Hello and welcome to Wisdom for the Heart with Stephen Davey. I'm your host, Scott Wiley. Just before Stephen's message today, I want to make sure you know that he has a monthly magazine called Heart to Heart. If you've not seen it, we'd like to send you an issue for you to preview it for yourself. Give us a call at 866-48 Bible or visit wisdomonline.org.
Now here's Stephen. If you're going to be any help. to young men You have to. Show them. There's no such thing as armchair Christianity.
Become an example. The younger generation is watching. See, Paul is not telling Titus to call in a few plays from the lazy boy. You know, tell them what they're to do next. He's commanding Titus.
To get into the game. and play out the pattern. of godly living in Flesh and blood. The Apostle Paul has. the signed Pastor Titus to have nothing less than a family talk.
with just about every age group. in the assembly. And as we've already seen together, Paul hasn't pulled any punches, has he? His words have been both convicting and encouraging at the same time. He's raised the level of responsibility for us all, as well as.
the level of understanding. And he's also elevated and distinguished. and applauded the roles of older men. older women young wives and mothers. And now the Spirit of God through the Apostle Paul is going to focus the lens of his microscope.
On to the lives of young men. As we've already noted together, This age group which would probably in the mind of Paul be about 49 and down. is virtually hanging in the balance. There's a dearth of leadership. In the Christian community, I've often Had conversations with the kind of men that we'll have this summer that you've seen in your brochure, leaders out there.
We talk about the dearth of. leadership, the lack of Of candidates to take posts of leadership in Christian ministries and churches. in this particular age group. Young men between the ages we've noticed are especially vulnerable in our culture today. They have many of them been placed on spiritual and emotional Life support.
The condition is critical. Many of them may never be able to breathe on their own. In fact, one of the most endangered species within the ministry of the church. is a vitally engaged Responsibly active, spiritually maturing young man. For the most part, they've grown up.
without godly men as fathers. More than that, I should say more than ever, the distractions of our digressing culture. are claiming more and more of the attention. of this core member of the family. The young men.
One article I read recently, in fact, several articles have just come out, USA Today this past week. CNN just this past week with an article called The Demise of Guys. I mean, all of it illustrative of what we've been talking about. And if CNN understands it, you know that it must be obvious. One article I read recently recorded some statistics that single young men are wandering in a prolonged phase of adolescence.
And I've mentioned that even the Academy of Sciences has stretched that age of adolescence between now the onset of puberty and the age of 34. One author writes, And a secular writer, by the way.
Well, once upon a time The subject of video games was something relative to young boys and young girls. But those boys have grown up to become child man gamers. Turning a small niche industry into a $12 billion a year powerhouse. It goes on to say: men between the ages of 18 and 34 are now. the biggest gamers of all, according to Nielsen Media.
And almost half of them in that category are playing on average two hours and 43 minutes a day. which is 13 minutes longer than 12 to 17 year olds. who evidently have some chores to finish. The author went on to analyze these trends among 18 to 34-year-olds and then offered a hopeful challenge without really knowing it. Especially for those within the church, even though this was a secular Author and article.
But I found it interesting that this author summarized by writing, and I quote, with no one to challenge younger men to deep connections. They swim across life's surfaces without diving deeper. Get this. Young men need a culture. that can help them define worthy aspirations.
Hello? And note this last sentence because you see, adults do not emerge. They are made. See, long before the 21st century arrived with all of its advancements and technologies and games and corruptions and distractions and digressions, the Apostle Paul would have actually agreed square on with that author. Adults don't just happen.
They're fashioned. Spiritual maturity is not guaranteed. It must be modeled. Which is why Paul begins his family talk to young men in Titus chapter 2 by giving Titus a rather loaded command. Notice, let's go back to verse 6.
And pick it up where we left off by telling Titus here to urge. The young men urge. Urge them. This is the same verb that Paul uses in Romans chapter 12, verse 1. I urge you.
By the mercies of God. Present your body as a living sacrifice. It has the idea of pleading. It has the nuance of begging. It's from the word para kalao, which means literally this compound verb to call.
alongside Kala'o, to call Para alongside. Or to call beside. It's a word used in the New Testament for preaching. There's an urging, there's a pleading to come alongside the truth of that which is being expounded. It's also a word used for the ministry of the Holy Spirit.
It's called the paracletas. John 14:16. And also the ministry of Jesus Christ. In 1 John 2:1, which is translated advocate, same verb, he calls us alongside himself.
