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Godliness in Community
38 Plays3 months ago
Series: Exemplifying the Excellent
Titus 2:1-15
Recommended
Transcript
Introduction to Restoration and Reflection
00:00:02
Speaker
When I watch TV shows these days, it's quite often on the HGTV channel in our house. I love these shows of restoration. It can be restoring an old car. It can be restoring an old house. um Old antique furniture. and We were watching one just the other day and this couple had found an old Victorian mirror. It's about eight and a half feet tall, ornate.
00:00:32
Speaker
mahogany edging, beautiful carvings, but it was so dirty and so filthy you could barely even make out where the mirror itself was. But they showed the meticulous process of cleaning every little nook and cranny of this mirror. And they slowly scraped off years and years of grime till at the very end they polished the mirror and You know, you could see your reflection, Claire's day in that mirror, and I just thought, wow, who knew that was under there? um And I thought this week as we were in San Diego, a little bit about this sermon today, that that old antique mirror is a lot like our Christian walk sometimes. That each day we're called to reflect Christ, and some days, well, if you're like me, we do it better than others.
00:01:27
Speaker
Some days we're kind of like that old antique mirror and it's a little faint. It's a little grimy. It's a little hard to see Christ to those people that we interact with. Today, in our passage, while it can be applied to people outside the church, it is specifically for you guys today. It's for believers.
00:01:55
Speaker
It's to the church. This is what Paul writes to Titus today. And the question he asks, basically, is how do we reflect God here within these walls to one another? How do we reflect Christ to one another here in the church? That's what we're going today. Titus chapter two.
Living a Reflective Christian Life
00:02:14
Speaker
You'll see in your outline, if you grabbed one on the way in, we're going to see the work and goal of God, the work and goal of you and I as believers, and then ultimately what you and I are called to do. how do we reflect God in the community. Titus chapter 2 in its entirety, if you have your Bibles, go ahead and turn there. If not, it'll be on the screen. This is the New Living Translation. Paul says, as for you, Titus, promote the kind of living that reflects wholesome teaching. Teach the older men to exercise self-control and to be worthy of respect and to live wisely.
00:02:55
Speaker
They must have sound faith and be filled with love and patience. Similarly, teach the older women to live in a way that is honoring God. They must not slander others or be heavy drinkers. Instead, they should teach others what is good. These older women must train the younger women to love their husbands and their children, to to to live wisely and to be pure and to work in their homes and to to do good and to be submissive to their husbands.
00:03:25
Speaker
then they will not bring shame on the word of God. Verse six goes on and says, in the same way, encourage the young men to live wisely. And you yourself must be an example to them by doing good works of every kind. Let everything you do reflect the integrity and the seriousness of your teaching. Teach a truth so that your teaching can't be criticized.
00:03:52
Speaker
Then those who oppose us will be ashamed and have nothing bad to say about us." He goes on and says, slaves must obey their masters and do their best to please them. They must not talk back or steal. They must show themselves to be entirely trustworthy and good. Then they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive in every way. For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people.
00:04:24
Speaker
And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom and righteousness and devotion to God while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed. He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds.
00:04:55
Speaker
You must teach these things and encourage the believers to do them. You have the authority to correct them when necessary, so don't let anyone disregard you, disregard what you say." This is the word of the Lord. When I looked at this passage that I had previously taught, I had the following title for the sermon, How to Maintain a Healthy Church.
00:05:26
Speaker
This is basically what Paul is telling Titus here today. How do we continue within these walls to build each other up? So when somebody from the outside comes and visits, the comment that they most likely would make is, I'm really welcomed there and that seems to be a pretty healthy church. Not a perfect church, but a healthy church. I think being a healthy church is something we all strive for here.
00:05:54
Speaker
If you look at the passage, it can very easily be divided in two ways. The first 10 verses, you may have the heading, mine says, promote right teaching or promote right behavior, might be a better heading. In verse 11 through 15, the latter part gives the reason we go about having right behavior.
00:06:22
Speaker
Verses 11 through 15 have often been said of Paul here. This could be his greatest, most compact statement on salvation in all the Bible.
Understanding Grace and Salvation
00:06:35
Speaker
Look with me here at verse 11. He says, for the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. Right, it begins with grace. I love the fact that I was able to sit in on a Bible study today as we were listening to the various Bible study verses. This came up. And I'm looking at John Pease's class right now. this This came up, not by coincidence. Just want to let you know that. It all begins with grace. It begins with God's unmerited favor towards a rebellious, sinful people.
00:07:15
Speaker
That was all you, by the way, at one point. That was all me at one point, rebellious to God. But it was by His grace that we are saved. We can't save ourselves. It is God's grace that is brought to humanity. It wasn't discovered by you and I. It's not something we chose one day. I think I'm going to choose God's salvation. It doesn't work that way. Paul tells us in Romans that we are literally dead and an inability to choose what is good. But it is by God's grace that the Holy Spirit is sent to reveal to us just the depth of our sin. He goes on here in verse 14 and he says that Jesus gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing those things which are good deeds.
00:08:18
Speaker
He rescued us, you might hear that term often. He rescued you and rescued me from the sinful situation that you found yourself in. That sinful situation that you couldn't get yourself out of, he rescued you. The better word here is redeemed. We saw that today in the Bible study also. He purchased you for a price. Why do we Do right behavior? Why do we do the right things? It's because He purchased you. You're not your own. Christ gave Himself for us, which means He became a substitute who on His own bore our sins on the cross. He paid a price. We were all slaves of sin.
