The Marks of a Godly Man

Transcript

JR 20
06/18/2023
The Marks of a Godly Man
Titus 2:2-6
Jesse Randolph

Well, it’s my turn to wish all you Dad’s a Happy Father’s Day. Happy Father’s Day to all you men, who’ve been privileged with the distinct gift, the great gift of being a father. I’m sure, as you know, Father’s Day, like Mother’s Day, is a modern cultural phenomenon. The history of the holiday goes back to the early 1900’s. When a young woman, I think it was Tacoma Washington, sought to honor her father. He was a Civil War general named William Jackson Smart, who raised her and her five siblings all by himself. The day didn’t become an official, government-recognized holiday until Richard Nixon signed it into law in 1972 and since then, the third Sunday in June has never been the same, has it? Dads around the country are gifted with new neckties, new grilling gear and fishing poles, and maybe even some socks. As Dad’s around the country are given a hug or a kiss, and some combination of sincere and canned words of devotion and appreciation. Before they send him out to mow or send them back to work the next morning. That’s how it works, right? But seriously, I hope all you dads get the socks, the ties and the fishing poles that you’re all desiring this year, that you’ve been looking forward to.

Well, as you’ve heard me say, now, I don’t even know how many times, over the past year. We do live in a very interesting time. It’s a time in which confusion about gender and gender roles is off the charts. It’s a time in which the concepts of “manhood” and “womanhood” are suddenly up for grabs. It’s a time in which conventional roles for men and women are now being openly challenged and criticized. We live in a time in which women are now leaving the home to go to work, and men are returning to the home to do the work. We live in a time in which, as a result of three waves of feminism. Strength is now seen as this cardinal virtue for women; and softness and tenderness is seen as this chief characteristic for men. We live in a time in which women are now squatting and deadlifting and working up a sweat before they leave for their 9 to 5. While men are napping and nipping and tucking and moisturizing, and swearing that they need 8 hours of sleep, or they can’t function the next day. In other words, there’s a very intentional blurring of lines that’s taking place between what a man is and does and what a woman is and does. It’s been happening for some time now. It didn’t start at Target in June of 2023.

Now, there are many whose antennae are up, and who are able to perceive this. They are able to see how homogenous humanity is becoming. They can detect the ways that gender-bending and gender-blending has resulted, not only in the tragedy of the transgender movement; but in this more subtle drift in the direction of men taking on more feminine traits and characteristics and women taking on more masculine traits and characteristics. As men in this group, this group of the discerning types, and I’ll stick with the men now, since it’s Father’s Day. They see this cultural shift that’s happening all around us. What they’ll do is they’ll double down on expressing just how masculine they can be and how manly they are. They’ll kick back against the culture’s cries for more gender fluidity. The culture’s demands for the ditching of conventional male and female roles. They’ll embrace, these men will, they’ll publicly embody, what they believe it means to be a “real man.” They’ll get into cigars and bourbon and Joe Rogan. They’ll start drinking Black Rifle Coffee like its water. They’ll start joining CrossFit and wearing those tight-fitting black shirts. They’ll grow the beard. They’ll buy the truck. They’ll lift the truck. They’ll start reading books with titles like The Masculinity of Christ. They’ll start claiming that the one thing Christians need to do is take back America for Jesus. Now, there’s no doubt that guys like that are men. That they are real men. There’s no doubt that guys like that will never be confused for a woman. Or accused of being feminine. Which for them would probably be the highest praise you could give them. But is the direction men like that are taking. Is that the pursuit of biblical manhood? Or is it instead a pursuit of cultural masculinity? No doubt, there can be some degree of overlap between those two. But as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, we need to make sure we are not confusing the one for the other.

Now, in our text for today, on this Father’s Day. We’re going to see the Apostle Paul identify several marks of the godly man. God’s man. As we’ll see, there are some points of intersection between cultural masculinity and true biblical manhood. But there are some points of departure as well. We’d be wise to notice the difference. Because, as men, we want to make our chief aim not only to be courageous culture warriors. We want to make it our aim to be committed followers of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Just like we did on Mother’s Day with the women. We’re going to camp out on a single text this morning. Titus 2, you can turn there if you’d like. Actually, not if you’d like, please turn to Titus 2. This isn’t an option. We’re a bible church. On Mother’s Day, we were in Titus 2:3-5, which lays out the profile of a godly woman. Today, on Father’s Day, we’re going to be in verses that both precede and follow the verses we looked at last time. We’re going to be in Titus 2:2 and Titus 2:6. Which lay out the marks of a godly man. To give us some more color and context, we’ll also be looking, as you’ll see, at some of the verses which surround those two verses. So, if you’re not there already, please turn with me to Titus 2. And what I’m going to do is read some larger sections of this text and then we’ll drill down into our passages for today.
Let’s pick it up in Titus 2:1: “But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine. Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in perseverance.”
Now, drop down to verse 6, where he says: “Likewise urge the young men to be sensible; in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified, sound in speech, which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us.”

