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Older Men and Women Listen Up! Msg 511 · INSIGHT FOR LIVING: Biblical Wisdom For Everyday Living

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Speaker 1: As we work our way through the letter to Titus,
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Speaker 1: we've come to the second chapter in this little three-chapter book.
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Speaker 1: You will find it, if you're not familiar with your Bible,
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Speaker 1: a little toward the end of the New Testament, just
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Speaker 1: beyond the two letters to Timothy. Paul wrote this to
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Speaker 1: a man he left on the island of Crete to
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Speaker 1: finish up some things that he had begun, Paul had begun,
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Speaker 1: but didn't have the time to complete. And so he
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Speaker 1: left Titus there to do that work on the island,
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Speaker 1: finishing the things that were yet to be done and
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Speaker 1: to select spiritual leaders, according to chapter 1, verse 5,
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Speaker 1: those called elders who would guide the church in wisdom
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Speaker 1: and truth. When we get to the second chapter, Paul
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Speaker 1: divides the family of God into a number of categories.
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Speaker 1: We'll look at each one in a moment, but let
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Speaker 1: me read for you from the first four verses of
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Speaker 1: Titus 2. But as for you, speak the things which
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Speaker 1: are fitting for sound doctrine. Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible,
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Speaker 1: sound in faith, in love, in perseverance. Older women, likewise,
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Speaker 1: are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips,
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Speaker 1: nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so
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Speaker 1: that they may encourage the young women. We'll leave off
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Speaker 1: there in mid-sentence and take up the balance of it
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Speaker 1: next time. I just want us to focus on Paul's
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Speaker 1: words to Titus himself in verse 1, to older men
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Speaker 1: in verse 2, and to the ministry and life of
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Speaker 1: older women, verses 3 and into verse 4. If you
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Speaker 1: will bow for just a few moments of silence before
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Speaker 1: this morning's offering. Please remember those who travel, 10 on
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Speaker 1: the team from our church, to South Asia for their
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Speaker 1: ministry in Chhattisgarh, regions about that area in India. Pray
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Speaker 1: for their families who are left here to carry on
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Speaker 1: in their absence. Pray for their safety, good health, effectiveness
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Speaker 1: of ministry. And while our minds are across the seas,
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Speaker 1: let's certainly remember those in uniform who defend the cause
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Speaker 1: of freedom and are working hard to introduce to a
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Speaker 1: country that's not known democracy before a whole new world
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Speaker 1: that's being assaulted by the insurgents. They are in harm's way.
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Speaker 1: They and our allies are serving faithfully there. Pray for
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Speaker 1: those who represent Christ in difficult places. And before I
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Speaker 1: lead us, pray for a mentor who has helped shape
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Speaker 1: your life. An older woman or an older man who's
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Speaker 1: made a difference in the way you live your life today.
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Speaker 1: How can it be, our Father, that your son would
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Speaker 1: die for me or for any of us? For a
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Speaker 1: good man, some would dare to die, but Christ proved
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Speaker 1: his love toward us in that while we were yet sinners,
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Speaker 1: he died for us. Our focus is on him for
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Speaker 1: these moments. Thank you that our friends take him, the Savior,
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Speaker 1: with them as they travel abroad. Thank you that nothing
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Speaker 1: of Christ is lost by having given himself to them
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Speaker 1: as he is just as much with us. With those
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Speaker 1: laid aside by illness as he is also with those
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Speaker 1: who were wayward and running as fast as they can
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Speaker 1: in the wrong direction. Thank you for Our Savior's faithfulness.
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Speaker 1: In caring for us. And for the prodigal. With the
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Speaker 1: same kind of love. What a beautiful Savior. Lord of creation.
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Speaker 2: Son of God. Son of man.
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Speaker 1: It's to him we recommit ourselves. And to the work
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Speaker 1: of ministry. That we give our gifts.
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Speaker 2: Gratefully. generously, joyfully. In his marvelous name we pray, we give.
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Speaker 2: And everyone said, Amen.
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Speaker 1: We are all being watched. Not only watched by the
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Speaker 1: invisible angels that hover about us and above us, but
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Speaker 1: also being watched by the devil and his demonic host
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Speaker 1: just as invisible and so insidious and often effective in
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Speaker 1: their attacks. We are also being watched by children who
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Speaker 1: are forming opinions about life, not only the lives of
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Speaker 1: those in their family, but lives of adults outside the
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Speaker 1: circle of their family. We're certainly being watched by people
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Speaker 1: of the faith, Those growing and learning are discovering from
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Speaker 1: observation how life is handled, how trials are endured, how
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Speaker 1: grief is experienced and endured. And never forget we're being
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Speaker 1: watched by those who've never met the Savior. Never once
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Speaker 1: in their lives open to any verse of Scripture, their
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Speaker 1: reading They're reading us as they watch us. We're all
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Speaker 1: being watched. And the frightening thing is we're being watched
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Speaker 1: while we're not even thinking of that. We don't even
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Speaker 1: know the opinions they're forming. I thought of that when
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Speaker 1: I came across this story. I was sitting at a
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Speaker 1: stoplight this morning. The lady in front of me was
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Speaker 1: going through papers on the seat of her car, and
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Speaker 1: when the light changed to green, she did not obey
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Speaker 1: its command. A green light is a commandment, not a suggestion.
