a drunk. That's not what I'm saying. But I will tell you, when I was 18 years old, I was driving my second car home from work, young guy. And so I was sitting at a red light. I was in this lane. There was another person in this lane. And as the light turned green, we proceeded forward, and there was a car coming from this direction. Had I been a little older, a little wiser, I would have known to check to see if there was somebody entering the intersection. Next thing you know, I'm waking up in a pool of blood. My head is gashed. My brand new jacket is a mess. And I'm passed out, or woke up from being passed out on the asphalt. The drunk driver hit me. He was out of his mind. He couldn't see where he was going, couldn't see what he was doing. In fact, and I don't know if I should believe this, but this is what was in the report. It said that this guy was going after 75 feet of skid marks. He was doing 55 miles an hour when he hit us.

20:51He didn't know what he was doing. He was out of his mind. The idea is that we need to be sober in our thinking. We need to know the truth of Scripture so that we can communicate. Clearly, what God wants us to communicate. Well, a godly disciple maker is like the elder in 1 Timothy 3.2, whose life is characterized by controlled, sober thinking. You might be thinking to yourself, I'm not an elder, never will be an elder. But as a believer in Christ, you need to have a clear mindset. Don't let something like drugs and alcohol get in your way. Be a clear thinker. We spent some time in Ephesians 5.18 this morning in our Ephesians Sunday school class, and we looked at this in that passage where Paul says, don't be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. And he says, don't get drunk with wine, for that's dissipation. And so I made light of that this morning. We talk like that all the time, right? We say the word dissipation. What does that mean? Nobody knows what that means. Dissipation is the extreme opposite of the word save.

21:53In the Greek, the word save is sodzo. In the Greek, the word dissipation is osozo. It means not saving. It means not saving. It means destroying. He says to be filled with the Spirit, not drunk. Well, so that kind of gives us an idea, and that would lead us to our second expectation in Titus 2 for a godly disciple maker is that he and she, or he or she, is dignified. Do you see it in the text? The word dignified? Dignified. It means worthy of respect. It means worthy of honor. It means reverent, dignified. It's a great word. Paul. uses the word as a requirement for deacons in 1 Timothy 3.8. They have to be people who are dignified, who are reverent. Well, there's a third expectation in your text there. Third expectation for a godly disciple maker is that he or she is sensible. Sensible. It also means prudent. We once had a president, President Reagan, who used that word frequently. That wouldn't be prudent. I wish I could imitate him. Prudent is a good word.

22:59Sensible. It's used again to describe godly older women in verse 5, right? In verse 5, women, godly women, ought to be sensible. The word means self-restraint. A godly disciple maker doesn't easily succumb to the allurements that the world has to offer. They're self-restrained. Now, men are attracted. Men are allured by the beauty of women. It's a known fact. A sensible man looks the other way when he's in a group of guys who are glommed on to a beautiful woman looking or walking by. His mindset is, I'm thinking of my wife. I am not going to join them in oggling, looking at, staring her down. I'm not going to do it. He's sensible. There's self-restraint. All right, the fourth expectation for a godly disciple maker is that he is to be sound in faith. Sound in faith. Well in his faith. Remember the medical term, right? Sound in faith. The word sound is the same word for sound doctrine in verse 1. Their faith is healthy. It's an action word. Sound. Is an action word. Older men are to demonstrate a healthy trust in God and a healthy love for others through their hope-filled perseverance for Christ. Perseverance, also in that passage. So their sound faith isn't insufficient. It's not like the insufficient kind of faith exhibited by the people in John chapter 2, verses 23 through 25, and of course, John 3, Nicodemus. were these kind of people, they knew, as we've talked about before, they knew the Jesus facts and God trivia, but in that same section of Scripture, God says that he had, or Jesus says he had no faith in their faith. It's like the people in John 6. They saw that Jesus could feed them, he could heal them, he could do all kinds of wonderful things, but when he explained the gospel very clearly to them, they kept walking away. So sound in faith, insufficient faith knows Jesus' facts and God trivia, but they don't understand the price. They haven't appropriated the price that Jesus paid for their sin on the cross. Well, I mentioned that there's two kinds of godly disciple makers in Titus 2. There's a second category, and it's the older women. Ladies, it's your turn. But look at verse 3 again. The word likewise, we've talked about this just for a moment, but other passages in the Bible translate this word as do the same thing. In other words, take a look at what he just said a few verses earlier. Do those things, ladies. That's what he's saying.

