Okay, this is Eleanor Mann. We are beginning our Bible study on Titus 2. We are studying Titus 2, verses three through five. And today is our overview, our first lesson in this chapter. Okay, so we've talked about how Titus 2, verse one explains the purpose for the chapter is to speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine. Receiving sound teaching and understanding what the Bible says are critical to our spiritual health. They make possible character development and lifestyle choices which identify us as true Christians according to the scriptural definition of what it means to be a Christian. Sometimes I feel like it's very easy for me to get into the mindset of just kind of floating. in my Christian life. I'm being moved along by the current. I've got different activities with church and with people and with Bible study and with my quiet time that are a part of my regular schedule. And I just kind of allow myself to float along from activity to activity and am not conscious of the purpose behind what I'm doing. But the difference that sound doctrine makes is in our convictions. And we will talk at another time about more specifically about which convictions or some key convictions that are very important in order to frame our thinking about basic doctrines in the Bible. But kind of as a just a general thought, our convictions, which are the things we are convinced to be true, affect our perspective, how we view what is happening in our lives and in the world and in other people's lives. And in that perspective, which we have, determines the priorities we set up. So let me give you an example. If I have the conviction that I'm going to a meeting and I have the conviction that there are people there who are gossiping about me and sharing things that are not true. If I believe that is true, then how will that affect me when I go to that meeting? Well, it gives me the perspective that it's not a friendly atmosphere, that there are some people who are trying to do me harm, or are saying things that aren't true, which result in harm. That's my perspective. And how will that affect my priorities? Well, for one thing, when I go to that meeting, that is all I'm gonna be focused on. Is she the one who's talking about me? Is she the one, what are they saying? I'm gonna be looking to see how people are looking at me. Do they refuse to meet my eyes? Are they acting different towards me? Can you see how that conviction really results in the behavior and the attitudes I have in the situation I'm in. Now, what if I'm going into the same situation, but my conviction is that everybody there is interested in the same thing, and that is growing closer to God. And we are interested in each other, we pray for each other, we seek to help each other with meals when someone is sick or encouragement. That's my conviction. That's the kind of group I'm going into. Now, how will that affect my perspective? Well, I can't wait to get there. I look forward to it all week. I'm excited about the ladies. I want to hear what's going on in their lives. I'm looking forward to the whole event. And so what are my priorities going to be? I can't wait to get there and to start talking to people. And I'm excited about being there. And I make it a, um, it's something that's a real joy in my heart and something that I do make a priority during the week. So can you see the difference? The situation is the same. It's a meeting, but my conviction about what is happening there, um, And the accuracy of that conviction is going to determine how I think about it, how I act, how I react. So it's really important when it comes to understanding what the Bible says, that we have correct convictions that are based on the truth of the word of God. So when this says that the, purpose of Titus 2 is to help us to speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine that is important because it's going to affect our thinking and our reactions and our behavior as well as how people react to us and the ends up affecting the whole situation. How many of us have ever been in a situation where one rumor or one item of gossip ended up dividing a whole group. Whether it was true or not true, the way it was handled ended up being very divisive. And a lot of times when something is passed from person to person, it ends up being very different from how it originally started out. So when Paul is instructing Titus to speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine, That is a very important job that he has given Titus to do, and very important in terms of its effect in the church. Let's look at Colossians 2, verses 6 and 7. Jodine, can you look at that, please? Yes, that is just fine. having been family-hooded and now being built up in Him and establishing your faith, just as you were instructed and overflowing in gratitude. So it is crucial, of course, that we first receive Jesus Christ as Lord, because that's how we start out our whole relationship with God. But we have to remember that that is only a beginning, that after that we walk with Him in relationship, and then we become firmly rooted and are now being built up in Him and established. It's a whole process. Um, and we have, we're instructed in these things. So we need to make sure that we are responding properly to that instruction and that we're grateful for it. That gratitude is a characteristic of our lives. Um, when we are reacting correctly and, uh, seeking to become, um, grounded in sound doctrine, that is a part of being built up in Him and established in our faith. And you know from the description of the tree in Psalm 1, that that's the tree that won't be destroyed in a time of distress and storm, because its roots are deep. So when that happens, we grow in goodness and holiness, and we are able and prepared to serve God. So that's the point of the things that we are seeking to learn specifically in this chapter. We do not want to dishonor the word of God, but to honor it. Then let's look at some things, some verses that pertain specifically to women. Salome, can you read 1st Timothy 4, 6-8? This is a few, the section on the screen is a few verses into 1st Timothy 4. You can either read that or you can start with the verses in your Bible. 