Now, we covered some of this territory on Mother’s Day. But it would be good to get a bit of a refresher on the setting and the context of what Paul here says to Titus. The context, the historical context, the setting of what was happening here. We know that Paul likely wrote this letter to Titus soon after he wrote the letter of I Timothy. Which would place the dating of this book somewhere around the year A.D. 62. Paul had left Titus there on this Island, this Roman province of Crete. To establish churches. To appoint elders and to himself serve faithfully as a minister of the gospel. We see that over in Titus 1:5. We’re going to be in Titus for a bit here to start. Titus 1:5, it says, “For this reason [Paul here to Titus] I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you.” Crete, as we saw last time, was this mountainous island sitting southeast of Greece. It was a naturally beautiful location. Just like Crete, Nebraska, from what I’m told. Except, unlike Crete, Nebraska, it was surrounded [Crete the island] was, with a crystal-clear blue waters. It was this mountainous island with these deep gorges and valleys. Just lush, beautiful territory. But as externally beautiful as Crete was during the time of Christ and the Apostles. Morally and socially, this island, this area, was absolutely decayed. It was putrid. We see that in Titus 1:12 where Paul says, “One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, ‘Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons’.” Paul there was quoting Epimenides, a Cretan philosopher who lived several hundred years before Paul. Now, what do we know about Titus? The recipient of this letter? Well, we know from Galatians 2, that Titus accompanied Paul and Barnabas to the Jerusalem Council of Acts 15. We also know that Titus was Paul’s representative during Paul’s third missionary journey there to Corinth. We also know that Paul loved Titus dearly.

II Corinthians 8:23 says, “As for Titus, he is my partner and fellow worker among you . . .”
If you look here at Titus 1:4, he addresses this letter: “To Titus, my true child in a common faith.”
We also know that Paul trusted Titus greatly. Because he sent him into an environment there, like the one at Crete, that was both spiritually dangerous and spiritually perilous. In fact, we’ll see that here in Titus 1. We see all these problems and problem people that were plaguing the churches there in Crete. Look at Titus 1:10, where it says, “For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision.” Or verse 12, what we just saw, “One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said ‘Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons’.” Or verse 14, there were those at Crete who were not paying attention to “Jewish myths and commandments of men who turn away from the truth.” That is, they were paying attention to Jewish myths. Then verse 16, he says they “profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him.” Who did Paul charge to bring these churches there in Crete back into line? Titus. That’s what we see in Titus 2:1, the start of our text this morning, “But as for you, [that’s a reference to Titus] speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine. “Paul here was charging Titus, to get these churches into line, both doctrinally and practically. He was charged with bringing these churches back into conformity with what God has revealed in His word. As we work our way deeper into Titus 2, what you’re going to see, is that this first aspect of “sound doctrine” that Paul instructs Titus in, to instruct those in, relates to how the men and women there were to conduct themselves as men and women.

Now, last time we were in this text on Mother’s Day. We went through some of this same introductory material. Then we launched into what Paul had to say to the women, about godly womanhood. Today, this time, of Father’s Day, we’re going to work through what Paul says to Titus about the marks of a godly man.
That’s the title of our sermon this morning, by the way. “The Marks of a Godly Man.” I’ve identified five such marks from our text this morning. Surely there are more, which we could glean from other parts of scripture. But that’s the five we’ll go through today, as we look through these “Marks of a Godly Man.”
Here’s our first mark of a Godly man.

1. The Godly Man Appreciates the Stakes

Look again at Titus 2:1 where Paul says, “But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine.” Titus has been warned, as we just saw in those concluding verses of Titus 1. To resist false teachers and their doctrines. He’s been told about the “rebellious men, empty talkers, and deceivers” who are there on the island of Crete. He’s been told about these false teachers, who as it says in Titus 1:11, are “upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain.” He’s been told that he needed to, Titus did, there in Titus 1:13, to “reprove them severely so that they may be sound in the faith.” Again, he said that there in verse 16 of chapter 1, that these false teachers “profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him.” Rather, they are “detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed.” See, the false teachers there in Crete, were leading people astray. Titus, not only as Paul’s delegate and as Paul’s appointee, but as a pastor, was to do exactly the opposite. He was to instruct the Christians there in Crete in truth. He was to, as it says in Titus 1:9, to “hold fast the faithful word.” He was to, in Titus 1:9 “to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict.” Which is why Paul uses, back to Titus 2:1, this emphatic and strong transitionary phrase, when he says, “But as for you . . .” Paul is saying here to his protégé: They, [meaning the false teachers] are rebellious. “They are empty talkers.” “They are deceivers.” “They are detestable.” “They are disobedient.” “They are worthless.” “They are upsetting whole families.” “But as for you.” With that language, we already know that Paul was about to swing the pendulum in a very significant direction, when he says: “But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine.”

Let’s start with an observation about the verb that Paul uses here, as he gives Titus this command. He says Titus is to “speak” the things which are fitting for sound doctrine. At least right here, Paul isn’t narrowing his marching orders to Titus down to the pastoral tasks of teaching and preaching. Note, Paul here isn’t saying “teach” the things which are fitting for sound doctrine. Or “preach” the things which are fitting for sound doctrine. He’ll give those exhortations in other places. No, he says that Titus here is to “speak” the things which are fitting for sound doctrine. This term, “speak” is a much milder form than the imperatives that Paul uses elsewhere in the pastoral letters. Where he says things like: “Exhort”, and “Charge”, and “Teach”. Or as he does in Titus 1:13, where he says, you’re to “rebuke sharply” your opponents. No, here in Titus 2:1, Paul wasn’t to “rebuke sharply” the church. To “rebuke sharply” the people of God. Rather, he was to “speak” to them. In other words, sound doctrine wasn’t only to flow out of him when, like I am right now, stationed behind a pulpit or a lectern. Sound doctrine wasn’t only to flow out of him when he was standing in front of a crowd. No, sound doctrine was to flow out of him, whenever he opened his mouth. Whatever the context. Whatever the situation. Whether in a home, or a more formal assembly of believers. Note, Paul here doesn’t say “speak sound doctrine”, if you look at the text here. Or “speak the truth.” Or “preach the word.” Again, those commands come elsewhere in other letters. No, Paul’s language here is more precise. He says, “speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine.” Another way of saying that would be, “speak the things which are in accordance with sound doctrine.” “Speak the things which are in keeping with sound doctrine.” What Paul is referring to here is all the practical outworkings of all that sound doctrine demands. Titus was not only to teach on the person and the character of God, and on the reality of sin, and on the hope of the gospel, and what it means to repent and believe in the gospel. Rather, he was to teach all of “those things which are fitting” for those truths. Which are in accordance with those truths. Meaning, the practical duties which flow out of and stem from those truths. He was never to lose sight of the fact that there is this unbreakable link between Christian doctrine and Christian duty. Which is such an important reminder for all of us here this morning. That our lives and our conduct and our practices ought to flow directly out of what we know to be true.