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Speaker 1: When the light turned to red and she still had
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Speaker 1: not moved, I began, with my windows up, screaming epithets
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Speaker 1: and beating on my steering wheel. My expressions of distress
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Speaker 1: were interrupted by a policeman tapping on my window against
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Speaker 1: my protestations of, you cannot arrest me for hollering in
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Speaker 1: my own car. He ordered me to get in the
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Speaker 1: back of his car. After about two hours in a
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Speaker 1: holding cell, the arresting officer advised me I was free
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Speaker 1: to go. I responded, I knew you couldn't arrest me
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Speaker 1: for what I was yelling in my own car. You
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Speaker 1: haven't heard the last of this. The officer replied quietly,
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Speaker 1: I didn't arrest you for shouting in your car. I
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Speaker 1: was actually behind you at the light. I saw you
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Speaker 1: screaming and beating your steering wheel, and I said to myself,
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Speaker 1: what a jerk. But there's nothing I can do to
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Speaker 1: him for throwing a fit in his own car. And
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Speaker 1: then I noticed the cross hanging from your rearview mirror
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Speaker 1: and the bright yellow border around your license plate that read,
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Speaker 1: choose life. And the Jesus is coming soon bumper sticker
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Speaker 1: and the fish symbol on the back of your trunk.
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Speaker 1: And I thought you must have stolen the car. And that,
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Speaker 1: my dear friends, is why I would never put a
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Speaker 1: Christian symbol on my pickup ever. Symbol or not, we're
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Speaker 1: all being watched. We don't announce our presence as believers,
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Speaker 1: maybe a symbol or two on occasion, but easy to
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Speaker 1: forget the world is watching. And there's nothing wrong with that.
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Speaker 1: There's everything right about it. Matter of fact, Jesus, as
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Speaker 1: far back as the first century, called us salt of
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Speaker 1: the earth and light of the world, didn't he? In
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Speaker 1: other words, we are to add taste to an otherwise
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Speaker 1: tasteless existence. We are to add light to an otherwise
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Speaker 1: darkened society. In the message, I found this paraphrase. You're
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Speaker 1: here to be salt seasoning that brings out the God
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Speaker 1: flavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how
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Speaker 1: will people taste godliness? And later, you're here to be light,
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Speaker 1: bringing out the God colors in the world. God is
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Speaker 1: not a secret to be kept. We're going public with this.
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Speaker 1: As public as a city on a hill. If I
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Speaker 1: make you light bearers, you don't think I'm going to
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Speaker 1: hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you
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Speaker 1: on a light stand. Now that I put you there
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Speaker 1: on the hilltop on a light stand, shine. Shine. Keep
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Speaker 1: open house. Be generous with your lives. By opening up
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Speaker 1: to others, you will prompt people to open up with God.
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Speaker 1: There you have it again. Right from Jesus' own teaching
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Speaker 1: in his grand and immortal Sermon on the Mount. Keep
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Speaker 1: on letting your light shine that others will see it
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Speaker 1: and glorify you. No. Jesus said glorify your Father who
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Speaker 1: is in heaven. See, we're being watched. All of us
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Speaker 1: are being watched. More than we want to think about
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Speaker 1: it and certainly more than we ever realize. Opinions are
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Speaker 1: being formed. Since this was true, In the first century,
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Speaker 1: just as it is true in the 21st century, we
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Speaker 1: shouldn't be surprised that the apostle, when he writes Titus,
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Speaker 1: whom he's left on the island of Crete to minister,
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Speaker 1: addresses how God's people are to live their lives. I mean,
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Speaker 1: think of the island dwellers, little small community on an
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Speaker 1: island not more than 160 miles long and at its
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Speaker 1: widest 40 miles wide. Think of how much they watched
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Speaker 1: these believers who emerged from a number of churches living
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Speaker 1: different lives than the natives of the island or those
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Speaker 1: who had come to live there. Think how difficult and
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Speaker 1: even disastrous it was when those who were supposed to
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Speaker 1: be living the life failed to live the life. And
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Speaker 1: some of them, quite possibly, were those who taught God's truth.
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Speaker 1: Those who claimed to be followers of Jesus were all
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Speaker 1: being watched. As I read over these first ten verses
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Speaker 1: of the second chapter of Titus chapter, I pull out
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Speaker 1: my pen and I underscore six categories that Paul singles
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Speaker 1: out in these verses. Don't know if you caught them
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Speaker 1: in your reading earlier, but let me do that with you.
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Speaker 1: In verse 1, he says to Titus, you, and in
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Speaker 1: the you, we can make it y'all. We can say
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Speaker 1: all of y'all who are teachers of the truth. So
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Speaker 1: that would be verse 1. Those who are publicly and
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Speaker 1: prominently known as teachers of the truth. Those who preach.
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Speaker 1: Those who lead Bible studies. Those involved in Bible study
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Speaker 1: fellowship teaching leaders. Those who have home Bible classes. You
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Speaker 1: who teach adult fellowship. You who have Sunday school classes.
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Speaker 1: All of those of you who proclaim the truth. You.
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Speaker 1: When you get to verse 2, he changes that to
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Speaker 1: older men. Underline that. Older men are to live this
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Speaker 1: way because you're being watched. Verse 3, he comes to
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Speaker 1: older women. Down into verse 4, where he introduces young women.
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Speaker 1: You're being watched, young woman. You're being watched, older lady.
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Speaker 1: You're being watched. He gets to young men when he
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Speaker 1: gets to verse 6, and he says likewise.
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Speaker 3: Likewise.
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Speaker 1: Sort of the link that ties them together in a
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Speaker 1: chain of thought. Likewise, young men are to live like this.