1st Timothy 4 Hello? Yes, that's good. Sorry, I'm listening. Is it 1 Timothy 4? Yes, verses 6 through 8. Okay. I'll be reading from the screen. Okay, that's great. You will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following. but have nothing to do with worldly fables, fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness, for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. OK. Thank you. That's great. So this is talking what God wants for us is to be good servants which are constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine. There's the sound doctrine idea which you have been following. But then here's the contrast. But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. Now Being an old woman, my first reaction was, hey, wait a minute. But then I thought, no, this is not intended as an insult, but it's intended as a warning that we need to make sure that what we are giving ourselves to is the study of the word of God and of sound doctrine and not with stories that are not based on scripture. I mean, the Bible is full of stories. Jesus shared parables all the time, so it's not the idea of a story, but it's the idea that our faith needs to be based on sound doctrine and not caught up in things that other people say or tales that are not based on the truth of scripture. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness. So now we're back to what we should do, not what we should not do. For bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things. So bodily discipline is profitable, but it's not as profitable as godliness. And here's the end of the verse, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. In terms of perspective, the things we allow God to build into our lives in terms of spiritual growth are going to hold true for us for eternity, both in our life and in the lives of those we influence. So we do not want to be women who base their lives on worldly fables caught up in superstition and false teaching. It is really easy to respond to emotion or maybe whatever the current story is that's going around and not on the solidity and the permanence of the word of God. Neither do we want to be women who are weak And let's look at 2 Timothy 3, 6, and 7. Nicole, can you read that, please? Ah, Ifyoma, I see you. Yeah, good evening. Please, before we leave today, give me your email information again. Because I didn't write it down last time. I thought I could write it down when... that it would stay on the screen and it didn't. So it was my fault. But if you'll give it to me again, I'll write it down before we leave. Okay, Ma. I will. Okay. Thank you. So can you read that please, Nicole? Let me see, she may have had to leave or had some technical difficulties or something, because I don't see her right now. Okay. Well, Ifyama, can you do that, please? I know you were just joining us. Yes, I can. Okay. Second Timothy 3, 6, and 7. Okay. Neither do we want to be women who are weak, weighed down with sins, with sins, led on by various impulses, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. If we looked at this verse in context, it's talking about false teachers, men, who are able to come into households, it says in the first part of verse six, for among them are those who enter into households and captivate, and then it speaks of weak women, and the rest of this verse, who are weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses. So these are women who are vulnerable to being taught false things, Because they are weighed down with sins led on by impulses And then it says always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth so they They may be sincere but because they are unable to get past their own sin and deal with it and they are guided by impulses rather than the truth of the Word of God, they may be learning, but they never actually come to the point of being stable in terms of their knowledge of the truth. And that's why when we talk about convictions and sound doctrine, we are talking about being convinced of something that is true. So that if someone shares with you something that is not true, you instantly understand that no, that is not what you believe because the Bible teaches something different. Hebrews 12 verse 1 talks about the same thing. Who can read that for us? Let's see, who hasn't read yet? Sharon. Bottle of gum, am I saying that correctly? Can you read that please? Hebrews 12 verse 1. Okay, Hebrews 12 verse 1. Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us walk with perseverance the ways marked out for us. So that's what God wants us to do. He doesn't say that we will not have difficulties that will attempt to entangle us. The thing that's key about the people in this passage is that they are able to lay aside those things. they are able to deal with sin and move on. I also wanted to look at 2 Timothy 2.15. We may have looked at this last time too, I don't remember for sure, but it says, Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. We want to be workmen who have learned how to accurately handle the word of truth. And I looked up this word workman, And in the original Greek, it is not gender specific. It's not just talking about a work man. It is talking about people. So women and men need to be able to accurately handle the word of truth. So that's the purpose for this chapter. It is teaching us, let me go back up to the beginning. It is teaching us how to speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine and encouraging us to invest our lives in that