25:31Do those same things. So, for older women, you know what this means? You're supposed to do the same things as the guys in verse 2. So, ladies are to be temperate. Older ladies are to be dignified, sensible, sound in faith, sound in love, sound in perseverance. But check this out, ladies. You get four more things that you have to do. Isn't that always the way it is? The ladies are always given more to do, isn't that right? I hear an amen? Do we do that in this church? I heard amen all over the place. Okay, good. Well, ladies are always getting dumped on, but this is a good dumped on, okay? Let's look at the text. The first expectation for godly women is that they must be those who are of reverent behavior, reverent in their behavior. An important note: reverent describes their demeanor or their behavior. It's not instructing people to revere them, although that's not wrong. That's not what he's talking about here, but that their behavior should be described as reverent. I can think of women in our church that I would quickly and clearly describe as reverent.

26:36Of course, the reputation in the community, in the community, is that they are reverent. It describes their personality. It's the kind of person they are. Well, there's a second expectation for godly women, and it's that they must not be malicious gossips. Turn over to John chapter 8. And as you're turning there, let me tell you a bit. About what we're seeing here. You must not be a malicious gossip if you are a godly woman. The Greek word for gossip here, I just, boy, it just sends shivers down my spine. It's diabolos.

27:14Gossip. Malicious gossip is diabolos. Does that sound familiar? It means slanderous. It means adversary. It means the devil. That's gossip. What a picture that paints when he tells us not to be malicious gossips. John 8, verse 44, he uses the same word. He says, Jesus says, You are of your father, the diabolos, the diabolos, the devil, the slanderer. And do you want to do the desires of your father? He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth because there is no truth in him. Whenever he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own nature, for he is a liar and he's the father of lies. Boy, does that paint a picture of malicious gossip?

28:04Godly women, they don't participate in this, they don't do that. It's been said that men cause the greatest harm to other people by violence, by physical violence. But it's also been said that women cause the greatest amount of harm to people by their words, by the things they say. Ladies, look at Titus 2:3 again. A reverent woman does. Not act like the devil in her conversations about other people. Not a malicious gossip. Nor is she held captive by alcohol. On the contrary, her teachings are what? They're good. They're biblical. They're sound. Her teachings have a godly purpose for younger women. When you talk, this applies to older men too, but since we're in the ladies' section here, when you talk, people listen. And you are discipling them on how to talk, whether it's malicious gossip or whether it's wholesome speech. They're listening.

29:07Her teachings have a godly purpose for younger women. Well, there's a third expectation for godly women that they must not be enslaved to much wine. We're still in verse 3, but just so we're to be sober, as we're supposed to be sober in verse 2, we mustn't be enslaved to much wine in verse 3. I like the way Isaiah puts it in Isaiah 5, 22. Isaiah 5, 22, if you're taking notes, he says this, woe to those who are heroes in drinking.

29:39Woe to those who are heroes in drinking wine and strong drink. That's a pronouncement of judgment. Some people look at that as a badge of honor. That's not a badge of honor for a believer in Christ who are seeking to teach others. And I looked at this passage very closely, and I noted that there's two things he put together. Don't be malicious. Gossips, and don't be addicted to much wine or given over to much wine, alcohol. They're both mentioned together. Paul knows this culture, doesn't he? When we're given over to being drunk, we say things and we do things we ought not to say or do. And he puts it together with the word gossip.