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Speaker 1: And then even verse 9, urge the slaves. Those who
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Speaker 1: can't even operate as free men and women. Urge them
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Speaker 1: to live the life. They're being watched. Makes a difference.
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Speaker 1: Let me come right out front and give you my
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Speaker 1: two cents worth. If there are two categories here. that
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Speaker 1: can be the most ornery, it would be preachers and
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Speaker 1: old men. And let me admit, when you get a
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Speaker 1: preacher who's an old man, you got your hands full.
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Speaker 1: So I understand a lot of this is to me personally.
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Speaker 1: But it's not just for me. Believe me, I take
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Speaker 1: it on the chin and I don't fight it because
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Speaker 1: much of this I am to remember and I am
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Speaker 1: to change. so that I fit this pattern and so
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Speaker 1: must you who are teachers of the truth and getting
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Speaker 1: up in years. So let's look at the three we
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Speaker 1: have the time for today who are initially identified in
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Speaker 1: the section we're looking at. First, there's strong advice for
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Speaker 1: Titus and as I said earlier, for those of us
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Speaker 1: who teach in whatever may be our capacity. In fact,
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Speaker 1: the way the sentence begins in the original, there's a
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Speaker 1: strong contrast, but You. It's almost like a long, bony
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Speaker 1: finger is punching against his sternum. You, Titus. You there, teachers. Now,
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Speaker 1: why does he start with such strong language and imperative
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Speaker 1: like speak this way? Well, remember what we studied last time?
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Speaker 1: There were false teachers abounding on the island of Crete.
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Speaker 1: There were those who were rebellious, those who were teaching
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Speaker 1: myths and Those who were deceptive and they were confusing
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Speaker 1: families and they were hurting the cause of Christ. When
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Speaker 1: he gets to chapter 2, he says, but, but, not
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Speaker 1: like them, but you who carries the truth behind your lips.
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Speaker 1: You who communicate God's truth. You speak the things which
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Speaker 1: are fitting for sound.
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Speaker 3: Doctrine.
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Speaker 1: Let's study that for just a few moments. Let's sort
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Speaker 1: of take it apart. I don't find the word preach
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Speaker 1: in there. I don't even find it implied. This is
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Speaker 1: to people who speak truth. This would not only include
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Speaker 1: our public teaching, it would also include the way we
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Speaker 1: speak with others. behind closed doors among our family members,
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Speaker 1: our colleagues with whom we work, folks in the neighborhood
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Speaker 1: around whom we live, we who do business with others,
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Speaker 1: we who are known as teachers of the truth need
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Speaker 1: to guard what we speak. They are to be things
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Speaker 1: which are fitting or appropriate for sound doctrine. That sounds
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Speaker 1: like we're talking only about people who have had training
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Speaker 1: at a seminary and have their theology honed carefully and
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Speaker 1: understand all about the doctrines of the Bible. Wait, wait
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Speaker 1: a minute. The word sound really is a term from
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Speaker 1: which we get our word hygiene. It has reference to
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Speaker 1: that which is healthy and wholesome. Let your words be wholesome, healthy,
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Speaker 1: and health-giving. May the good hygiene of your life Spread
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Speaker 1: through the germs of your words to others. And the
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Speaker 1: word doctrine really is the word for teaching. Whenever you teach,
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Speaker 1: may it be a healthy word of help and encouragement.
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Speaker 1: People not only watch those of us who teach, they
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Speaker 1: take notes on our lives. They remember. They form opinions.
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Speaker 1: They even emulate and quote us. They see us as models.
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Speaker 1: Before we move on, I want to underscore one major statement.
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Speaker 1: Few positions are more on display than God's servants who
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Speaker 1: proclaim his truth. We are being watched. If you are
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Speaker 1: among those whom God has gifted to be one of
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Speaker 1: his teachers, take careful note of this. James chapter 3
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Speaker 1: verse 1 says in so many words, don't clamor for
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Speaker 1: the teaching office knowing that you will be judged by
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Speaker 1: a stricter standard. Doesn't seem fair, does it? It does
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Speaker 1: when you realize how your words make an impact on
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Speaker 1: other people. Don't clamor to teach because as soon as
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Speaker 1: you are a teacher, you're under the magnifying glass of
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Speaker 1: people's observations. Be careful. If you're a spiritual leader, be
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Speaker 1: careful what you say. And then he moves to another
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Speaker 1: category of older men. We often think of those who
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Speaker 1: are older as always being wiser, more mature, stronger in faith.
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Speaker 1: Let me add, that's not necessarily so. There's nothing about
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Speaker 1: age that automatically causes a man to mature. I know
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Speaker 1: some terribly immature older men. I find in Job 32,
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Speaker 1: verse 9, a great verse. Great men are not always wise,
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Speaker 1: neither do the aged men. Always understand judgment. It's an
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Speaker 1: honest statement, and Job was getting up in years when
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Speaker 1: he wrote that. One of the translations reads it, getting
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Speaker 1: old doesn't guarantee good sense. It's true, isn't it? Age
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Speaker 1: can make an older man stubborn, less teachable. We older
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Speaker 1: men can resist change, and we can become critical. complaining, negative,
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Speaker 1: even lazy. That need not occur. That need not be
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Speaker 1: our modus operandi. We, as we grow older, can remain
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Speaker 1: flexible and effective and even enjoyable to be around. I
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Speaker 1: think of some examples. Moses didn't really go public until
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Speaker 1: he was 80. And then he led the Israelites out
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Speaker 1: of Egypt and across the wilderness all the way to
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Speaker 1: the edge of the promised land till he was 120.