as a purpose. Okay? Let me go down now to the next page. I think once I get there, it will, yeah, it zeroes in and is clear. Titus 2 teaches that older women are first to be godly in their own character and then to train the younger women in their home situations with their husbands and children and in areas of character. I'm flipping pages here, bear with me. Okay? The term older here means just that. It means older in years. It's the same word that's used to describe elders in the church, or those older men who have positions of responsibility and leadership. Here, the older women are given the responsibility of training, which means role modeling and teaching the younger women in the church. They are to reproduce themselves in these younger women. You may say, well, I'm not an older woman yet, so I don't need to be thinking about these things. That's some time in the future, but it's not going to happen overnight. We walk with God now in preparation for how he wants to use us in the future. The term young is used here literally to mean new or recent. So these younger women are just that. They are young. They're either newly married or preparing for marriage, or even teenagers. But we need to remember that this teaching is not just reacting to problems in the church, but proactively preparing young women for their future roles. All too often, I think, we end up reacting to problems as they come. there's a problem with morality, or there's a problem with gossip, or there's a problem with not focusing ourselves enough on the Lord, but being too worldly. And so we react to those problems instead of proactively working to prepare young women, and proactively seeking to prepare ourselves Now let me share, and I think I've said this before, that we have four children. They were born about two years apart. And so when my children were young, my focus was on the home. I did some outside ministry, but on a very limited basis while my children were young. And if you were in the middle of that time period, it is hard to imagine. I can remember, It is hard to imagine ever being in any other different situation. I can remember I went to the doctor for a checkup and he said, you need to stand up straight. You shouldn't be leaning so much to one side. That's not good for your posture. And I realized that the reason why I leaned like that is that I was so used to carrying a diaper bag on my shoulder that I actually stood, even when I didn't have a diaper bag on that shoulder, bent, because that was the form that I stood so many times. So I can remember thinking, I will never not be without a diaper bag. But you are. your children grow and move on to other things and so do we and eventually I had to learn how to do two things I had to learn how to stand up straight because I no longer was carrying a diaper bag and I had to learn not to stand putting resting my hands on my stomach like you do when you're pregnant because it was it was kind of there unfortunately but it wasn't there because of pregnancy So there really wasn't a need to stand either way. It was just a habit. It was just a habit. Um, let me mention one other thing about that. I, I don't know what you all see in your churches, but here in the U S a whole new word that has come to be used in the last, I don't know, maybe 10 years is the word mentoring. And that's that's not a bad word. It's and it's not a bad concept it implies coming along someone and being a friend to them and someone in whom they can confide and share and But it it also has been used at least in the church here in the US frequently as a watered-down description of discipleship because discipleship implies a commitment to learning how to walk with God. Whereas mentoring can just mean sharing problems and talking and maybe praying together, but it doesn't really imply that same level of commitment. So it's not bad, to be involved in mentoring someone. But as we get into these specific areas that God wants the older women to be available to build into the lives of the younger women, there is an element of commitment involved on both sides. So we can just be thinking in terms of those areas as we get into this. Like I said at the first, today is an overview. We'll talk about these specific areas in more detail in the coming weeks. Okay? So, the goal of this particular passage, these three verses in Titus 2, is right at the end of verse 5, so that the word of God will not be dishonored. The Greek word used here is blasphemio, which means to blaspheme. The idea of something being defamed, reviled, or spoken evil of. And also implied in that is being spoken of as less than it truly is. When we talk about blaspheming God, We are attributing to Him characteristics which are not His, which make Him out to be less than He truly is. That is blaspheming. The idea is instead of bringing Him honor, it's to bringing Him dishonor. And what we want to do with our lives is to honor God. How can our lives and our teaching, or lack of it, result in God's work being dishonored in such a way? That's the question we can ask ourselves. And one idea is because the world watches. We are God's representatives. The Bible says we are his ambassadors. Second Corinthians 5.20 says, therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ. As though God were entreating through us, we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. An ambassador in certain situations has to plead for the honor of his country. Maybe there's some kind of a crisis and he has to go in and try to resolve the crisis so that his country does not lose honor in the country in which he is residing, which is not his own country. And we know the Bible says that our home is not here. Our home is in heaven. So we are ambassadors for Christ and God is entreating through us. Please be reconciled to God. Please come to know Jesus. Let him into your life. Let him help