BIBLE SHORTS

Part 9: Titus 2

Scripture

Titus 2

¹ But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. ² Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. ³ Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, ⁴ and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 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. 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 Bondservants 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.

¹¹ For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, ¹² training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, ¹³ waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, ¹⁴ who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.

¹⁵ Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.

Sermon Recap

Pastor Sam continued the Bible Shorts series in Titus 2, picking up where Pastor Josh left off the week before. Paul wrote this letter to Titus, who was on the island of Crete building up the church there. After dealing with elders in chapter 1, Paul turns to how ordinary Christians should live godly lives in a culture known, in the Cretans' own words, for being lazy gluttons and liars. Pastor Sam worked through the chapter using three questions: why godly living matters, what it looks like, and how we actually do it.

On why it matters, Pastor Sam made the point that people can't see God, but they can see us. How we live affects how others view God's word, his people, and ultimately God himself. He pointed to Romans 2, where Paul says God's name is blasphemed among the nations because his people don't live what they claim. This still happens today. Many have walked away from Christianity because of how Christians treated them. Pastor Sam remembered asking his own mom in high school why anyone growing up in their church would want to be a Christian when the adults acted so immaturely. It's been said the only Bible some people will ever read is your life.

On what it looks like, godly living means living according to the whole counsel of God's word, not just the parts that happen to line up with the culture around us. Pastor Sam warned against highlighting only the Christian values that feel agreeable while quietly ignoring the ones that confront us. The two themes running through the chapter are self-control and intentionality. Paul applies them to older men and women, younger men and women, and bondservants. Older Christians are called to model maturity and pour into younger believers, which runs against a culture that idolizes youth and paints dads as bumbling and incompetent. Younger Christians are called to train their character to serve their families and their church family. Bondservants, whose situation was closer to workers than to American slavery, are called to act with integrity no matter how their bosses treat them. Pastor Sam noted that a toxic workplace never justifies acting unchristianly.

On how we do it, the answer is to trust that God is transforming us. The hope was never that Titus was charismatic or stern enough to force change. Verse 11 says the grace of God has appeared and is training us. Pastor Sam reminded us that God already knows we can't pull this off on our own, which is why Jesus gave himself for us, not only to forgive us but to purify a people for himself. He closed with his four-year-old son Caleb's Father's Day card. Caleb didn't draw it to earn his dad's love. He drew it because he already has it. We don't pursue self-control and intentionality to earn God's favor. We do it because we already have it.

One Thing: God frees us in Christ to live godly lives of self-control and intentionality for him.

Discussion
Questions

Connecting

Why do you think movies so often portray older people as bumbling and clueless?
What's a skill or craft where you'd actually trust an older person over a younger one?

Considering

In Titus 2:1-10, what do the instructions to the different groups have in common?
What do verses 11-14 say is the source and the goal of our ability to live godly lives?

Confessing

Have you been highlighting only the parts of your faith that feel agreeable to the people around you while avoiding the rest?
Where in your life is self-control most elusive right now: your words, your time, your finances, your appetites?

Committing

If you're older in the faith, who is one younger believer you could intentionally invest in this season?
What is one area where you sense God inviting you to grow in self-control this week, and who could help you?

Next Steps

As part of our annual theme, Deep & Wide, we invite our church family to go deeper in relationship with God so that we can be the greatest blessing to one another and the world around us. Each week, we will follow up from the sermon with simple, practical steps to help us receive God’s blessing and apply the truths of the gospel more deeply into our lives.