How To Live As A Christian In A Crazy World Series

Titus: Building a Healthy Church

How to Live as a Christian in an Ungodly World

Titus 2:1-10

Pastor Jefferson M. Williams

Chenoa Baptist Church

3-07-2021

WWJD

I had a friend in Mississippi that we will call Larry. Larry was in my Sunday school class and was on fire for Jesus. In his mid twenties with a wife and two young kids.

He bought a WWJD bracelet, very popular back then, and started praying that someone would ask him about it. [If someone ask, you explained the Gospel and gave it to them]

The problem was no-one asked him about it all. His company sent him to Mexico and he was going with a group of guys and we prayed that he would be able to share the Gospel while there.

He also was worried that he might be tempted to follow the crowd in Mexico so we prayed about that as well.

He did fine the whole week, although some of the guys did make fun of him. But the last night, everyone was going out and he decided that it wouldn’t hurt to have some fun.

Long story short, he was arrested for fighting (he was drunk) and put into the back of a paddy wagon. As he sat there, one of the young police officers leaned over and in perfect English said, “What does your bracelet mean? WWJD?” Larry burst into tears.

In the first chapter of Titus, Paul has focused on doctrine, right thinking versus false teaching. This is foundational and necessary to start our Christian journey.

But in chapter two, he will make the case that doctrine leads to duty, belief affects behavior, and orthodoxy results in orthopraxy.

In other words, if we say we are Christians, how we live out our faith is just as important as what we say we believe.

There is something supernaturally beautiful about a church that is full of people who take the call to follow Jesus seriously.

A watching world is desperate for hope and we have the honor of being ambassadors of Jesus Christ to them.

How do we do that in a way that they can see Jesus in us individually and as a church?

That’s the core of Paul’s directives to Titus in chapter two.

Turn with me to Titus.

Prayer.

Muzzle Them!

In chapter one of Titus, Paul leaves Titus on Crete to lead and equip the fledgling churches and to appoint elders to combat the many false teachers whose influence was growing among these baby Christians.

In the verses we studied last week, Paul doesn’t mince any words as he describes the false teachers:

They are insubordinate, empty talkers, deceivers, they upset whole hold holds, teaching what they ought not to teach, for personal profit, liars, evil brutes, lazy gluttons, who focus on Jewish myths and rules made by man, their minds and consciences are corrupt and defiled. They deny God by their deeds. They are detestable, disobedient, and unfit.

Paul tells Titus to silence them, literally to muzzle them and to rebuke them sharply. Titus is to have a zero tolerance policy toward these false teachers.

Sound Doctrine

"You, however, must teach what is appropriate to sound doctrine.” (Titus 2:1)

The Greek begins an emphatic “But, as for you.”

Titus is to live and teach the very opposite of what the false teachers are peddling on the island of Crete.

His teaching must be consistent with “sound doctrine,” in contrast to the false teachers who are obsessed with Jewish myths and rules taught by men.

Sound doctrine in this context is the approved teaching of the Christian faith which provides spiritual health and a solid foundation.

Sound doctrine will lead to changed life that displays the beauty of Jesus.

The New Living Translation conveys this perfectly:

“As for you, Titus, promote the kind of living that reflects wholesome teaching.” (Titus 2:1, NLT)

One commentator wrote,

“To be rescued from sin and death through faith in Jesus Christ must result in a changed life that displays self-control and reflects God loves and grace.”

In the rest of chapter two, Paul is going to give Titus preaching instructions for five different groups - older men, older women, younger women, younger men, and slaves.

Grumpy Old Men

“Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.” (Titus 2:2)

Titus’ first order of business is to train the older men. In that culture, “older” meant over 50 years old. These are the men from which elders would be chosen so it was vital that we begin to train and equip this group to live out what they say they believe.

America is now the oldest society in the history of the world. There are 23 million teenagers and 35 million that are over 65.