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Speaker 1: How's that for a job description for a man that age?
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Speaker 1: 80 to 120, older than anybody here. And what a
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Speaker 1: model he was. It says when he reached the end
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Speaker 1: of his life, he was more meek than any man
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Speaker 1: on the face of the earth. Older man. Caleb at
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Speaker 1: age 85. said when the others were looking for a
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Speaker 1: place to relax and rest, he said, I'll take the
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Speaker 1: hill country. The giants are there. And I'd love to
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Speaker 1: take them on at this age. Not only tells me
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Speaker 1: something about his mental condition, but his physical condition. I mean,
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Speaker 1: think of fighting on the mountains, the giants. Joseph lived
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Speaker 1: to a ripe old age and you don't read of
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Speaker 1: his causing scandals or disappointment. Abraham lived a long time
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Speaker 1: As did Paul into his 60s. I was encouraged when
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Speaker 1: I read this. At the age of 83, after having
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Speaker 1: traveled approximately 250,000 miles on horseback, after having preached more
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Speaker 1: than 40,000 sermons, most of which were prepared on the
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Speaker 1: horn of his saddle, After producing 200 books and pamphlets,
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Speaker 1: John Wesley regretted he was unable to write for more
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Speaker 1: than 15 hours a day without getting tired. In fact,
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Speaker 1: he quietly admitted to a friend on his 85th birthday
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Speaker 1: to an increasing tendency to lie in bed until 5.30
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Speaker 1: in the morning. Slob that he was, huh? No, godly, older,
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Speaker 1: wiser saints are a treasure to the body of Christ.
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Speaker 1: Can't imagine living my life without having such men around me.
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Speaker 1: It's been my pleasure throughout my life in ministry to
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Speaker 1: find stability and vigor and strength to go on and
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Speaker 1: hope from those who have mentored me. Those who serve
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Speaker 1: faithfully as among the gray heads of the flock. There's
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Speaker 1: a verse on that, by the way, and you don't
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Speaker 1: need to turn to it. I'll give it to you.
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Speaker 1: Leviticus 19, 32. You shall rise up before the gray-headed
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Speaker 1: and honor the aged. It's really there. Check it out
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Speaker 1: for yourself. Leviticus 19, 32. By the way, I smiled
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Speaker 1: when I read the end of this section. Psalm 92.
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Speaker 1: If you want to turn and look at this one,
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Speaker 1: this is a great one. A verse on the aging.
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Speaker 2: Or aged.
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Speaker 1: 92 verse 12 through 14. The righteous man will flourish
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Speaker 1: like the palm tree. He will grow like a cedar
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Speaker 1: in Lebanon. Planted in the house of the Lord. All
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Speaker 1: of this beautiful symbolic language. They will flourish in the
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Speaker 1: courts of our God. They will still yield fruit in
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Speaker 1: old age. They shall be full of sap. Very green.
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Speaker 1: I like the ending of that. Meaning what? Still producing.
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Speaker 1: Still flexible. still supple, still learning, still growing. How contagious
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Speaker 1: is that? Okay, having said all those great things about
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Speaker 1: growing older, who would be in the category of older men?
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Speaker 1: We had a fellow in our first morning worship service
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Speaker 1: who was sort of flaunting how young he is and
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Speaker 1: And he's really in the category, I might add. And
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Speaker 1: he was telling me that he'll never be in that category.
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Speaker 1: His wife leaned over and said, honey, you've been there
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Speaker 1: a long time. So let's get more specific. It's used
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Speaker 1: only twice. This word presbytase is used only twice elsewhere.
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Speaker 1: Once of Paul himself in Philemon, verse 9, where he
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Speaker 1: refers to himself as Paul the aged. And if you
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Speaker 1: do the chronology on Paul's life, you know that he's
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Speaker 1: in his 60s. So a man in his 60s would
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Speaker 1: qualify as older. Zacharias, who is married to Elizabeth, and they,
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Speaker 1: at older age, have John. John the baptizer, remember? People
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Speaker 1: call him John the Baptist, but I call him the
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Speaker 1: baptizer because folks think he was the first Southern Baptist.
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Speaker 1: So John the baptizer, okay? He was known in his
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Speaker 1: adult ministry for baptizing. But John, when he was born,
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Speaker 1: was born to older parents. In fact, it was so
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Speaker 1: surprising that Elizabeth could even get pregnant. And she did,
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Speaker 1: and she had John, and Zacharias, referring to himself, says,
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Speaker 1: I am an old man, presbytase. There's the word. And
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Speaker 1: then he says... And my wife is advanced in days.
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Speaker 1: Now there is a smart guy. I am advanced in years.
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Speaker 1: My wife's got a few days. So whatever it would be,
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Speaker 1: it would be beyond the childbearing years. In fact, in
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Speaker 1: extra biblical literature, it's used for a man who's 50.
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Speaker 1: So guys, relax. If you're 50 and older, you're in
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Speaker 1: verse 2. All right? Just face it. You know, don't
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Speaker 1: deny it. Don't open your shirt down to your belly
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Speaker 1: button and wear a great big medallion and, you know,
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Speaker 1: drive a sports car and look like some dodo out there.
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Speaker 1: You're 50 and older, okay? So what's life supposed to
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Speaker 1: be like for us who are older? Verse 2. Older men,
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Speaker 1: he gives us six guidelines. First, we're to be temperate. Temperate.