Now, a few more observations about this word, or these words “sound doctrine.” First, that word “doctrine” there, simply means “teaching.” Now, in our modern day of systematic theology, and systematizing theology. What we’re studying on Sunday nights, we automatically see that word “doctrine”, and we think theology. The two words are used synonymously in our day. Well here, the word literally means “teaching.” Paul is not saying, fitting for systematic theology. He’s saying fitting for sound “teaching.” Second, and then that word “sound”, the word that modifies the word “doctrine” here. That word literally means “healthy” or “fit” or “whole.” The Greek word that underlies our word “sound” here, is the word from which we get our English word “hygiene”, healthy. That word is often used, this word “sound” here, in the Gospels of people who were healed of some form of defect or infirmity. Such as the woman who was bleeding internally. Or the man at the pool of Bethesda. Or the lame beggar outside the temple of Jerusalem. Each one of those individuals was healed. They were made healthy. They were made whole. It’s the same idea, the same word here. In Paul’s pastoral letters, that word “healthy”, “sound”, refers to “sound teaching”, “sound doctrine”, “biblical teaching.” That which is “healthy teaching”, “wholesome teaching.” As opposed to the “deceiving”, “sick” teaching of the false teachers here in Crete. Third, another observation about these words “sound doctrine”, or “healthy teaching.” You don’t see it in your English bibles here. But in the Greek New Testament, there’s a definite article, meaning the word “the” . . . before those words “sound doctrine.” So, literally, in Greek, it says “Speak the things which are fitting for the sound doctrine.” That’s significant because what it’s saying here, is that Paul is identifying a singular, identifiable body of teaching that Titus was to teach. He was to “teach” or “speak, “the sound doctrine.” He was to speak of “the” one true God and of “the” gospel and of “the” Christ and “the” way of salvation. Whereas the false teachers here at Crete were making all these empty professions and deceiving statements. Titus was to be diligent to speak up. To speak clearly. To speak effectively. To speak those things which were in accordance with “the” sound doctrine. To teach both doctrine and duty. All those things, as it says here, which were “fitting for sound doctrine.” That includes, as we’re about to see, the practical aspect of sound doctrine. The practical aspect of healthy teaching of God’s design and purpose for them here in Crete, as men and as women.

That brings us back to our first heading here. The first point for this morning’s sermon, as we consider the marks of a godly man. That first “mark” being that he understands the stakes. He understands that sound doctrine and healthy teaching is important. He understands that it is important to have the right view of the Trinity. The right view of mankind and sin. The virgin birth of Christ. The penal substitutionary atoning death of Christ. The deity of the Holy Spirit. The inerrancy of the word. But he also understands that no less doctrinal, is the manner in which God wants him to live and to function as a man. He understands that how he communes with his God. How he loves his wife. How he serves and trains up his children. How he serves in the church. How he represents Christ in the workplace. All those matters are fundamentally doctrinal.

So that’s one mark, the first mark of the godly man that we see in our text here. He understands the stakes. The next mark of the godly man, and our second point this morning is that:

2. The Godly Man Understands The Standards

The godly man knows where he fits in terms of seniority and his station in life. If he’s an older man, he accepts that reality as he strives to honor the Lord as an older man. If’s he’s a younger man, he accepts that reality and he strives to honor the Lord as a younger man. In his letter to Titus here, Paul addresses both groups. He addresses the older men in verse 2. Then he addresses the younger men in verse 6. We’ll start with what Paul says to the older men, before moving onto the younger men. Look at verse 2 again, he says, “Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in perseverance.” Here in verse 2, the older men are given this list of six ways they are to conduct themselves. As they live lives that are in keeping with, or to use the language of 2:1, fitting for sound doctrine. Now, before we dive headlong into this list of six items here. We have to gain some clarity about what Paul means by that term “older men.” The word he uses for “older men” is presbutes. It’s a word we see only two other times in the New Testament. The first place is in Luke 1:18, where Zechariah asks the angel who had been sent by God, to announce that he and his wife Eliabeth, that they were going to have a child. He says, Zechariah does, back to the angel, “How will I know this for certain? For I am an old man [same term] and my wife is advanced in years.” The other place that we see that term, presbutes, is in Philemon 9. Where Paul refers to himself there, not only as “a prisoner of Christ Jesus.” But he calls himself “Paul, the aged.” Same word, presbutes. Which could be rendered there in Philemon 9, “Paul, the old man.” Can’t see him really addressing himself that way or introducing himself that way. But when we think about Paul writing what he wrote there in Philemon 9, when he says “Paul, the aged”, or “Paul, the old man.” We believe he would have been right around 60 as he wrote those words. Meaning, he was quite the old man for his day and age. Life spans, there in the ancient world, by various estimates and indications, could have been something for a male, like around 25 to 30 years old. It was a very, very short and crude life that the average male lived at this point in world history. What that means is that when Paul, at 60, is considered old, he was actually like, really really old. Because to be old, was actually more like 40 or 45. That guy would be the old guy. He’d be the real “gray beard.” The “senior citizen.” Well, it’s that group, the “older men”, that Paul addresses first here. Having just told Titus to “speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine” in verse 1. The first place Paul goes to as an area of instruction and teaching in “sound doctrine”, is how older men were to conduct themselves. Again, verse 2, they “are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in perseverance.” We’ll take these one by one, starting with “temperate.”