So what Paul is commanding Titus to do is Has come alongside the young men in his preaching. And in his personal pleading, and the other men with him to urge young men. to live a lifestyle that he's about to describe for us. And it happens to be a lifestyle that flies in the face of everything these young men grew up to know on the island of Crete. And what our young men have come to know.
in this culture today here. By the way, the Apostle Paul uses in this verb to urge the present tense. Which means this is ongoing. This is not a weekend seminar for young men, and there we nailed that one down. This is ongoing.
Because Paul understands that one of the greatest dangers for Christian young men. And every other Christian, for that matter, is not some sudden moral blowout. that everybody notices But a slow leak. that nobody picks up on. See, the enemy is not going to come in here and try to get young believers to deny God at some moment in time.
He's going to try to get them to forget about God. over a period of time. And as the younger believers look at us, the older believers are wondering: have we forgotten about God?
So Titus, this is your calling. Give it everything you've got. As you plead with young men. to follow a radically different pattern For living, and a pattern which he now describes. And I'll divide it into three sections, of course.
Paul begins with a pattern for the way young men are to act. Notice again, verse 6. Likewise, urge the young men to be sensible in all things, and I think that's where the semicolon goes. You can render it. in every aspect of life.
urge the young men to be sensible. And there's that word again. sensible. We've encountered it several times. The elders of the church were required, if they were qualified to lead, to be sensible.
Chapter 1 verse 8. Older men were told to be sensible. Chapter 2, verse 2. Young women were commanded to be sensible, down in verse 5 of chapter 2. And eventually, Paul's gonna get around to commending the entire church body.
to live sensibly. Chapter 2 and verse 12.
So we dealt with the word, but just by way of refreshing our memory, a synonym for sensible, and you can write into the margin of your Bible perhaps, is the word compound word self-control. In all things, exercise Self-control. And one author defines self-control or this word in the Greek language. rather perceptively, he he said this. He said, Self-control is the ability to see a godly goal And choose that goal.
over and against competing Desires. And emotions. And this would be particularly challenging to young men. Who can be impulsive and passionate and ambitious? They're gonna win the world.
They're gonna get it by the tail.
So, self-control is the ability, then, as you pursue that. To discern a godly goal and choose to pursue that goal. knowing that other desires are going to want to get in the way. And you're constantly... exercising this discipline of refusal.
And how appropriate is that? Especially for young men. when their company or their campus is offering temptation with a rather compelling voice. Where they Often begin to study or work away from home and from the influences of the past and their heritage where they haven't yet. taking on the responsibilities of a home or a family.
which depends upon their energy. They don't have obligations yet which tend to anchor their emotions. They have time and discretionary money. which can easily be spent on themselves. They have a train load of confidence.
with only a wagon load of experience.
So is it any wonder that Satan and the world system would collaborate with our fallen flesh. to spend so much time and energy to snag. To enslave To shipwreck young men where they've barely gotten away from the dock. I mean, the world around them is saying you've arrived at a legal age, whatever that means. You're on your own.
You've now arrived. It depends on where you want to arrive. Paul says, if you want to arrive at a godly place, If you want to find life that matters, if you want to follow a pattern toward making a genuine contribution of the gospel. Then let self-control steer. the ship of your emotions and desires, your very life.
And let's admit it, the words self-control aren't exactly representing the most glamorous of virtues. It sounds like medicine. I can remember as a kid in elementary school, they had that self-control section on my report card. I hated to see that grade. Self-control always needed improvement, needs improvement.
I mean, it isn't exactly the most exciting part of life. When a young man matches Passion and energy and vision and eagerness. With self-management. Self-control, something really great. It's going to come out of that life.
I love the way one author, Chuck Swindahl, many of you are familiar with his ministry, on the radio, paraphrased these verses. In this paragraph to young men to read, I'll just read. His paraphrase, Titus, help younger men learn how to apply the breaks to life. Help them understand how to bridle their tongues and control their tempers. Help them know how to curb their ambition.
and to purge themselves of greed. Show them how to master their sexual impulses and how to follow their minds instead of their glands. Teach them to be responsible stewards of money. rather than squanderers. Show them the rewards of unselfish leadership and the folly of self-centered pursuits.
Well put. Self-control. The pattern For how you are to act.
Now he goes on to add a challenge. To Titus, and it's specifically the Titus. But it's really through Titus, who is a young man, by the way. and threw him to the other young men. Look at verse 7.
Show yourself. To be an example. Of good deeds. And would you underline, at least in your mind, if you got a pencil, underline it in your text, those first words in this phrase show. yourself.
If you're going to be any help, To young men, Or any younger believer in Christ, for that matter, you have to. Show them. There's no such thing as armchair Christianity. Become an example. Live it out.