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Speaker 1: It means we avoid extravagance. and overindulgence in any area.
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Speaker 1: Suggest the idea of keeping things within balance, within limits.
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Speaker 1: Specifically refers to being free of intoxication. So first of all,
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Speaker 1: we guard against any addiction, including pornography, including reliance on
27:36
Speaker 1: or over-reliance on medication. You may need medicine, but the
27:42
Speaker 1: whole point is you keep it within reason. You're temperate.
27:47
Speaker 1: Second is the word dignified. Sounds sort of snooty, but
27:51
Speaker 1: it doesn't convey that idea at all in the original.
27:54
Speaker 1: The idea is to be worthy of honor and others' respect.
27:59
Speaker 1: In fact, negatively, it refers to not being frivolous, trivial, tedious,
28:07
Speaker 1: or superficial. I pause and let those thoughts sink in.
28:13
Speaker 1: We men can be very tedious. We really can. I
28:18
Speaker 1: noticed my tendency toward that as I get older. I
28:23
Speaker 1: noticed that I like telling the same stories. They're good
28:28
Speaker 1: for one time. I figured they're good for 20 times.
28:31
Speaker 1: The problem, the same person doesn't want to hear them
28:34
Speaker 1: 20 times. So as we get older, let's put some
28:38
Speaker 1: limits on Our tendency to be tedious and trivial and superficial.
28:44
Speaker 1: The third word is one of my favorite words in
28:46
Speaker 1: all the New Testament. Finally, we get to it. Sensible.
28:50
Speaker 1: We're to be sensible. The word means having good judgment. Discerning.
28:58
Speaker 1: Having common sense. An older man who has common sense
29:02
Speaker 1: knows when he's wearing his welcome out. He knows when
29:06
Speaker 1: he's staying too long. He knows when he's saying too much.
29:11
Speaker 1: He knows when he gets to be a drag on
29:13
Speaker 1: his family. You may have lost your mate and you
29:17
Speaker 1: may be alone today and find great joy in spending
29:19
Speaker 1: time with your family. That's great. There's everything right about that.
29:24
Speaker 1: Just be discerning. Use your head. Be sensible. They can't
29:32
Speaker 1: tell you these things so they've asked me to convey
29:34
Speaker 1: them to you today and it may help in some cases.
29:40
Speaker 1: Don't be hard to be around. What a great pleasure
29:43
Speaker 1: it is for those of us who are older to
29:46
Speaker 1: know that our grandkids and our children still like to
29:48
Speaker 1: be around us. It doesn't just happen. It happens because
29:53
Speaker 1: we work at staying flexible, sensible, temperate. The first three
29:59
Speaker 1: in the category, represent what I would call respectability. The
30:03
Speaker 1: last three, appearing at the end of verse 2, fall
30:07
Speaker 1: in the category of maturity. So under the category of maturity,
30:11
Speaker 1: we are told to be sound in faith, in love,
30:14
Speaker 1: and perseverance. Same word sound as in sound doctrine up
30:19
Speaker 1: at verse 1.
30:19
Speaker 2: Remember our term?
30:21
Speaker 1: Hygiene. Good health. Wholesome. We are to have a wholesome faith.
30:29
Speaker 1: We've walked with the Lord long enough to know that
30:31
Speaker 1: he's trustworthy. And in the excitement of our trust, we
30:35
Speaker 1: can really help the younger to know they can trust
30:37
Speaker 1: God too. We've seen him work in situations that are
30:41
Speaker 1: just mind-boggling. And the joy of growing older with those
30:45
Speaker 1: who've not been there is to convey our stories, to
30:49
Speaker 1: tell them how valuable it is to trust God. Sensible
30:53
Speaker 1: in our love, or the word really is sound in
30:57
Speaker 1: our love. Careful with the use of affection. Not doing
31:03
Speaker 1: something inappropriate with a younger woman. Being careful where you
31:09
Speaker 1: put your hands. Being healthy in your mindset. Few things
31:17
Speaker 1: are more embarrassing for a young woman than to have
31:20
Speaker 1: an older man who doesn't know how to behave. There
31:24
Speaker 1: are a lot of them running around. If you want
31:27
Speaker 1: to be respected, be sound in your love. That love,
31:32
Speaker 1: by the way, is agape love, so it's doing for
31:37
Speaker 1: others what is for their highest good. You don't wait
31:41
Speaker 1: for love in return. You show it even though it
31:44
Speaker 1: isn't reciprocated. And sound in perseverance, all right? Another of
31:53
Speaker 1: my favorite words. This is a word for holding up
31:56
Speaker 1: under the load, under the pressure. As we get older,
31:59
Speaker 1: we can become full of fears. And those fears can
32:03
Speaker 1: be shed or shared indiscriminately with those nearest us. Let's
32:09
Speaker 1: not go there. Let's be sound in our perseverance. Let's
32:14
Speaker 1: be able to handle the load on our own with
32:16
Speaker 1: our Lord. Don't expect your family to take care of
32:20
Speaker 1: the load for you. Until you are simply physically unable
32:26
Speaker 1: or mentally unable to handle it yourself. Wouldn't it be
32:30
Speaker 1: wonderful to revere and trust a man like this? Of
32:33
Speaker 1: course it would. There are a number of you hearing
32:37
Speaker 1: me now who are in this category. And my word
32:40
Speaker 1: to you is stay at it. Keep being like you are.