The godly older man is to be “temperate. Now, various other translations have this word as “sober.” The idea here is having a general ability to restrain oneself in indulging various desires. When we think of sobriety and we think of temperance, of course, our minds go straight to alcohol. We think of sobriety as living a life totally abstaining from the intake of alcohol. Whereas we think of temperance as being a matter of moderation. Not crossing the line in sinful drunkenness. But in the context here in Titus, Paul isn’t limiting the instruction he’s giving to the older men only to matters of alcohol. Or as he would have said it, “wine.” Rather, the command is broader. Older men, as senior members of the community of faith. Are to demonstrate general restraint in each of their desires, all of their desires. They’re to be cautious and careful. In those matters where others might frequently be going to excess. Whether that be in matters of food, or drink, or sex, or today, screen time. The older man displays and demonstrates moderation. Temperance. Sobriety. He’s a person who’s in control of himself. He has clear-headed stability in each and every area of his life. Next, the older men, verse 2, are to be “dignified.”

The godly older man is to be “dignified.” Now, the word Paul uses here in verse 2, is the same word he uses over in 1 Timothy 3:8 when he’s addressing deacons and says, “Deacons likewise must be men of dignity.”
It’s also the word that Paul uses in a very familiar verse to many of you. Philippians 4:8, where he says, “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.” So, whatever is true, whatever is “honorable”, that word, “honorable” is the same word that Paul uses here in Titus 2:2 when he refers to being “dignified.” The word can also be translated “grave” or “serious” or “solemn.” The gravity of this older man’s faith, and his demeanor, it doesn’t need to be confused with being gloomy or dour or Eeyore-like. Rather, the term simply means that he’s not engaged in frivolity. He’s not an immature clown who never grew up. One of the saddest sights that you’ll ever see, is that of the older man who never grew up. You know, he learned nothing from his mistakes that he made in his earlier years. Instead, he’s got this Peter Pan mentality of perpetual adolescence. Though he’s now gray and wrinkly, he continues to try to get away with what his younger years taught him or should have taught him, that he can’t get away with. The godly older man refuses to go that path. Refuses to play such a foolish part in his twilight years. Rather, he demonstrates an appropriate amount of reverence and seriousness in all of his affairs. He has a demeanor that’s appropriate to his seniority. He has a demeanor that’s expressive of his inner self-control; and he has a demeanor that’s reflective of his right perspective on the fleeting nature of this life and the glories of the eternity to come. He’s “dignified.” Next, verse 2, he’s “sensible.”

The godly older man is to be sensible. Which means, he is of sound mind. He has a sound and balanced judgment. He isn’t pulled easily in one direction or the other. He isn’t easily swayed. He doesn’t engage in emotional outbursts. He’s able to contain his basest desires and impulses. He is self-controlled. He is sensible. He is sound. Paul uses this word to describe, not only the older men here in Titus 2:2. But flip over with me to Titus 1, where he uses this same word, to describe the character of the elders in the church. Look at Titus 1:7 where he says, “For the overseer must be above reproach as God’s steward, not self-willed, not quick-tempered, not addicted to wine, not pugnacious, not fond of sordid gain, but hospitable, loving what is good, [and here’s our word] sensible, just, devout, self-controlled.” Paul uses this same word over in 1 Timothy 3:2 where he gives the same command to the elder, he says, “An overseer, then, must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, temperate, prudent, [same term] respectable, hospitable, able to teach, and so on . . .” The godly older man, we’re seeing here in Titus 2:2, is sound. He is stable. He is self-controlled. At this stage of his life, things like fickleness or rash displays of passion or anger or wrath or impulsiveness are things of the past. Those traits might have marked a younger man at an earlier phase of life, but no longer. Now, with some miles on the odometer and some white in his hair. Some stiffness in his joints, he knows better. He’s marked by his sensibility.

Now, when Paul here tells the older men that they are to be “temperate,” “dignified,” and sensible,” those first three traits we’ve looked at. We’ve got to be clear here that he’s not laying down some form of pagan moral code. He’s not encouraging older men to clean up the outside without addressing what’s going on on the inside. Which is why, in the next three virtues, they have this distinctly Christian flavor to them. When Paul next lists out here, the older man is to be “sound in faith, in love, in perseverance.” So, we have the marks of maturity laid out in the first three. He’s to be “temperate” and “dignified” and sensible.” But now we get into these marks of godliness in these next three. He is to be a man of “faith, and “love,” and “perseverance.” Now, we came, actually, upon these three traits. What I called last week in Colossians, the “triad of Christian graces.” When we saw Paul there in Colossians 1:4-5 mention “faith,” “hope,” and “love.” Here in Titus 2:2, he’s mentioning “faith,” “love,” and “perseverance.” Now, this isn’t the only time, by the way, that Paul links those three terms “faith,” “love,” and “perseverance” together. In 1 Timothy 6:11 he says, “But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness.” Or II Timothy 3:10 says, “Now you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance . . .” We’ll work through each of these Christian graces, one-by-one, as we round out the six traits that Paul lays out here, for the godly older men.

