Roles And Responsibilities (Part 2) Series

Roles And Responsibilities In The Church

(Part II)

Titus 2:1-8

In the increasingly politically correct society in which we live, there is a push to remove any distinction between the sexes. But there are many differences that cannot be ignored. Consider a few of them:

There are differences when it comes to nicknames: If Laura, Kate and Sarah go out for lunch, they will call each other Laura, Kate and Sarah. If Mike, Dave and John go out, they will affectionately refer to each other as Fat Boy, Godzilla and Four-eyes.

There are differences when it comes to money. A man will pay $2 for a $1 item he needs. A woman will pay $1 for a $2 item that she doesn’t need but it’s on sale.

There are differences when it comes to items kept in the Bathroom. A man has six items in his bathroom: toothbrush and toothpaste, shaving cream, razor, a bar of soap, and a towel. The average number of items in the typical woman’s bathroom is 337. A man would not be able to identify more than 20 of these items.

There are differences in arguments. A woman has the last word in any argument. Anything a man says after that is the beginning of a new argument.

There are differences when it comes to dressing up. A woman will dress up to go shopping, water the plants, empty the trash, answer the phone, read a book, and get the mail. A man will dress up for church, weddings and funerals.

There are differences when it comes to sleeping at night. Men wake up as good-looking as when they went to bed. Women somehow deteriorate during the night.

There is a difference when it comes to the children. A woman knows all about her children.

She knows about dentist appointments and, best friends, favorite foods, secret fears and hopes and dreams. A man is vaguely aware of some short people living in the house.(Source - http://www.pedagonet.com/blog/)

Yes...there are some differences between the men and the women and this is because God created us this way. As you survey the New Testament you will find that there are differences in the duties of men and women in the church. Some people don't like this fact, but it is true nonetheless. God, in His infinite wisdom set in order certain roles and responsibilities for different groups of people.

Last week we began examining this passage of scripture in Titus chapter 2. As Paul continues to instruct Titus as to how to "set things in order" on the island of Crete he addresses 4 specific groups of people in the church. He lays out their specific roles and responsibilities. He describes certain attributes that should mark the lives of the older and younger men and the older and younger ladies in the church.

Concerning the older men, they are to be teachers, they are to be sober, reverent and self-controlled they are also expected to be sound in the faith, loving and patient.

There are also some clear expectations of the older Christian ladies in the church. They are expected to be reverent, truthful, sober and they are to teach. These ladies have a God given responsibility to teach the younger ladies.

We will see in these verses that they are to train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, to live wisely and be pure, to work in their homes, to do good, and to be submissive to their husbands.

Let's pick up where we left of and examine "Roles And Responsibilities In The Church (Part II)

Verses 4 and 5 describe in great detail....

I. The Role And Responsibilities Of The Younger Women - v4 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

Apparently there were some women in Paul's day who had neglected or outright rejected their responsibilities to their homes and families. This is a problem that is present here in the 21st century as well. Let me be the first to say that God made men and women equal. But God did not make men and women the same. Some think that somehow biblical teaching diminishes the role of the female. God's Word never diminishes the role of the woman but it does define it! When it comes to men and women, (older and younger)... you will never find a more fulfilled person that the one who follows God's plan for mankind.

If you remember in the previous verses Paul says that the older women are to teach the younger women "good things". Here in verse 4 and 5 he explains what those "good things" are.