32:45
Speaker 1: You are invaluable to the church of Jesus Christ. You
32:49
Speaker 1: are being watched. And you are a wonderful advertisement on
32:54
Speaker 1: how to grow older. Challenge those around you with your
33:01
Speaker 1: fresh thoughts and your kind words and your very carefully
33:07
Speaker 1: chosen expressions of love, perseverance. Now, we enter the world
33:17
Speaker 1: of diplomacy, older women. That means if you are older
33:24
Speaker 1: over 97, you would be an older woman. I wish
33:32
Speaker 1: so do you. So we're probably safe to assume that
33:36
Speaker 1: Paul has in mind a woman who is 60 or above.
33:40
Speaker 1: Why do I say that? Listen closely. In 1 Timothy
33:43
Speaker 1: 5 and verse 9, Paul is describing widows who are
33:48
Speaker 1: in dire need for the church to help them. with
33:52
Speaker 1: food and clothing and shelter. He says they qualify if
33:56
Speaker 1: they are 60 years old and older, using the same
33:59
Speaker 1: word for older. And it is also used with reference
34:06
Speaker 1: to a woman who has gotten beyond the age of
34:10
Speaker 1: childbearing and rearing. Probably the age of 45 or 50
34:15
Speaker 1: or so would be beyond the age of childbearing, though
34:19
Speaker 1: there are some exceptions. Maybe I should say surprises. And
34:24
Speaker 1: then the child rearing years would be 65, perhaps. You're
34:28
Speaker 1: beyond that at that point. So we're in the 60s.
34:33
Speaker 1: And we have reference to a woman who has reared
34:36
Speaker 1: her family if she has, in fact, been married and
34:39
Speaker 1: had children. And she's now living her life as an
34:43
Speaker 1: older woman. Ladies, this is for you. You are likewise.
34:49
Speaker 1: Don't go too quickly over that. Just as I was
34:52
Speaker 1: strong and firm in my words to older men, likewise,
34:57
Speaker 1: I want to say this to you who are getting
34:59
Speaker 1: up in years, who are ladies, you who are women.
35:05
Speaker 1: You are likewise to be reverent in your behavior. Sounds
35:13
Speaker 1: like you've almost got to become a nun. I mean, or,
35:17
Speaker 1: you know, look like you're old. Believe me. Whatever you
35:22
Speaker 1: can do to help yourself in whatever, cosmetics or hair work.
35:31
Speaker 1: It's probably not hair work. It's probably a better word,
35:34
Speaker 1: but it's good. It's good. I've said for years, if
35:40
Speaker 1: a house needs painting, paint it. So, trust me. I
35:52
Speaker 1: told you a difficult category is an older preacher. So
35:57
Speaker 1: you got to have a little fun with you here.
36:03
Speaker 1: Reverend obviously is a reference to godliness and that's as
36:07
Speaker 1: broad as you want to make it or as narrow.
36:10
Speaker 1: The point is you point others to the things of God.
36:14
Speaker 1: You are, you are a representative of his son. You
36:19
Speaker 1: model his message. And you're never too old for that.
36:24
Speaker 1: It's beautiful. You are authentically godly. Can I just add
36:35
Speaker 1: one more little extra thought for no extra charge? You know,
36:42
Speaker 1: you are your age.
36:44
Speaker 2: And that's great.
36:46
Speaker 1: Everybody else doesn't mind it.
36:47
Speaker 2: You're the only one that minds it.
36:50
Speaker 1: So it would be just great to let it be
36:53
Speaker 1: You don't have to wear miniskirts and saddle oxfords and
36:57
Speaker 1: look like you're a chick. First of all, your legs
37:01
Speaker 1: are bad. And so there are exceptions, I know. But
37:10
Speaker 1: I mean, you need to know that other people go, God,
37:13
Speaker 1: look at them. So you don't have to do that.
37:17
Speaker 1: Just be who you are. The greatest thing you can
37:21
Speaker 1: do is be yourself. Just be yourself. You don't have
37:25
Speaker 1: to wear a badge that says, I'm 67. You don't
37:28
Speaker 1: have to do that, but just be who you really are.
37:31
Speaker 1: The most godly kind of lifestyle comes out of authentic
37:35
Speaker 1: people who love Christ. And that's a beauty that is
37:41
Speaker 1: beyond description. Now, he adds here for older women that
37:46
Speaker 1: you not be malicious gossips or enslaved to much wine.
37:53
Speaker 1: Both of these moral failures you are to diligently avoid.
38:03
Speaker 1: Please guard your lips. You who are gossips don't realize
38:11
Speaker 1: the damage you do. And I say to you from
38:15
Speaker 1: a pastor's heart who often has to be engaged in
38:20
Speaker 1: patching up the offense you create that your lips do
38:25
Speaker 1: damage to the body when you run loose with what
38:29
Speaker 1: you say. People who know you can't keep confidence will
38:35
Speaker 1: learn not to talk with you confidentially. How wonderful it
38:39
Speaker 1: is to find confidentiality. I find purity easier than I
38:44
Speaker 1: find confidentiality, quite frankly. And if it took this reproof
38:50
Speaker 1: for you to hear it today, good. May from now
38:53
Speaker 1: on you be known as one who guards your lips
38:57
Speaker 1: from saying things about others that are demeaning and slanderous
39:02
Speaker 1: and hurtful and hateful. Just remember, you don't model it either.
39:07
Speaker 1: You don't model perfection either. So give everybody else a break.
