YOUNG MEN MARKED BY INTEGRITY

Titus 2:6-8

What kind of memories are we creating for those who come along behind us?

        What will they remember about us?

Paul has been urging God’s people, who hold sound doctrine, to a healthy lifestyle that’s consistent with the truth we’ve laid hold of.

Teach God’s people to live in a way that’s consistent with sound doctrine.

Began with description of appropriate lifestyle for mature godly men.

Then appropriate lifestyle for mature godly women--urging them to mentor younger women so they learn what a godly lifestyle looks like.

P.S. to last week: Opportunity for ministry– mature women to mentor younger women

                                       –Tues. a.m. “Play Group” 10-12:30

Thesis throughout this section (no matter what group he’s addressing!):

FAITH IN CHRIST PRODUCES A DISTINCTIVE LIFESTYLE!

Some years ago an ad appeared in the Wall Street Journal. N Y photographer offered to follow you around for 2 days, filming your life at home, work, and play, for $500. She would condense film into a 20 minute documentary. Would anyone like to accept the offer?

Most people would get a bit nervous about being followed that closely. However, as God’s children, people are always watching to see if our lifestyle supports what we claim to believe.

We should live in a way that is consistent with our sound doctrine.

Faith in Christ produces a distinctive lifestyle—whether we’re older men, older women, young women, or young men! We should look different!

Next Paul describes appropriate lifestyle of those not yet older and mature,

        but on the path, –who someday will become mature.

[ What should their lifestyle look like? ]        ADVICE FOR YOUNG MEN 2:6-8

4 BITS OF ADVICE as to how young men (and rest of us, with them!) ought to live:

    [Main] Exhortation: 2:6   

        “Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled.” (sensible, wise)

Encourage young men to be Sensible--(discerning) Here’s that word again!

             Same concept presented in 2:2, 2:4 and 2:5, with other groups.

1. SEE YOURSELF AS GOD SEES YOU 2:6

Only personal quality addressed to young men!–especially important for young men.

             ONE single exhortation to focus on! –One for ALL young men!

             Why is THIS one so important for young men?

—see things from God’s perspective

Ability to walk about in world, experience its dangers and worries, feel its emotions, while recognizing God is in control, and understand what He’s doing.

—understand what’s going on around us from God’s perspective

Especially significant because it seems lacking from young men.

Few young people are able to experience life’s pressure and still keep God’s perspective on what’s going on around them.

“If you can keep a level head in all this confusion, you just don’t understand the situation!”

One reason it’s hard for young to grasp: comes from experience--it’s the stuff maturity’s made of!

             I’ve learned from experience, either my own or someone else’s, that it doesn’t pay.

If we could learn while young that certain things that seem attractive are really Satan’s traps to derail us, we could save ourselves a LOT of pain!!

If we could learn while young the importance of understanding what we’re experiencing from God’s perspective, life would be much easier!

                 “Youth is such a great time of life, it’s a shame it has to be wasted on the young!”

Paul tells Timothy to FLEE “youthful lusts” (2 Tim. 2:22).

        Translation puts wrong slant on it! NIV calls these “evil desires.” That’s not Paul’s point!

             He’s addressing natural desires of young people.

                 There’s nothing wrong with things young people desire!

                 But we need a different kind of vision--We need to dream God’s dreams.

                     Paul calls us to pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace. These are better!

                          They’re what God wants to develop in us!

Young people need to learn to ask: “What will this look like from the perspective of eternity?”

If we could learn how God sees what’s going on, it would make struggles we face easier.

When I look for leaders, this is key I look for: ability to understand issues as God understands them, to see things from His perspective.

Few young people are marked by this trait–it comes from experience!

Learn while you’re young to ask what GOD is doing;

        Ask how HE sees things going on in your life!

What’s important to Him? What does HE want to accomplish in our life this week?

    Example 2:7-8a [Paul suggests a prime example of what this looks like=> YOU!! ]

2. [ YOU ] MODEL GODLY LIVING!          2 :7a 

Titus, as a young man himself, should be example for others.

             He ought to demonstrate what he teaches them.

                 By his own conduct, he should show them what it looks like.

        In everything, HE should model good deeds.

The word example is the word from which we derive “TYPE.”

Type = “divinely-designed illustration”

                     Example God planned to teach us an important spiritual truth.

Tool and die industry: describes die to mold parts so each comes out the same.

                              You can tell what die looks like by looking at piece stamped in its image.

In education, term could describe a-v aid.

When we teach children, we try to bring audio-visuals to help children understand the story better.

Recent focus in preaching => real-life examples people can identify with.

That’s true of younger men as well--we need godly young men who model what godly living looks like--for others to follow–what it looks like, dressed as a young adult!

                              --not perfect; just godly real-life models.