The godly older man is sound in faith. Now, that phrase “sound in faith”, in this context at least, does not mean correctness of doctrine. There are other places, of course, where that’s taught. In Jude 3, Jude tells his audience they’re to “contend earnestly for the faith.” For that set of doctrinal beliefs, they know to be true. What Paul here is referring to, in Titus 2:2, when he says an older man is to be sound in faith. Is that they are to be sound in their devotion to and their trust in God. Sound in their commitment to the exclusivity of the gospel. Sound in their understanding of the truth of God’s word. Paul here is describing a subjective attitude of older men. Who are confident and resolute in the faith that they have. Who are confident and resolute in the salvation that’s been purchased for them by Jesus Christ. Who are confident and resolute in the eternal hope that awaits them. These are men who live a life that totally reliant upon and dependent upon God. They live a life of faith. Next, we see they are to be sound in love. That’s our fifth trait here for the older men.

The godly older man is to be sound in love. The godly older man recognizes that he is the unworthy recipient of the love of God; that’s been shown to him by the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5:8 – “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” He recognizes that the love that he has been shown was completely underserved. It had nothing to do with him or his own worth or his own merit. It had everything to do with the unparalleled love of God. He recognizes that it is not his job to repay God for this salvation he’s been granted. But his reasonable response to God’s love in that way, is to demonstrate love toward others. He recognizes that love does not seek its own. He recognizes that love is not self-focused. He recognizes that love is sacrificial. He affirms, with his life, what Jesus said in John 15:12-13, where our Lord said, “This is My commandment, that you love one another, just as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” So, he’s sound in love. Last, here in Titus 2:2, the godly older man is a model of perseverance. That’s the last word there in verse 2, he models perseverance.

The godly older man is a model of perseverance. He’s a model of endurance, of steadfastness; and that’s an important word, because age can make a man bitter and callous and cynical. Age comes with certain infirmities and disabilities, which can be hard to take. Hard to process and hard to accept. But the godly older man is vigorous in his perseverance. He bears up graciously under the trials the Lord appoints for him. He demonstrates, regularly, strength and fortitude. He models what we saw, not too long ago, back in James, in our study of James. In James 5:7-8 where it says, “Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains. You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.” In other words, the godly older man waits patiently for the fulfillment of every Christian’s hope. Which is the glorious return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

So, those are the traits that Paul here lays out for the older man. The godly older man, Titus 2:2, will be marked by being “temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, [and] in perseverance.” So, older men here this morning, does this describe you? Younger men here this morning, is this what you strive to be?

I laid down the challenge for the ladies on Mother’s Day. I’m going to do it again for the guys on Father’s Day. Whether you’re an older man or a younger man here today. The question is - Who are you seeking out to help you with this? I mean, for you older men, that’s great that you’re into cars and shooting and grandkids and getting down to Texas or Florida for the winter. But who are the young men that you’re pouring into and pursuing and training up here? Who are you training up to be “temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, [and] in perseverance”? For you younger men, who have you approached here for those very same purposes? Godliness does not happen overnight. Godliness doesn’t happen by osmosis. You don’t simply, you know, wedge your bible under the pillow, wake up the next morning and you’re a godly man the next day. It doesn’t work that way. No, what you need to do, is follow the examples of those godly men that the Lord has placed in your life. You follow them by getting close to them. Watching their life and watching their conduct and watching their doctrine. Watching their patterns and watching their practices. With the Spirit’s help, replicating those patterns and practices in your life.

Well, we’ve just looked at the standards laid out for the older men. Next, we turn to the younger men.
Look at verse 6 here in chapter 2. Paul to Titus here says, “Likewise urge the young men to be sensible.” One command. A single command. But communicated with a sharp and urgent tone that is oh-so-needed for every younger man of every generation. That word “likewise” ties back to the immediately preceding verses 3-5. Where Paul has just instructed Titus about how he was to instruct the older women. To in turn, train the younger women to be godly women. Now, having just come out of that section of his letter. Paul turns to the young men here in verse 6. He addresses Titus directly, and he says, “likewise urge the young men to be sensible.” Now, the verb here is “urge”. I can’t express to you enough here how much sharper Paul’s tone becomes here, with that word. “Urge”, “Urge the young men” he says. “Urge the young men.” Young men, meaning anybody who’s younger than the old men, “to be sensible.” “To be sensible.” To be self-controlled. To be sober-minded. To be in control of their bodies and their pleasures and their passions.
This is such an appropriate word for Paul. A timely word for all generations of all young men. When this virtue is one in which young men, globally and historically, have been so woefully deficient. A young man’s early years are those years where he is brimming with zeal and full of restless energy and burning drives. What that young man needs to learn, in each and every area of his life, is sensibility. Self-control. Self-mastery. Sobriety of spirit. As we saw, Paul has given this laundry list of these six things that the older men need to focus on, as they are growing in Christ. Being godly examples. But for the young men, Paul gives this single exhortation. “Urge the young men to be sensible.”

Now, in our NASB translations, the translators have opted to include the words, in the next verse, “in all things”. They’ve attached those to verse 7. I actually think a better rendering would be to take those words “in all things” and attach them to the end of verse 6. So, a better reading, I believe, would be here Paul saying to Titus, that he needs to urge the young men to be sensible and self-controlled “in all things.” In everything. They’re to be self-controlled with their tempers and their tongues. They’re to be self-controlled with their appetites and their ambitions. They’re to be self-controlled with their bodily desires and their urges. They are to be self-controlled, Paul says, “in all things.” “In everything.” “In all respects.”
Now, it is true that every Christian, ultimately, has to be pursuing this trait. You could jot down Romans 12:3 where Paul says, “I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment.” He says that to everyone. Or Peter says in 1 Peter 4:7 – “The end of all things is near; therefore, be of sound judgment [same idea] and sober spirit for the purpose of prayer.” In other words, this standard of sensibility and self-control and sober judgment is universally applicable to all Christians. But, there is not doubt that younger men are especially susceptible, departing from God’s standards here. Which is why Paul gives such emphasis and focus on this trait.