39:12
Speaker 1: Pay attention to yourself and stay away from addictions in
39:17
Speaker 1: your own life. And he says to be faithful in
39:20
Speaker 1: your teaching, teaching what is good. Not only do you
39:23
Speaker 1: teach your children, you teach other women what is good.
39:30
Speaker 1: it is virtually impossible for me to overstate the value
39:34
Speaker 1: of a godly older woman it's almost impossible to overstate
39:38
Speaker 1: it even though a younger woman may not come to
39:42
Speaker 1: you or clamor for your attention she watches you she
39:45
Speaker 1: learns from you she really does long to hear How
39:50
Speaker 1: you do it. How you were able to handle that grief,
39:54
Speaker 1: that loss, that burden, that blast that came in your
39:59
Speaker 1: earlier years. How did you season to be such a
40:03
Speaker 1: winsome and contagious type older lady? I can tell you
40:10
Speaker 1: of the invaluable ministry of older women because our family
40:14
Speaker 1: has enjoyed their presence on occasions. When we moved in
40:20
Speaker 1: 1971 from the Texas area out to Southern California, our
40:24
Speaker 1: children were all small. Our youngest was one year old
40:26
Speaker 1: and our oldest was nine. On top of that, we
40:30
Speaker 1: left our grandparents, their grandparents. And so they had no
40:34
Speaker 1: older men and women around them. And we talked about that.
40:40
Speaker 1: It was a loss not having them near our parents.
40:44
Speaker 1: I would love for them to have known Cynthia's mother better.
40:48
Speaker 1: than they ever knew her. I would love for them
40:51
Speaker 1: to have known who my mother and my dad really were.
40:57
Speaker 1: So we had a wonderful woman come along whose name
41:00
Speaker 1: was Erna Homer. It's a name you've never heard of
41:03
Speaker 1: and will never make the lights. But she became the
41:07
Speaker 1: surrogate grandparent for our family. And our kids called her
41:12
Speaker 1: More More. She was Swedish, and it means mother's mother.
41:18
Speaker 1: So she was our kids' more-more. And more-more would take
41:23
Speaker 1: them places that grandparents take kids, and she'd do things
41:26
Speaker 1: that grandmothers do with kids. Some of them were really risky.
41:29
Speaker 1: I remember saying to Cynthia, man, can we trust them
41:31
Speaker 1: with more-more? She's kind of wild. And the kids loved
41:34
Speaker 1: being around more-more. But you know what else was great?
41:38
Speaker 1: When she would bring them back, she would pull Cynthia
41:40
Speaker 1: aside and say, what a great job you're doing with
41:43
Speaker 1: these kids. How wonderful it is to be around. You
41:46
Speaker 1: don't have any idea how encouraging that is to a
41:48
Speaker 1: young mother. And Cynthia Times would let her hair down
41:51
Speaker 1: and talk to Erna about something that was really on
41:54
Speaker 1: her heart. Never once knew Erna to gossip. Never once
41:57
Speaker 1: knew Erna to take the secrets of our family and
41:59
Speaker 1: run wild with them, use them against us. Never once
42:03
Speaker 1: knew Erna to be discouraging, ever. I mean, she was
42:08
Speaker 1: like a fresh drink of water on a hot day.
42:12
Speaker 1: And she just knew when to be there and when
42:14
Speaker 1: to take them. you know, on a trip or to
42:17
Speaker 1: spend half a day with them. She was an older
42:19
Speaker 1: woman who became for us a point of encouragement. See
42:23
Speaker 1: how the verb changes from teaching to encourage? Verse 3
42:27
Speaker 1: ends with teaching what is good and verse 4 begins
42:30
Speaker 1: so that you may encourage the younger woman. There's a
42:34
Speaker 1: reason for the change. This word encouragement has sensibility in
42:40
Speaker 1: its heart. It's the same root term. Sophronizo. Sophron is
42:45
Speaker 1: the other. This is the same root word. She does
42:48
Speaker 1: that which is sensible with younger women. Older ladies, don't
42:53
Speaker 1: push yourself off on someone else. Don't clamor for a
42:57
Speaker 1: place in their life, but be available. Be willing to talk,
43:02
Speaker 1: mainly to listen. Most of all, to encourage. And Talk
43:09
Speaker 1: about being watched. There are rewards in heaven for Erna
43:14
Speaker 1: Holmer that you wouldn't believe for her investment in our lives. Now,
43:22
Speaker 1: for all of us who live today, let me say
43:24
Speaker 1: a couple of things and then we're through. First, it's
43:28
Speaker 1: about age and maturity. The other is about modeling and mentoring.
43:33
Speaker 1: Age mixed with maturity provides a credibility advantage that cannot
43:38
Speaker 1: be ignored. When you are older and you are mature,
43:43
Speaker 1: you have credibility. You don't even have to ask for it.
43:47
Speaker 1: You don't have to carry a resume. You don't have
43:51
Speaker 1: to talk about it. We can tell. We can tell
43:54
Speaker 1: when we're around those who are older and mature. You
43:58
Speaker 1: have credibility. It can't be ignored. Second, modeling and mentoring
44:04
Speaker 1: cultivate an integrity that won't be forgotten. It won't be
44:11
Speaker 1: overlooked and it won't be forgotten. As I look back
44:15
Speaker 1: over my life and I think of the older men,
44:18
Speaker 1: all of whom who touched my life, those I call mentors,
44:21
Speaker 1: I will tell you that I can to this day
44:23
Speaker 1: quote lines that they even said offhand. They weren't like
44:29
Speaker 1: instructing me, I just remember their words. Better than that,
44:33
Speaker 1: I remember their model. This is convicting stuff, but it's true.