The younger generation is watching. In fact, knowing the Bible without living the Bible will produce a generation who really don't even want to know the Bible, much less live the Bible. If it didn't matter to us. Why would it ever matter to them? See, Paul is not telling Titus to call in a few plays from the lazy boy.
You know, tell them what they're to do next. He's commanding Titus. To get into the game and play out the pattern of godly living in flesh and blood. Titus. Show them.
Don't just urge them. Don't just plead with them. Don't just beg them. Demonstrate what it means to stop playing games. And start living, Paul writes here.
Passionate about good. Deeds. Do you notice that? Good deeds. Happens to be a theme in Paul's letters to Timothy and Titus.
both of them young pastors. Women are to adorn themselves in good deeds. 1 Timothy 2.10. Widows. We're to have a reputation for good works.
1 Timothy 5.10. Wealthy people were to be rich. in good deeds. 2 Timothy 2.21. We're told that the Bible equips the believer for every good deed.
2 Timothy 3.17. Then in the letter to Titus, young men are told To be involved in good deeds, chapter 2, verse 7. The church at large is to be zealous. For good deeds, chapter 2, verse 14. Christians are to be alert and ready.
On go. to engage in good deeds, Titus 3.1. And Christians should be careful to engage in good deeds, Titus 3.8. And we as a church should be willing to learn how to perform good deeds, Titus 3.14. Good deeds, good deeds, good deeds, good deeds, good deeds, good deeds.
Now don't misunderstand the emphasis. Paul is not defining how you become a Christian. He's describing how you live like a Christian. And for those of us who believe the doctrines of grace, we can so overcompensate. For a salvation that is merited.
And there are a billion people plus on the planet. Many more who believe they're earning their way to heaven. Yes, we believe. That you are justified by faith alone. In Christ alone?
By grace alone? We discover From the scriptures alone. Those are the four alones, or the four solas of the doctrines of grace for the glory of God. Alone. Paul will make it crystal clear, in fact, in this same letter.
We'll eventually get to chapter 3, where he says, We've not been saved on the basis of deeds which we have done in righteousness. but according to his mercy. We have been justified by his grace. and we have been made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Titus 3, 5 to 7.
Our salvation is not earned by good deeds. None of us could do enough of them to compensate for all the bad deeds. We're not living good lives. Interrupted periodically by bad deeds. We're living a wicked life.
We're trying to constantly bring under the control of the Spirit of God, interrupted periodically by something good. In fact, if we could earn our way to heaven with good deeds, why did Jesus come and die on the cross? See, Paul is not telling Titus to urge unbelieving young men to live this way so they can be redeemed. He's telling young men who are redeemed to show the world Hell they have been. And that they have been.
Let's show the world another way. to live. And it isn't about yourself. It's about doing something good. for somebody else.
I went on our website. Colonial's website. Just surfed around looking for good deeds. Found a lot of opportunities. Whether it's working with a rescue mission.
Whether it is this bumper crop and Filling bags up for food for those who are needy and along with that will come the gospel. Serving with converting hearts ministries, working with college students, taking crafts and games to a local mobile home park. Serving on a crisis response team. Where, when a natural disaster strikes, this team's ready to go, and volunteers working with them, and you won't believe the agony they went through to be able to do that, all the licensing and all of the governmental codes and regulations. They're finished, they're ready to go.
They're praying for a hurricane to come and can't wait to get started. And then internationally, two teams touched down. I was just told a little bit ago that our team to China just touched down safely. The team heading to Africa, they're still in the air. dedicating their own time and energy and and help to do good things for people who need help.
And with that comes the gospel, which demonstrates the grace of God. who reached us when we could not help ourselves. This happens to be the pattern For how young men are too Act. Secondly. He's going to talk now about a pattern for how young men are to think.
Notice the end of verse 7. Titus, now you as an example. And all the young men likewise. are to have purity in doctrine. Pure doctrine literally means uncorrupted, untainted.
Doctrine. See, young men, young people at large, are more likely to be carried away by doctrinal novelties. Then the older set who've arrived at their conclusions after years of study. And a dedication into the Word of God. What Paul is effectively telling all young men to do then is to get a head start.
Don't assume that one day You'll understand sound doctrine. It's just going to happen.
Now get a get a head start on it. Get started on it today. Understanding Truth. The truth of God's word. And this is not, by the way, knowing some answers to fill out on a doctrinal examination.
This is a reference to literally developing a Christian mindset. A Christian mind. To have minds that are reformed. Paul knew it would be impossible to live like a Christian unless you think like a Christian. Christian thinking, a Christian mind is governed by and determined by directed by sound doctrinal truths.
that are discovered not in ourselves, not in our world, but in this. Boom.