you grow so that you can help others grow. God has chosen us to be his communicators through life and word in a dark world. And that's the method God chose. In a Bible study I'm in at our church, we are studying the book of John. And we just finished, this week's chapter was John 16. But it is amazing to me that God chose these 12 men, well, 11, if you don't count Judas, to be with Jesus and then entrusted that the gospel was going to be spread to the world through these men who were imperfect, they were unfaithful, they were scared, they didn't understand. Part of that was they didn't yet have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit, which came after Jesus' resurrection. and described in the book of Acts. But this is God's method that he chose is communication, verbal communication to communicate the greatest truth that has ever existed. And that's the story of the gospel. So when we talk about being God's ambassadors, he has entrusted us with a great responsibility, the most fulfilling thing, the most precious thing to him, and that is communicating the truth about his life, his love, his work, all accomplished in Jesus in order to draw us closer to him. So, that's a great privilege. But that is God's goal for us, is that we are involved in that. We are involved in it, first of all, with our own children. Your children are the most important disciples you will ever make. Then we are also entrusted with supporting and encouraging our husband as he is involved in this same ministry. So those two things, those two things are our primary focus in our ministry, especially when you are tied to home with young children. Now, if you don't have children or if your children are older, then you do have more time available and can do more things. I didn't start traveling with John until our last child had started university because we were going to be leaving the country. And then we made sure that we had worked out family members and siblings who could help when that child in university, if they needed something, because we were at least two days away from being able to get back home in the places where we were going. So before that time, John made short trips. And sometimes when the schedule permitted, I would go with him for short trips, but we didn't start actually traveling for months at a time. until our children were at a point where they were a lot more independent of us. So the thing that I have at this point in my life that I didn't have when I was in my 20s and 30s and even 40s is perspective. Because I can see how God has used all those things early in my life to prepare me for the things he wants me to do now. But when you're in the middle of it, like I said, I felt like I would be carrying that diaper bag forever. It felt like forever. Some days it felt like longer than forever. So I think God does want us, even while we're in the middle of where we are in our season of life, and the responsibilities and the time commitments that we have at that point in our lives, he still wants us to be able to see and to trust him that what he is doing in our lives now is going to prepare us for the future. Oh, and I did notice, uh, let's see. No, I guess we haven't. Let me, let me share from this next paragraph. We are his fragrance in a lost world. It says in, it should be second Corinthians. I left out the chapter in here. Second Corinthians two verse 15 for we were a fragrance of Christ to God among those who were being saved and among those who were perishing. So, um, This made me think of my husband because almost every day at about, oh, 4.30, 5 o'clock, he comes in the kitchen and says, ooh, I'm smelling something really good. What's for dinner? The fragrance of dinner always precedes the meal. Whatever you were preparing, the fragrance fills the house and it draws people in, inviting all those who smell it to come to the table. The Holy Spirit in us gives out an invitation to others to come closer and see what God offers. So when we draw close to God, when we allow him to build into our lives, when we allow the truths that are in the word of God to become our own truths that we are able to stand on, and when we are willing to be involved in the lives of people, whether it's our children and our husbands or whether God has permitted us to be able to invest in the lives of others outside our own home. That is the Holy Spirit giving out through us an invitation to come closer and see what God offers. Now, the family is a picture of Christ's relationship to his church. The church is referred to as his bride in the book of Revelations. The husband and wife's relationship is used as an example of Christ's relationship to his church in Ephesians 5, 22 and 23. We just finished talking about that in depth. Satan opposes this picture being accurately presented through the use of deception and lies. So he is actively involved in trying to mess up the way our families, in our relationship with our children and our husband, how it is presented to the world as examples of Christ's church. This enemy would love to cause God's word to be perceived as untrue because it is not borne out in our lives. We represent Christ to the world as his ambassadors, as his fragrance, which precedes the knowledge of him. Our families illustrate his relationship to the church. So I would leave you today with these questions. What true difference has knowing Christ made in my life? What difference has knowing Christ made in our family life? Can others see this difference? We actually had, I shopped at the same grocery store Excuse me, just a minute. Hi, Jason. I'm fine. I'm in the middle of a Zoom study. Were you concerned about today? Let me take you to him. Excuse me, ladies. I'll be right back. We are supposed to take our son-in-law to the airport, so I need to make sure we're commorted. We're not supposed to leave yet, but I need to