                 We need PEOPLE--all shapes and sizes who model godly living!

Titus is a living audio-visual aid, designed by God to help young men understand what God wants them to look like.

God has called each of us as “audio-visuals” to “show and tell” what He can do in people’s lives.

He urges us to a transformed lifestyle, by power of God’s Spirit, Who enables us to present our bodies a living sacrifice, acceptable to God, motivated by gratitude for what God has done for us.

1 Tim. 4:12 presents same idea: “Don’t let anyone look down on you because of your age!

             But rather, YOU be an example for others to follow.”

1 Pet. 5:2-3 tells Elders to lead the flock by example.

[Titus specifically, but all young men--all God’s people!--following his example] should model Good deeds (doing what is good)

3. TEACH GOD’S WORD IN A WORTHY WAY–in a way that’s appropriate 2:7b-8a

Model 4 CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD TEACHING:

        1. Teach with INTEGRITY (Purity in doctrine)

Don’t teach something you don’t really believe, or conduct you aren’t willing to practice.

                     "Practice what you preach"--TEACH HONESTLY

        2. Teach with DIGNITY, RESPECTABILITY

Not long face, sad face or angry tone

“Are you a preacher?” “No, I’ve just been down with the flu all week!”

But seriously, in way that demands respect

I’m concerned at attempt by some popular speakers to be cute.

                              “Cutesy” preaching isn’t basis for transforming a life!

There’s always a temptation to prove our cleverness, and get people to notice us,

Test to evaluate our teaching: “who gets attention?”

                     If our teaching draws people’s attention to us, we’ve missed the mark.

                          Teaching Word isn’t to get attention for US!

It’s to focus people’s attention on God!

God’s Word merits respect.

                 We should teach in a way that provokes appropriate respect.

Don’t clown around about God or His Word.

                          If it’s always a joke, we can’t expect people to respond seriously.

        3. Teach with HEALTHY SPEECH

Such teaching includes sound doctrine as our starting point

It includes everything which promotes good spiritual health

                     —all that is for the total welfare of those we teach.

Paul helps us understand “healthy speech,” referring to “unwholesome speech” in Eph. 4:29: “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.”

        4. Teach in a way that doesn’t provoke criticism– that doesn’t open us up for it!

4. Conduct yourself so that THOSE WHO OPPOSE OUR TEACHING HAVE NOTHING TO CRITICIZE.   Explanation (purpose) 2:8b

When people want to attack us and reject message, we’re prone to supply so much ammunition!

If we want to be effective in guiding people to truth, we must live in such a way that we don’t give them a basis to criticize US

N Y Dpt. of Transportation discovered 4 of top 10 parking violators = ticket illegally parked vehicles.

             4 owed between $5,000 and $8,000 in unpaid parking tickets.

When we preach God’s word, some people won’t like what they hear!

             Such people want to fight back, prove us wrong, or make us shut up.

“It is God’s will that by doing good, you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men.” (1 Pet. 2:15)

“If anyone speaks evil of you, let your life be so that none will believe him.”

Those who oppose our message look for some fault in us to attack.

Paul doesn’t say: “fight back!”

                     He puts responsibility on us.

Stu Weber: a gruff 65-yr-old veteran he met as a 25-year-old seminary student.

    They just met regularly for coffee.   They talked for hours.

Stu mainly listened. The man had turned from Christ and gone his own way.

    One morning he said: “I’ve told my family I may not make it through this next surgery.

If I don’t, I’ve told them I want you to do my funeral.

        You’re an honorable young man and I’m proud to know you.”

We’re to conduct ourselves so that attackers will look foolish when attacks fall on deaf ears of those who’ve been observing our consistent lifestyle.

God is calling young men to live as men of integrity in a depraved society.

Life is shorter than you think!

For Mozart it was only 35 years; yet he left his mark on music 200 years later!

We’ve become accustomed to long life.

        We’re surrounded by people in their 80s or 90s. We think old is normal!!

    But for Mozart it was only 35 years.

        If YOU die at 35 (or 25?!!), what mark will YOU leave behind?

Will the fact that we’ve been here 35 years, or 25, or 10(!), make a difference?

                 Will there be someone to carry on for US, because of what we’ve modeled for them?

History records stories of many who served God in youth and made impact for eternity

I remember a movie from youth: “The Unfinished Task”—missionary enroute to field never made it– killed in car accident!

                 God used his life to challenge many to finish the task to which God called him.

Youth pastor I worked with tells how God used similar film, years later, to impact his life.

Church continues to be impacted--50 years later-- by lives of 5 young men who went into South American jungle to tell Aucas about Christ and never returned.

             They were determined to make a difference!

                 And so, the song goes on . . . !

How about US?!!

    Will there be someone to carry on for us, because of what WE’ve modeled?