One more little detour, on the topic of younger men, before we more onto our next point. Turn with me, if you would, over to Ecclesiastes 11. In Ecclesiastes 11, we’re going to see Psalm, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, right in the middle of your bibles, we’re going to see this powerful concluding exhortation from Solomon. At the end of this chapter, which happens to be fitting for our point today, on the subject of “young men.”
Look at Ecclesiastes 11:9, Solomon, moved by the Holy Spirit here says, “Rejoice, young man, during your childhood, and let your heart be pleasant during the days of young manhood.” Now, a first thought we might have as we read that is, are Paul and Solomon somehow contradicting each other? You have Paul on the one hand, telling the young men to be sensible. You have Solomon over here saying, it seems like, live it up! Rejoice! Well, there’s no contradiction, here or anywhere in scripture. We can learn more about that tonight when we look at inerrancy. What Solomon says here has no contradictory effect to what Paul says in Titus 2:6. No, as he instructed Titus to instruct the young men to be sensible and self-controlled. Paul was in no way saying that God acts as some form of divine killjoy. Or that young men can never pursue enjoyment in this life. That would be reading something into Titus 2:6 that’s not there. Now, keep reading on here in Ecclesiastes 11:9 where Solomon says, “And follow the impulses of your heart and the desires of your eyes.” That’s not a mandate, by the way, that’s a warning. Because look at what comes next: “Yet know that God will bring you to judgment for all these things.” There will be eternal consequences of your life’s motto is “forever young.” Or if you’re dead set on “sowing you wild oats” in your youth. Or if you’re sold out on some Epicurean way of living, eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die. No, what Solomon is saying here in Ecclesiastes is: “Go ahead young man and enjoy yourself.” “But understand that if some of what you choose to pursue.” “And some of what you desire.” “Is based on wrong impulses and wrong desires.” “God, who is just and righteous,” “Is going to deal with that one way or another.” Then look to the exhortation in verse 10 of Ecclesiastes 11, he says, “So, remove grief and anger from your heart and put away pain from your body, because childhood and the prime of life are fleeting.” Solomon here is saying, “While you’re young, remove anything from your life that’s going to leave you later with guilt and sorrow and grief and anger and pain.” “Get rid of it.” “Because these younger years are fleeting, and you don’t have as much time as you think you do.” In other words, “Enjoy your youth, but at the same time, get your life under control, young man.” With that, we’re back to Titus 2, and the idea here of Paul saying, “be sensible.” Now, how does a young man pursue sensibility? Let’s stay in Ecclesiastes just for one more second. Look at Ecclesiastes 12:1, Solomon says here, “Remember also your Creator in the days of your youth, before the evil days come and the years draw near when you will say, ‘I have no delight in them’.”
Solomon here is saying, “Focus on God your Creator while you’re young.” “So that when you’re old.” “You won’t filled with regret over living for self as opposed to living for Him.” “And if you choose not to focus on your Creator in your youth.” “Your later years of weakened muscles.” “And failing eyesight.” “And brittle bones.” “Will give you no enjoyment.” “Instead, only a youth well-spent.” “Early years well-spent.” “A life well-spent.” “Will give you any degree of joy or contentment later on.”

Alright, back to Titus. We’ve seen that the godly man appreciates the stakes. We’ve seen that the godly man understands the standards. Here’s our third major point for this morning.

3. The Godly Man Emulates His Shepherds

Note that what Paul has to say here about young men, in verse 6. About young men being sensible. It carries over immediately into verses 7-8. As we saw in verse 6, Titus is urging these younger men to be sensible, to be self-controlled. But as he does so, Titus, as a pastor, as an elder, as a shepherd, is to be a certain type of man himself. In other words, he’s to set a certain example for the young men who are following his lead. Let me show you what I mean from the text. Look at verses 7-8, it says, “in all things” and again, I think that belongs up with verse 6. “In all things how yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified, sound in speech, which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us.” What Paul is doing here, as he’s addressing Titus directly. Is drawing on the force of Titus’ example to the young men in the churches there in Crete. Titus himself was one of those younger men. Which is why Paul can transition so seamlessly from addressing “younger men” in verse 6, to giving these direct instructions to Titus, in verses 7-8. What Paul is telling Titus, in verses 7-8, is that he was to present himself as an exemplary model in his own behavior. He was to be an example, as a pattern of godliness. That word “example”, in verse 7, it comes from a Greek word that means an impress of a die, like in a machinist’s shop. But here it’s being used metaphorically to speak of the spiritual “example” that Titus is to be to younger men in his care. What Paul is saying here to Titus is that the words that he was going to exhort his church there, in Crete, they would carry no weight unless they were backed by the pattern of his life. The people there in Crete and relevant to where we are today on Father’s Day. The men there in Crete; they needed a pastor who would provide such a model. Paul himself was such a model. Philippians 3:17 Paul says, “Brethren, join in following my example, and observe those who walk according to the pattern you have in us.” Or I Corinthians 4:16 Paul said, “Therefore, I exhort you, be imitators of me.” Or I Corinthians 11:1 – “Be imitators of me, just as I also am of Christ.” So, Paul was that type of example. Paul also exhorted Timothy to be that kind of example. I Timothy 4:12 – “Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.” In our text here in Titus, Paul is calling on Titus to be such a model. He was to model godliness in his personal demeanor, his character, his lifestyle. That’s what we see here in verse 7, “Show yourself to be an example of good deeds . . . [and to be] dignified.” He was also to model doctrinal fidelity and theological accuracy in his teaching. We see that in verse 7, where he’s to model “purity of doctrine”. In verse 8 where he’s to be “sound in speech which is beyond reproach.”