coordinate this. Let me take you back to them, Jason. Just step back. Okay. Need a little bit of sympathy. It's all okay. So, so pretty far ahead. Yeah. Yeah, okay. All right, well, do you want me to come get you and let you know? Sure, sure. Okay, well, you're stressed out, stop it. OK, very good. Well, I'm glad they let you know before you flew out here. But I was looking forward to getting to see you. But I'm glad you got the opportunity to work with us. I'm sure it all worked out. Thank you. Okay, sorry ladies. Our son-in-law who lives here is flying up to New York City, which is on the other side of the U.S. from us, to be with his father who is going to have surgery tomorrow. So, and we were supposed to take him to the airport. in a couple hours. So he, I don't know, there's been a change or something. So he's communicating with John. So anyhow, that's what I otherwise I would have just not taken the call, but I knew it might be something important. So I appreciate your understanding. My mind had totally shifted away, so let me shift it back. Oh, I was going to tell you something that we experienced. We always shopped at the same grocery store so that we could get to know the people who worked there as a means of influencing them for the Lord. And there was one lady who was, if I could, I would go to her counter to check out and pay for what we were buying every time I went in. Well, there was one time when I was homesick and John did the shopping and he checked out with her and she said, oh, Because she knew our children who were with him, so she recognized that he was my husband. And she said, oh, usually your wife is here. Is she okay today? And he said, yes. And she's just home sick today. And the lady said, well, I've been meaning to ask her, what church do you all go to? I just love the way that she reacts with her children and they react to her. and she's always so nice to me, and I know you all probably go to church, and I would like to go to that kind of church." Well, I couldn't believe that. You know, I had no... I wasn't consciously doing those things, and I had no idea that she had ever noticed. You know, she'd never given an indication. So that is not for me to brag on myself. But it is just to say that sometimes we don't know the difference that we are making in the world. But we do, if we are walking with God and if we are relating to our family in a way that honors God, we do make a difference and others can see it. And that's part of that fragrance that we're talking about and being his ambassadors so that we can plead Christ's cause in a lost world. Am I sharing what Christ has done in my life with younger women in my church? And remember, this doesn't have to be young wives, it can also be teenagers. I know in a lot of churches, girls are considered youth right up until the point they marry, or until they're in their mid-20s. Am I seeking to learn from an older woman to be the kind of woman, wife, and mother which will be an honor to God's word? That's something you can pray for. It might be your mother or another relative. It might be a lady in your church and you appreciate the way you see her treating her husband. You appreciate the way she conducts herself. When she shares something, it seems to have the a true ring of scripture in it. So think about some of these questions as preparation as we start getting into Titus 2. These are the kinds of things we're going to talk about. How we can be these kinds of women. Whether you are on the end of seeking someone to invest in or whether you are on the end of wanting to learn the things which the older women teach the younger. They are all things that God wants us to learn as we grow closer to him. And they are all things that he will build into our lives in order to use us as ambassadors and as his fragrance, first in our own families, but also in our relationships with others in the world. So I pray that this is an encouragement to you. And I will enjoy as we get into the, you can read the different areas we are going to be talking about. Reverent behavior, not malicious gossips, on down to sensible, pure workers at home. All of those different categories are things we're going to be talking about. So as we go through this and as you have questions, feel free to contact me or ask them in Bible study I am going to stop and pray and those of you who need to leave should feel free to do that and if anyone would like to Stay and ask questions or offer comments. You are welcome to so let me pray and then we'll move on Father, thank you for the truth that it's in your word. Thank you that our relationship with you is built on the solid ground of the word of God. Father, thank you that you reach out to us constantly, that you meet us where we are, that you understand perfectly. our own situations. And Father, thank you that you are absolutely and completely in control, that you know our emotional makeup, you know our needs, you know our abilities, our gifts, our calling, and you know the timing for how you are going to work in our lives and the things you are going to do and accomplish in us and through us. Father, you know our husbands, you know our children, all of none of that is unknown to you it is all very clear to you and it's your desire to mold us together into a family who work together to be salt and light in the earth and to be a pleasing fragrance both to you personally and to those in the world who come into contact with us. So father, we pray that you would help us to center our hearts on you, that you would help us to see the benefits of learning sound doctrine, um, that you would, um, just continue the work that you've begun in us. And we thank you that you have promised to bring it completion in the day of Christ. Lord, we appreciate you and we thank you for your faithfulness to us. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.