We live in an impoverished society! I do not speak of the poverty faced in our lowest income housing estates, nor the areas of the city where one would not dare walk at night. I am not even talking about the rise of ‘work from home’ or the financial struggles faced post pandemic. You would be tempted, having watched the latest news, to think I am talking about the increased interest rates, the housing bubble, the ever-increasing crime rates, or the twisted world of politics – each bringing a negative aspect to our lives, but they are not the foundation of my statement.
We live in an impoverished and weakened society because we no longer have a multi-generational approach to life. Think about it for a moment. The current generation is waiting longer to get married, delaying having children and even having less children than previous generations. The focus is no longer raising the next generation but raising a highly successful career.
With an aging population, the question looms as to who will look after elderly relatives – the family or the state. Even worse than this question is the arguments being posed for legal introduction of euthanasia! Rather than value our elderly, we are seeking a quick solution that benefits all parties except the generation that brought us into the world.
We live in a society who, rather than accepting responsibility and loving a child conceived, is fighting for the right to terminate the next generation through legal abortion. Although Roe v. Wade has been overturned, we see daily protests declaring that it is the mothers right to kill her unborn child if she so choses.
We live in an impoverished society! We do not guard the family home. We do not seek the humble task of raising children. We do not lovingly care for our elderly. We do not protect the sanctity of the unborn child’s life. Our society has become one of self, at the denial of every other generation. Putting it bluntly, we are seeing the death of the multi-generational society that we were once proud of. The impact of this death is profound, every generation is experiencing overwhelming loneliness.
Many Christians would believe, or certainly would hope, that the church is different from our society. Acts 2 and the fellowship of the believers paints the church as a positive loving society. They met regularly, sharing meals together and ensuring everyone’s needs were covered. Nobody was left out, every believer found value and a family in the church. If we are honest, the church today is more like the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-32). Remember the story – the son demands inheritance from his father, caring little about the impact of his actions. In doing so he essentially wishes his father dead. So, the church today, demands the keys to the buildings and ministries, caring little about the generation that built them, wishing that they would just get with the program or leave.
Sadly, the church is no different from society in that we too are experiencing an impoverished culture. Our elderly are alienated as the old guard who can’t get with the times. Our teenagers are disengaging due to boredom. Our families are feeling overwhelmed and lost as they try to navigate life on their own. Our pastors are reporting an ever-increasing pressure which is leading them to discouragement and depression. All of this leads to one overwhelming experience, that of loneliness. Is this how God intended the church to operate? Where is the fellowship of believers?
Take a moment to think about your position in the church. Do you feel wanted? Or do you feel like a spare part? Do you feel valued? Or do you find your voice rejected whenever you dare raise anything? Do you feel lonely even though you are surrounded by people you know? If we are honest with ourselves, we may even find that rather than being a victim of such an environment, we are the cause. Are you the type of person that only knows people in your own age group? Do you know the names of the elderly members? Of the shut ins? Of the children? Let me tell you, if you are that person, missing a whole generation in your interactions, you are not only experiencing an impoverished culture, but you are also causing it.
As we consider the upcoming text, we learn that the church should not only be different from the world, but it CAN be different. When the church truly honors a healthy doctrine of being multi-generational, loneliness is dispensed with, replaced with the love that can only be felt when amongst family. Paul is going to show us that every older man, older woman, younger woman, and younger man is of immense value to the church family. Each have a role to play, each are to live by example, and each is refreshed by one another. As you sit in this church, irrespective of your age, or whether you are a man or a woman, you are valued and needed. More than this, together you show the world that there is another option to being impoverished.
As a church, we will not experience the culture that God intended without each generation and everyone having a solid doctrinal footing. Culture is not changed by a vision statement, nor is it developed by new ministries. It is rooted in each person understanding the purpose they play, and the importance they have in the local church.
My purpose in preaching this passage of scripture is for you to understand that this church should be multi-generational in its approach to life and ministry. In doing so, the church will no longer experience an impoverished culture, but rather will know a rich, healthy, counter-cultural community, just as God designed it to be.
Our passage today, being Titus 2:1-10, is situated in the middle of Paul’s letter to the young pastor Titus. Paul writes to encourage Titus in his ministry on the island of Crete. He does so in two ways, firstly to remind Titus to appoint elders in the church. These elders are to be qualified, leading the church by an example of Godly living. Secondly, Titus must deal with specific issues in the church, namely those who teach a false Gospel, one that requires a works-based salvation. As we move into chapter 2, Paul begins to build a picture of a healthy church, where every generation is valued. Once he establishes this picture, Paul will use the final chapter to consider the character of the believer, being one that is transformed by the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
Last week we considered Paul’s advice in dealing with False teachers when we considered Three Charges for Elders Waging Warfare Against Detestable False Teachers. We learned that:
- Detestable False Teachers must be Silenced (1:10-11). To do so, we must identify the false teachers, then with urgency we must stop their false doctrine.
- Detestable False Teachers must be Rebuked (1:12-14). We must sharply admonish the obvious signs of sin in their lives.
- Detestable False Teachers must be declared Unfit for Ministry (1:15-16). They do not know God, so they must not speak for God.
Having rounded out his teaching on dealing with false teachers, Paul now moves into chapter 2, laying out what a healthy church should look like. As we consider the first 10 verses, we will look at Five Fundamentals of Establishing a Doctrinally Healthy Multi-Generational Local Church. It is through these five fundamentals that we learn the value of each member, and the importance of engaging with everyone in the church, not just one subset of people. Paul was yes writing to Titus, helping him to develop the church in Crete. However, Paul’s letter is also for us. As a church of nearly 300 people, made up of both younger and older, we must pay attention to what Paul is writing. It is the doctrine of each generation taking ownership of who they are before Christ, and their responsibilities to one another that will produce a counter-cultural environment. For our church to experience what God truly wants for His church, we must heed the Five Fundamentals of Establishing a Doctrinally Healthy Multi-Generational Local Church.
So, with anticipation, and a desire to see our church operate counter-culturally and to ensure loneliness is not a feeling experienced by anyone in this church, let us consider the first of the Five Fundamentals of Establishing a Doctrinally Healthy Multi-Generational Local Church:
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- Sound doctrine mandates older men to set an example of a faithful believer. (Vs.1-2)
- Sound Doctrine mandates older women to behave reverently. (Vs.3-4a)
- Sound Doctrine mandates younger women to honor their household. (Vs.4b-5)
- Sound Doctrine mandates younger men to live changed lives. (Vs.6-8)
- Sound Doctrine mandates even the lowly to be gracious in conduct. (Vs.9-10)