30:17People tend to run their mouths when they're drunk and say things that they regret. Ladies, lives have been lost, and homes have been ruined and destroyed by women's gossip over strong drink. Younger women are hearing what we say. If you're not a part of the solution, don't participate in the conversation when it leads down to a malicious gossip kind of a path. Well, there's a fourth expectation for godly women, and that is this. They must teach what is good, they must have sound teaching. You say, well, I thought the Bible says women aren't supposed to teach.

31:00Actually, Paul writes this. He says, but I do not allow women to teach and exercise authority over men. Yes, women are to teach. He's very specific in the text here about what they teach in this particular text. And we know from 1 Timothy 3:15 that he limits this to how we are to conduct ourselves in the household of God. He's saying women shouldn't teach men or exercise authority to men in the church. That's what he's talking about here, in the church. God requires qualified women to teach what is good.

31:31Specifically to children, of course, their own children, and specifically to other women, in this case, younger women, so that they may encourage them. That's the purpose in verse 4. Well, that leads us right into the third key point or component to making disciples, and that is identifying the threefold purpose. He gives three specific reasons from verses 4 to 8 about why we need to be about discipling and encouraging others. I'll just throw it on the screen here, and then we'll take each one individually. It's about encouragement. Encouragement. We are to make disciples for the purpose of encouragement. You can see that in verse 4, and you can see it in verse 6. It applies both to men and women. Verse 5, we are to make disciples so that God's word won't be blasphemed or, shall we say, maligned by the deceivers who are upsetting whole families in chapter 1. We just read that text a moment ago. We are to make disciples so that the opponents might be put to shame for not having anything bad to say about us. That's in verse 8.

32:39Well, let's look at verses 4 and 6 real quick. Encouragement. In verse 4, the word so that is a reason here, so that they may encourage the young women. And in verse 6, likewise, urge the young men to be sensible. It's an encouragement that goes on. That's why they have the word likewise there. Our culture runs completely counterculture to God's design for men and women. Just as Israel's culture ran counterculture to every culture around them, they were esteemed very strange in their world, so we as believers are esteemed strange in our world. We look different to them. They were hated for the things that they did, and believers are hated for the way that we do things. And, well, they're to be sensible. These godly women are to teach younger women to love their husbands and to love their children. They're to be sensible, meaning prudent and self-restrained. They are to be good workers at home, encouraging younger women to do the same. And then we come to the mother of all political correctness faux pas, don't we?

33:47Well, look at verse 5. Here we go. Do you see it there in verse 5? Godly older women are to teach younger women to be submissive to their husbands. Notice, husbands aren't instructed to force their wives into submission. That's not what he's talking about here. It's not a forced submission. The idea here is that older women are to instruct younger women to voluntarily submit themselves to their husbands' headship. We can see this in Ephesians 5. Turn over to Ephesians 5 with me for just a little bit more about that word submit. And if you're interested, we're going to spend an entire Sunday school class starting next Sunday on this one. Word, Ephesians 5, 20, 21, 22, right in that range, just on this one word. But I'm going to give you a little bit tonight. Ephesians 5, 20, and 21, we'll start there in a moment, but let me just make a comment about this word, submit. It's only used three times in the book of Ephesians. In Ephesians 1, 22, God put all things under the subjection of Jesus' feet, and he makes him head over the church. Now, Ephesians 5, 21 and 22, we read these words. You should have that in front of you. He says this, and be subject one to another in the fear of Christ. Wives, be subject to your own husbands as to the Lord. Now that word submit is applied differently in Ephesians 5, 21 and 22 than it was applied in Ephesians 1.22. In this setting, out of a love for Christ, a wife voluntarily takes the action, she voluntarily places herself under her husband's headship.

35:28Look at Ephesians 5.24. This is the last time it's used in the book of Ephesus. Ephesians 5, 24. He says this, but as the church is subject, there it is, submissive to Christ, so also wives ought to be to their own husbands in some things. No, not that, is it? It's everything. They ought to be submissive to their husbands in everything. Submission is used there in 5.24 to stress the willingness of the church to submit to Christ, which highlights what verse 22. Is all about the willing and voluntary longing of a godly wife's commitment to her husband's headship.

