From There to Here—the Departure from Truth

Titus 2:1-15

INTRODUCTION: I do not know that any of us fully understand the depths of trouble in which we presently find ourselves. The modern church, modern Christianity, and the modern Christian are shadows of what they used to be. Today’s Christian musick is certainly not that of years gone by. Today’s preaching is much more akin to story time or psychology than to the Bible preaching of years ago. Today’s Christian home would more likely win awards for best actors and actresses than to enjoy the peace and joyfulness that folks previously enjoyed from a faithful walk with God.

I. THE SCRIPTURAL HIERARCHY OF TEACHING

A. The Concept of Hierarchy

1. The source of truth (Titus 2:11-12)
2. The vessel of truth
3. The recipient of truth

B. The Scenarios of Hierarchy (Titus 2:1-14)

1. Concerning aged men (Titus 2:1-2, 11-14)
a. The source of truth – The “grace of God…Teaching” (Titus 2:11-14; John 14:26; 1 John 2:26-27)
b. The vessel of truth – “But speak thou” (Titus 2:1); Note: Titus was likely a pastor at Crete (Titus 1:5) (see also 1 Corinthians 2:13; 2 Timothy 2:2)
c. The recipient of truth – “That the aged men be…” (Titus 2:2)
2. Concerning aged women (Titus 2:1, 3a, 11-14)
a. The source of truth – The “grace of God…Teaching” (Titus 2:11-14)
b. The vessel of truth – The man of God “But speak thou” (Titus 2:1)
c. The recipient of truth – “aged women likewise, that they be” (Titus 3:3a)
3. Concerning young women (Titus 2:1, 3b-5, 11-14)
a. The source of truth – The “grace of God…Teaching” (Titus 2:11-14)
b. The vessels of truth (Titus 2:1, 3-5)
1.) The man of God “But speak thou” (Titus 2:1)
2.) The aged women (Titus 2:3-5)
i. “that they be…teachers of good things” (Titus 2:3)
ii. “That they may teach” (Titus 2:4)
c. The recipient of truth – “the young women to be” (Titus 2:4)
4. Concerning young men (Titus 2:1, 6-8, 11-14)
a. The source of truth – The “grace of God…Teaching” (Titus 2:11-14)
b. The vessel of truth – The man of God “But speak thou” (Titus 2:1)
c. The recipient of truth – “Young men…exhort to be” (Titus 2:6-8)
5. Concerning servants (Titus 2:1, 9-10, 11-14)
a. The source of truth – The “grace of God…Teaching” (Titus 2:11-14)
b. The vessel of truth – The man of God “But speak thou” (Titus 2:1)
c. The recipient of truth – “Exhort servants to be” (Titus 2:9-10)

II. THE GRAVE CONCERN FOR DEPARTURE

A. The Concern for Righteousness

1. Among the aged men (Titus 2:2)
a. Sobriety
b. Gravity
c. Temperance
d. Soundness in faith
e. Soundness in charity
f. Soundness in patience
2. Among the aged women (Titus 2:3)
a. Behaviour that becometh holiness
b. Not false accusers
c. Not given to much wine
d. Teachers of good things
3. Among the young women (Titus 2:4-5)
a. Sobriety (Titus 2:4)
b. Love of family (Titus 2:4)
c. Discretion (Titus 2:5)
d. Chaste (Titus 2:5)
e. Keepers at home (Titus 2:5)
f. Good (Titus 2:5)
g. Obedient to husbands (Titus 2:5)
4. Among the young men (Titus 2:6-8)
a. Sobriety (Titus 2:6)
b. A pattern of good works (Titus 2:7)
c. Uncorrupt doctrine (Titus 2:7)
d. Gravity (Titus 2:7)
e. Sincerity (Titus 2:7)
f. Sound speech (Titus 2:8)
5. Among the servants (Titus 2:9-10)
a. Obedience to a master (Titus 2:9)
b. Desiring to please a master (Titus 2:9)
c. Not answering again (Titus 2:9)
d. Not purloining (Titus 2:10)
e. Shewing all good fidelity (Titus 2:10)

B. The Certainty of Departure

1. Some shall depart from the faith (1 Timothy 4:1)
2. Some will speak lies in hypocrisy (1 Timothy 4:2)
3. Some will forbid to marry and command to abstain from meats (1 Timothy 4:3)
4. Some will love themselves (2 Timothy 3:2)
5. Some will be covetous (2 Timothy 3:2)
6. Some will be proud (2 Timothy 3:2)
7. Some will blaspheme (2 Timothy 3:2)
8. Some will disobey (2 Timothy 3:2)
9. Some will be unthankful (2 Timothy 3:2)
10. Some will be unholy (2 Timothy 3:2)
11. Some will lack natural affection (2 Timothy 3:3)
12. Some will be trucebreakers (2 Timothy 3:3)
13. Some will falsely accuse (2 Timothy 3:3)
14. Some will lack restraint (incontinent) (2 Timothy 3:3)
15. Some will be fierce (2 Timothy 3:3)
16. Some will despise those that are good (2 Timothy 3:3)
17. Some will be traitors (2 Timothy 3:4)
18. Some will be heady (2 Timothy 3:4)
19. Some will be highminded (2 Timothy 3:4)
20. Some will love pleasures more than God (2 Timothy 3:4)
21. Some will have a form of godliness, but deny the power thereof (2 Timothy 3:5)

III. THE ROOT OF THE PROBLEM

A. Examining the Hierarchy

1. The certainty of innocence
a. It is not the attributes of God (i.e., His grace)
b. It is not the Spirit of God
c. It is not the word of God
2. The possibilities of guilt
a. It could be the recipient of truth
b. It could be the vessel of truth

B. The Source of Guilt

1. The recipient of truth – an evil heart of unbelief (Jeremiah 5:31)
2. The vessel of truth
a. An evil heart of unbelief
b. Minimization of the word of God (Jeremiah 23:16; 1 Timothy 6:2-5; 2 Timothy 4:2)
c. Compromise (Titus 1:11; 2 Peter 2:3)
d. Hypocrisy (Romans 2:21)

C. The Fear of Misleading (James 3:1-13)

CONCLUSION: How did we get to where we are today? Somewhere along the way, our teachers and preachers lost the convictions to hold forth the word of life. At some point, our parents and grandparents lost the desire to live genuinely for the Lord and teach their offspring to do the same. None of this would have worked if we weren’t happy to have it so.