Now I understand, I’m not here this morning teaching on pastors and pastoral ministry. The message is titled “The Marks of a Godly Man.” It’s a broader title and topic here today. So, let’s bring it back to the godly man. The point I’ve put forth here, that the godly man emulates his shepherds. Where am I getting that from? I’m getting it from the fact that pastors like Titus are called to be examples. It’s right there in the text, Titus 2:7 and pastors like Titus are called to be I Timothy 3:2, “above reproach.” If shepherds are doing their job in watching their life and their doctrine; the godly men in their flocks will naturally look to them. To be that type of earthly example that they seek to emulate and to follow. Think of what the author of Hebrews said in Hebrews 13:7 where he said: “Remember those who led you, who spoke the word of God to you; and considering the result of their conduct, imitate their faith.” Titus may not have had large crowds or the large church or the large following. We don’t know. He may not have been as polished or as eloquent as other preachers and teachers in the area. But if he was serious and sober-minded man. Uncompromising in matters of sound doctrine, as Paul here was charging him to be. He was an example worth following. Men, those are the examples that you want to follow. Not the influencers out there in the world. Not the power players. Not the social media stars. Rather, the ones who will stare down what’s happening in the culture. Those who will not back down from the shouts and the threats that are coming from the outside. Instead, those who will faithfully, in whatever context, saddle up behind a pulpit or a podium or a mic stand each and every week, and declare the word. Those who will sit with you by a bedside and minister to you in your seasons of grieving and hopelessness and despair. Who will crack open this book, and say to you, “thus saith the Lord.”
So, younger men, who are you looking up to more these days?” Jordan Peterson? Ron DeSantis? Matt Rhule? Or your elders, your pastors, your leaders? Admittedly, it’s an awkward thing for me to say. It can sound like it’s a self-seeking or self-serving thing for me to say. But it comes from here, the word of God.
Titus was to be an example, and godly men follow that example. A passage here, which begins in verse 6, as an exhortation to younger men, it fans out to becoming a word to Titus about his life and his ministry. The type of man he was to be, and that, in turn, would have an impact on the younger men that he was charged with shepherding. As they looked to him and his example, as a model of godliness.

Alright, we’ve drawn three points so far, on the marks of the godly man. He appreciates the stakes. He understands the standards. He emulates his shepherds. Here’s our fourth point. This one will be brief, albeit a bit controversial, he knows his sphere.

4. The godly Man Knows His Sphere

What do I mean by that? We’ve skipped over a passage that we studied in depth on Mother’s Day. But look at Titus 2:3-5. It says: “Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.” So, what do I mean, taking us to Titus 2:3-5, by the godly man knows his sphere? Here’s what I mean. In Paul’s letter to Titus. There is no confusion about men and women. There is a distinction between men and women. They’re treated distinctly, given separate sections here, by the Apostle Paul. We won’t go word-by-word through those three verses. You can look up that sermon on YouTube, or on the website. But you may recall that what I explained to you in that sermon I gave on Mother’s Day, from Titus 2:3-5. I said that those three verses can really be broken into two categories. They essentially present two concepts. One, is that the godly woman watches her heart and two, is that the godly woman loves her home. Now, both men and women need to make sure they’re watching their heart. Pride is no respecter of genders. Both the hearts of men and women, Jeremiah 17:9, are desperately sick. The sin of pride infiltrates and pollutes the hearts of both men and women. So, both men and women need to go to Proverbs 4:23, which says, “Watch over your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.” So “watching your heart” is something both men and women must do.

What about “loving your home?” Specifically, where it says in Titus 2:5, that women are to “workers at home.” Now, we unpacked the simplicity and the clarity of that statement last time. As I explained to you, that that phrase “workers at home”, means workers at home. It doesn’t say men are to be “workers at home”, does it? Unless you have a totally different translation than what I have. No, it doesn’t. That’s because the home is the sphere. In terms of domain. And responsibility. And privilege. And blessing. And one-day future reward, that God has assigned to women. God’s design is that the man works and labors. In a post-fall world, he’ll do that by the sweat of his brow to provide for his home. As he does so, the woman, his wife, keeps and manages the home. She, not he, is the “worker at home.” Now, I’m saying what I’m saying right now, not only because it’s plainly evident from what we see on the pages of scripture here. I’m also saying it, because we have a whole lot of men, husbands, dads, fathers these days, who now work from home. Or who at least say they’re working from home. You know what I’m talking about. The stay-at-home dad was a completely foreign concept 20 years ago, 25 years ago. The idea of a dad with a laundry basket on his hip at 3:30 in the afternoon on a Wednesday. Or a dad, you know, messing with his toddler on the living room floor at 10:00 a.m. on a Tuesday would have been totally unheard of. Now, though, it’s become societally normative. It’s the norm. We live in this highly digital, information-driven world. A world in which companies can save on overhead by sending their workers, male or female, back into the home to work in their basements or their garages or their extra bedrooms. That’s all well and good. That’s neither my decision or my domain. But what I do have is biblical authority. The bible’s teaching is that men are to occupy the sphere of providing for their home and women are to occupy the sphere of keeping the home. While companies may have changed their policies and protocols in recent years about working from home. God’s standards haven’t changed. So, men, you’ve got a work-from-home job? Fantastic, that’s great. I won’t lay down law here, where there’s no law to lay down. I don’t have that authority. But I will lay down some warnings and cautions to men, who now find themselves “working from home”, as you do that work.