36:09But, guys, there's something you and I need to be clear about. A husband who takes these passages in Ephesians and tries to force his wife to kowtow to his self-centered whims violates God's word and is not loving his wife as Christ loves the church. There's another thing. These women are only required to be submissive in these texts, as Paul puts it, to their own husbands. Ladies don't have to be submissive to everybody, is what he's saying here. Ladies working outside the home often find themselves submissive to somebody else's husband. You know what? The purpose behind this kind of discipleship has an expected result. You can see it back in Titus chapter 2, verse 5. There's an expected result.

37:07This brings us to the second of the threefold purposes for making disciples. Older women are responsible for God, responsible before God, to continue to teach younger women so that, you can see it there in verse 4, so that the word of God is not dishonored. Some English Bibles say that the Word of God is not blasphemed. Both of them are good words. Blaspheme kind of puts it out there, doesn't it? It makes it very clear. The word indicates an intentional plan to harm or, as we might put in our modern-day vernacular, trash the reputation of somebody else, to slander somebody with evil words, incorrect statements. As women fail to love their husbands and their children, the word of God is harmed. It's blasphemed or slandered by rebellious deceivers who are upsetting whole families and bad teaching of theology in Titus chapter 1, verses 10 and 11. There's one popular teaching out there that indicates that young women are the ones who are blaspheming God's word, seemingly, even when they don't fulfill some husbands' cruel commands. That's an awful teaching.

38:18There's a misrepresentation here that has left countless women thinking that they are the ones blaspheming God and are maligning God's word. A simple reading of Titus clearly demonstrates that it's the deceivers upsetting whole families who are the ones that are maligning God's word. It's the deceivers who are maligning God's word, not the ladies. Let me just paint a picture of this in Romans chapter 2, verses 23 through 24. Romans chapter 2, verses 23 through 24, he says this: You who boast in the law, through your breaking the law, do you dishonor God? For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you. So the idea is here that unbelievers. Malign God and his word when the actions of believers don't line up with what they say Scripture teaches or what scripture does teach.

39:10Women honor God's word by fulfilling verses 4 and 5. That's how God's Word is honored. So men, I want you to notice verse 6 because he switches the focus back to us. Paul throws in another application for us guys. In order for God's word not to be blasphemed by rebellious people upsetting whole families, older men are instructed to encourage younger men to be what? Sensible. Sensible. Turn over to Philippians 2. Philippians 2. And as you're turning, now let me just define sensible. Sensible means prudent. It means thoughtful. It means self-controlled. We taught in our household raising our kids that when they got in an argument or fight with one another, we would say, you need to think of your brother or your sister as more important than yourself. Here's where we got that. Ephesians chapter, or excuse me, Philippians 2, verses 2 through 4, he says this, Make my joy complete by being of the same mind, maintaining the same love, united in spirit, intent on one purpose. Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind, here it is, regard one another as more important than yourselves. Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but for the interests of others. Isn't that a great thought there for a marriage?

40:28Be on the lookout. On how to treat your wife or your husband as more important than yourself. Now, that's sensible. That's sensible. When you think of your wife as more important than yourself, you've created an environment that makes it very difficult for deceivers or for blasphemers or for those false teachers to blaspheme God's word because you're living what you say you believe. Why? Because they can't accuse you of treating her like a doormat. Before we get to the third purpose for making disciples, notice what we see in verse 7. In verse 7, Paul directly addresses Titus again. Isn't that interesting? And if he's addressing Titus, by extension, he's addressing the pastors and the elders of those churches on Crete and the pastors and the elders here, me one of them, here at Emmanuel. Look at verses 7 and 8. First part of 8, really. In verse 7, he says, In all things, show yourself, Titus, to be an example of good deeds with purity and doctrine, dignified, sound in speech, which is beyond reproach. Beyond reproach. Pastors and elders of the flock, they need to be good examples, meaning others, so that others can pattern their own lives after them. That's a tall order. It's a very tall order. They're good examples as indicated by their good deeds, by their purity and biblical thinking, by their dignity and integrity, healthy. Speech, which is above reproach, above false accusations. All these honorable characteristics bring us to the last of the threefold reasons for making disciples. There it is. Number three, so that the opponents might be put to shame, not having anything bad to say about us. I love the way he puts that. So that the opponent will be put to shame having nothing bad to say about us. So who's the opponent? Glance back over to verses 12 and 11 in chapter 1. Here they are. For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things that they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain. Those are the opponents.