44:44
Speaker 1: Let's prepare now for the time around the table. I'd
44:53
Speaker 1: like you to bow your heads, please, and sort of
44:57
Speaker 1: block out all the other things that have been on
45:00
Speaker 1: your mind. Remember that These elements are for those who
45:06
Speaker 1: know the Lord Jesus and are walking with him. Doesn't
45:11
Speaker 1: matter what your level of maturity is. Doesn't matter how
45:14
Speaker 1: many times you failed him. Just know that you have
45:16
Speaker 1: Christ in your heart and you're walking as best you
45:20
Speaker 1: know in the light as he is in the light.
45:23
Speaker 1: You're going to be served these elements by very human men.
45:29
Speaker 1: All of them just like you. just as today you've
45:34
Speaker 1: heard teaching from a very human teacher. Our model is Christ.
45:40
Speaker 2: He's our example.
45:42
Speaker 1: God so loved the world that he gave his only
45:46
Speaker 1: son that whoever believes in him would never perish but
45:50
Speaker 1: have everlasting life. If you embrace the son, I invite you.
45:58
Speaker 2: To take of the bread and the.
46:00
Speaker 1: Cup Don't wait for me to lead you. Just do
46:03
Speaker 1: so spontaneously. First the bread, then the cup. Thank you, Father,
46:11
Speaker 1: for leaving us these symbols and for reminding us somewhat
46:15
Speaker 1: regularly of the Savior's death on our behalf. He never
46:21
Speaker 1: lived to be an old man. His life was gone
46:26
Speaker 1: from this earth before he ever reached thirty-five. But what
46:31
Speaker 1: a model he left for us. No one has the
46:37
Speaker 1: impact that he has.
46:41
Speaker 2: When he invites us to do as he has done
46:43
Speaker 2: to us.
46:47
Speaker 1: Today we revere him and we honor him and we
46:51
Speaker 1: remember his death on our behalf. Now we take the
46:57
Speaker 1: bread in remembrance of his body. the body of Jesus,
47:03
Speaker 1: in whose name we pray. The same night in which
47:12
Speaker 1: he was betrayed, he took bread and said, take and
47:15
Speaker 1: eat of it. This is my body, which is given
47:18
Speaker 1: for you, and do this in remembrance of me. After
47:22
Speaker 1: the same manner also, he took the cup, saying, this
47:25
Speaker 1: cup is the new covenant in my blood, as often
47:29
Speaker 1: as you drink it.
47:31
Speaker 2: Drink it in remembrance of me. It is all about Christ.
47:40
Speaker 2: The bread, the cup, the body, the blood.
47:48
Speaker 1: Remind us again, our Father, in this self-serving age, the
47:53
Speaker 1: value of submitting ourselves to one who once submitted himself
47:57
Speaker 1: to you. Teach us the value of great character, of
48:05
Speaker 1: an obedient lifestyle, a submissive will, a winsome way, and
48:16
Speaker 1: a life that is filled with forgiveness.
48:20
Speaker 2: We take this cup now in remembrance of him. In
48:25
Speaker 2: his name we pray.
48:31
Speaker 1: The last supper was confusing for the disciples. They had
48:35
Speaker 1: anticipated the kingdom coming and the Savior reigning and their
48:40
Speaker 1: serving alongside, but at this last meal they learned that
48:45
Speaker 1: he would die. Some feared in confusion they may never
48:51
Speaker 1: see him again. He left them to work through some
48:55
Speaker 1: of their questions, confusions. Interestingly, after they ate and drank together,
49:02
Speaker 1: sharing the same chalice and the same loaf, we read
49:09
Speaker 1: they simply sang a hymn and they went out. There's
49:16
Speaker 1: something simple and beautiful about that.
49:21
Speaker 2: That ending. Let's do the same.
49:27
Speaker 3: When I surveyed all On which thou bidst, O glory, come.
49:47
Speaker 3: Thy riches in thy throne. Oh, say does that star-spangled
50:25
Speaker 3: banner yet wave O'er the land of the free and
50:27
Speaker 3: the home of the brave? For all things that shall
50:53
Speaker 3: be lost, I sacrifice them to Thee in water. Behold
51:15
Speaker 3: His hands, His feet. Behold His hands, His feet. Behold
51:18
Speaker 3: His hands, His feet. Behold His hands, His feet. Oh
51:51
Speaker 3: my God. Thank you.
53:24
Speaker 4: The preceding message, Older Men and Women, Listen Up, was
53:28
Speaker 4: copyrighted in 2006, 2007, and 2024, and the sound recording
53:34
Speaker 4: was copyrighted in 2024 by Charles Arswindal, Inc.
53:39
Speaker 2: All rights are reserved worldwide.
53:42
Speaker 4: Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited.
53:47
Speaker 4: In the preceding message, Charles Arswindal, Inc. is grateful to
53:51
Speaker 4: Stonebriar Community Church, For permission to use their 2007 performance
53:55
Speaker 4: of When I Survey the Wondrous Cross. Lyrics by Isaac Watts.
54:00
Speaker 4: Music by Lowell Mason. Arrangement by Gilbert Martin. And edited
54:04
Speaker 4: by David York. Copyrighted in 1970 and 1985 by Theodore