Titus 2:1-15
July 7, 2019
preached by Doug Cooper
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Time of Reflection Quotations

“Jesus sees us and knows us with an everlasting love, with a love that has saved us from ourselves and that guarantees our future perfection. In our present condition, Jesus sees us as the acorns that will become oak trees, the apple seeds that will become orchards, the caterpillars that will become butterflies, and the random cacophonies of words and notes that will become musical masterpieces.”

~ Scott Sauls, contemporary pastor and author

“Where there is a believing community whose life is centered in the biblical story through its worshipping, teaching, and sacramental and apostolic life, there will certainly be differences of opinion on specific issues, certainly mistakes, certainly false starts. But it is part of my faith in the authenticity of the story itself that this community will not be finally betrayed.”

~ Lesslie Newbigin (1909-1998), British theologian, missiologist, missionary and author

“Only a group of people who share a body of knowledge and continually learn together can stay vital and viable.”

~ Max De Pree (1924-2017), American businessman and writer

“When God wants to take charge of the world, he doesn’t send in the tanks. He sends in the poor and the meek.”

~ N. T. Wright (1948-present), English New Testament scholar and retired Anglican bishop

“Wherever we go we see divisions among people—in families, communities, cities, countries, and continents. All these divisions are tragic reflections of our separation from God. The truth that all people belong together as members of one family under God is seldom visible. Our sacred task is to reveal that truth in the reality of everyday life.”

~ Henri Nouwen (1932-1996), Dutch Catholic priest, professor, writer and theologian

“Any church of any denomination today that falls short of the gospel of Christ in either doctrine or culture will inevitably collapse under the extreme pressures of our times.”

~ Ray Ortlund, contemporary pastor and author

“If God is the creator of all things, and if the Bible has his seal of truth and power, then the Bible has the right to interrogate my life and culture, and not the other way around.”

~ Rosaria Butterfield (1962-present), author of The Secret Thoughts of an Unlikely Convert: An English Professor’s Journey into the Christian Faith

Sermon Passage

Titus 2:1-15 (NASB)

¹ But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine. ² Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in perseverance.

³ Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, ⁴ so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, ⁵ to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.

⁶ Likewise urge the young men to be sensible; ⁷ in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified, ⁸ sound in speech which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us.

⁹ Urge bondslaves to be subject to their own masters in everything, to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, ¹⁰ not pilfering, but showing all good faith so that they will adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect.

¹¹ For the grace of God has appeared bringing salvation to all men, ¹² instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, ¹³ looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, ¹⁴ 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.

¹⁵ These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you.