42:49So we make disciples so that young men and women are encouraged. We make disciples so that the Word of God is not blasphemed by false teachers, and so that the opponents will be put to shame not having anything bad to say about us. So it goes all the way back to the beginning, right where we started, or right? We even discussed last week. Are you faithful, older men and women? Are you available? Are you teachable? Are you ready to take on a Timothy? Who is your Timothy, guys? Who is he?

43:22Younger men, who's your Paul? Are you faithful? Are you available? Are you teachable? Older women. Women, are you faithful, available, and teachable? Who are you pairing up with? Who are you helping? Younger ladies. There's older women in your life, godly, godly women who are faithful, available, and teachable, and they want to spend time with you, but you've got to be seeking them out. You've got to be looking for them. So, all that to say, just like last week, are you faithful, available, and teachable? Women and men who will teach the younger generation.

44:06We have to examine our walk with Christ. Ask ourselves, in what way am I fat, faithful, available, and teachable? As we begin to slowly roll out this plan, this discipleship plan that we're building up, there are many people in our church that know about it. There's this core group that we're putting together. We're going to spend a few weeks together, and then we're going to roll this thing out in March. And we're going to give you an opportunity to go through a process whereby you'll be ready and you'll be prepared to teach and disciple somebody else. It's a very user-friendly plan.

44:41But I want to ask you to be praying about this. Am I, God, God, in all sincerity, God, am I faithful? Am I available? And am I teachable? Am I ready to learn some new things that I haven't considered before so that I can prepare the next generation to trust Christ? We need to be. Thinking about this next generation and how we're going to equip them to be faithful and available and teachable as well. Well, what have we learned today? Let me put that up there. Are you fat? So you can remember that. I understand there was some silly talk in some of the homes this week about that, but in all sincerity, be thinking about that through the week. So, what have we learned? Well-taught Christians back up their biblical beliefs with biblical action so that the Word of God is not maligned. Maligned by the outsiders, maligned by those who would look at what we say we believe and act differently.

45:37We saw that younger women are to be encouraged, younger men are to be encouraged, that the Word of God is not blasphemed, so the opponent will be put to shame because they have nothing bad to say about us. That's number three. Number two, or number one, we saw the priority of discipleship. It all starts with the leaders. The leaders, the elders, the pastors of this church are already committed to moving this forward. We want to be here. We want to be shepherds that are serving Christ and serving you. We take verse one very serious. Number two, knowing the portrait of a disciple maker. Are you faithful? Are you available? Are you teachable? If you're not ready to be a disciple maker, are you faithful, available, and teachable to be discipled by those who are? Well, let me just end the service in prayer, and I'll bid you good night.

46:24Father, we're thankful for this evening. We're thankful that you are a God who instructs us. Our hearts and our minds and our souls. You gave this text to Paul to give to Titus, to give to us. And we can live this for your glory, even 2,000 years after it's written. Would you show us areas where we're not faithful? Would you show us areas where perhaps we're not available? Or maybe areas that were perhaps not teachable? And if we're not willing to be faithful, available, and teachable, would you make us willing to be made so?

47:01That we can reach the next generation? Because that's what this church is here for, Lord. I pray that we'd be mindful of that, that your name would continue to be proclaimed. And we thank you for those who are so diligently serving in so many ministries here, and that you would use us for your glory moving forward. We thank you in Christ's name. Amen.