First, make sure you’re not taking away the joy and the beauty behind God’s design for your wife that she, not you, act as the keeper of your home. Second, make sure you’re not confusing your children. Who, I trust, you’re teaching them on what the bible teaches about roles and responsibilities for men and women and husbands and wives. Don’t confuse them, by being that dad who is now working at home, who’s now acting a lot more like a mom than he is a dad. Third, make sure you’re not robbing your wife of her reward. Remember, some aspect of the reward she’ll receive at the Bema seat will come from the faithfulness she demonstrated in being a faithful worker at home. She won’t be rewarded for delegating work to you in the home, because your boss decided to send you home. She’ll actually lose aspects of her reward by you encroaching on the domain and the rolls that God has given to her. Fourth, make sure you remember that her obedience, in her sphere ties to the very matter of the honor of God in His word. Wives are to fulfill their responsibilities listed there in Titus 2:3-5, including their roll as “workers at home.” “So that the word of God will not be dishonored” it says. Men - don’t play any part in your wife dishonoring the word of God, or the God who gave us the word. I’m not going to say anything further. I’m not going to give you points of application. I’m just going to put the words out there, and let you apply them as the Spirit convicts and leads. So, the godly man knows his sphere. He knows he’s free to work from home. But he also knows he is not to be a “worker at home.” That position, that privilege, belongs to his wife.

Alright, we’ve seen that the godly man appreciates the stakes. He understands the standards. He emulates his shepherds. He knows his sphere. Fifth, and last, we see that the godly man focuses on his salvation.

5. The Godly Man Focuses on His Salvation

For many of you here this morning, you’ve put your faith in Jesus Christ. You’re striving to love Him and honor Him and follow Him. You spend your time in the word and in prayer. You invest in the lives of fellow believers. You prioritize church attendance and involvement. Now you’ve heard what Paul is saying to Titus here and you might be feeling a little bit overwhelmed. Well, if that’s descriptive of you, as a way to encourage you, I want to take us back to some basics. As we set our sight on, as we focus on salvation.
Take a look at the last few verses here in Titus 2, picking it up in verse 11. These are not formally a part of the text that we’re looking at this morning. But they certainly drive what we’ve seen. Titus 2:11-14, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.” That’s one very long sentence in the Greek. The main idea here, the subject of that sentence is the grace of God. That’s key to all of Paul’s theology. Really, he can’t think of Christian salvation and Christianity apart from the grace of God and nor can we. Look at the multiple angles at which he considers and leads us to consider God’s grace here.

First, he says, verse 11, and the grace of God has appeared. It’s a past act. The word there is epiphaino, which we get our word, “epiphany” from. It means to “become visible”, or “to come to light”, or “become known.” The appearance that’s being referred to here, is referring to Christ’s first appearance. Through His incarnation, through which He went to the cross on our behalf. Accomplished and secured our redemption. That first appearing of Christ was a pure act of grace on God’s part. We were lawless rebels, but God saw fit to rescue us, and to redeem us. It was all of grace.

Secondly, in verse 12, we’re going to see some of these present day impacts that tie into past reality, of the grace we’ve been shown. He says, “instructing us”, the Greek term there is paideuo. Which literally means to instruct or train a child. As a parent instructs or trains his child, the grace of God instructs us to both, put off ungodliness and worldly desires, it says. But to put on positive traits. “To live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age.”

Third, there’s this future aspect of the grace which has appeared. Which we see in verse 13, “looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus . . .” That’s a reference, that two-fold nature of the Second Coming of Christ. First when He comes for us, to take His church out of the world, in the Rapture. Then that second step being when He returns with His church to usher in the millennial reign. Then we see, in verse 14, that the reality of our future hope, the reality of our future glory, stimulates us and motivates us. “Redeems us from every lawless deed [it says] and purify[s] for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.” Past, present, future grace. Spurring us on to live upright godly lives in Christ Jesus. That’s always the pattern. Past realities of grace. Present outworkings of grace. Future glories associated with grace.

There we have it. The marks of a godly man. Now, note, as we close, our text here says nothing about being a right-winger. It says nothing about being patriarchal for the sake of being patriarchal. It says nothing about throwing axes or drinking craft beer. Or having the best fireworks display, in a couple of weeks. It says nothing about grilling and mowing. No, from the pen of Paul, as he was directed by the Holy Spirit to Titus, as he was stationed there on the island of Crete. To me, as your pastor, to you, especially to the men here on Father’s Day. We walk away understanding that the godly man appreciates the stakes. He understands the standards. He emulates his shepherds. He knows his sphere. He focuses on his salvation.

Let’s pray.
God, thank You, for the timelessness and the clarity of Your word. Thank You for what You have revealed to us, timelessly and eternally for what Your standards are for men. Men who are older in years and men who are younger in years. Men, who like we’re celebrating and honoring today. Who have been blessed with children. Men who look forward to that hope. God, I thank You, that we have an ultimate example to look to, the Lord Jesus Christ. Who lived perfectly. Who has set a standard for us to follow. Who we ultimately look to as our great model and great example and great Shepherd. God, I pray that You would take the word that’s been preached this morning, You would drive it into the hearts of Your people. That there would be growth where growth needs to happen. That there would be conviction where conviction needs to take place and that there would be a new zeal and desire to honor the Lord Jesus Christ in all that we do. It’s in His name we pray. Amen