00:09:14
Speaker
We could not free ourselves, but Christ gave Himself as a ransom for our sins. His death met the just demands of God's holy law so that God in His grace could forgive and free those who believe in Christ. We have been redeemed, it says, from all iniquity, which means that sin no longer masters or rules your life.
00:09:40
Speaker
So if you feel like for some reason you just can't get out of that sin that you're in today, know that you've been freed of that particular sin. That sin doesn't own you right now. So if you continue you in that sin, may I lovingly tell you you're choosing to live in that sin. Sin does not master you. We have a new position in Christ, and I think often where where we struggle, especially in a small hometown church here, First Baptist Church in Cameron, is that, quite frankly, you guys have grown up with everybody here. And you know everybody, and you know everybody's story. And you know just how rebellious everybody was at one time or another. And I see some of you grinning out there. Please, Lord, don't have them call me out. That's the beauty of me not being here from Cameron. I really don't know your pasts, but you do.
00:10:40
Speaker
Friends, this is where it makes it really, really difficult. Because when somebody comes to Christ, they have a new position. They are a new person. They have a new leaf, a new start. And quite frankly, it's hard for those of you who've known them your whole lives to give them that new start and to see them in a way that God now sees them. It's tough. It's a tough call. How do we do it? Well, it says that we not only have a changed position, we have a changed appetite, a changed attitude, a changed ambition, and therefore we have a new action in our lives, a new reason we obey.
Extending Grace and New Beginnings
00:11:21
Speaker
I just want everybody to look look up here for just a second if we can, and I'm not going to deviate, Monty, don't worry, I'm not deviating from the text, but I'm going to give you a personal opinion real quick.
00:11:33
Speaker
um
00:11:36
Speaker
It's super hard, I think, sometimes to give people a break, a chance, a second chance. And for some of you, it's a third or fourth chance. But the reason we do what we do is because God has given us umpteen number of chances. He just keeps giving us grace.
00:11:57
Speaker
upon grace, and we keep messing up and messing up, and he says he's just going to keep giving more and more grace. That grace, my friends, is given to you and I so that we can then reflect that grace to others, so that when we see them, we might just now say God is doing something new in that person's life.
00:12:18
Speaker
That person that I've known and went to high school with and who was crazy and reckless and now here and there in their 40s and 50s and somehow they're turning over a new leaf. Guess what? Yes, that's exactly how the Holy Spirit works. And we have to allow that person to then have a new start. All right, back to the Scriptures. He tells us here in verse 12, if you look with me here, verse 12, I like this word.
00:12:48
Speaker
He says, and we are, your your ah translation may say instructed or taught. It's this idea of disciplining. We are disciplined by God's grace. We are trained to be the kind of people that glorify Him, and that that that godly living, if we keep reading here, says the outworking of that is two things. There's a positive, which means we start doing something, and there's also a negative, we stop doing something. it says to stop doing, to turn away, or to deny ourselves, and then we see this whole list of things it tells us to deny ourselves from. If you're an older person, it says we need to stop doing certain things that may bring dishonor.
00:13:38
Speaker
If you're an older woman, you should be submissive to your husbands if you're married. If you're a younger woman, you need to learn from the older women. We're going to get into that in just a few moments, so don't worry.
00:13:56
Speaker
We turn away from one thing and we turn to something else. This is what Paul is telling Titus here. He uses words like ungodly living, turn away from that, turn away from worldly lusts.
00:14:12
Speaker
Become sober. We see this word sober here. Dual meaning today. It means don't drink a whole lot of wine and to be self-controlled. That's what sober means today. Self-controlled, prudent, show some restraint. Grace reforms us because God purifies us and He makes us His own possession. It's not who you are, it's whose you are. Does that make sense?
00:14:41
Speaker
You belong to Christ now, those of you who have chosen Him. You are in Christ. That's what we'll see that term often in the pastoral epistles. You are in Christ.
00:14:54
Speaker
It's this ongoing fancy word that Brother John used today in Bible study, sanctification. It's this ongoing process that once you're saved, now you start doing the right things in light of being saved. You're not doing the right things so that you get saved. You'll never be able to do the right things to get saved. Let me just tell you that right now. You'll be working your whole life to get it right, but it says by grace we are saved through faith in Christ.
00:15:31
Speaker
We not only separate ourselves from a sin, but we then sow ourselves or devote ourselves to God. It's a lifelong process, and like that antique mirror, some days it looks better than others. Some days you're gonna knock it out of the park. Some days you're gonna really reflect Christ's likeness to other people, especially the people here in the church. Other days, you're not gonna do so great. That's this ongoing process of sanctification that refines us into the image of Christ.
00:16:02
Speaker
Three groups of people that we see here spoken of. Older men, older women, that's the first group. Younger men, younger women is the second group and slaves. And I've seen this preached all sorts of ways. But let me let me tell you, as I've read this and reread this, if you fit the category of older men or older women, would you raise your hand, please? Younger men or younger women, would you raise your hand? Keep them up, please.
00:16:35
Speaker
Slaves? Yeah. If you're not raising your hand right now and you work for somebody, guess what? You're a slave. Friends, the reason why Paul gives us these groups is very intentional. It's not so that we only listen to the part where it goes, oh, I'm a younger man, so I'm going to listen to what the younger men have to say.
00:16:57
Speaker
No, he's giving us older men, older women, younger men, younger women, slaves, he might as well just say, everybody, everybody, everybody, everybody, regardless of your age, your gender, your social standing, everyone is to reflect godliness. And it starts right here in the church. Friends, if we can't get it right in these four walls, we're definitely not gonna get it right out in the community.
00:17:27
Speaker
If you come here on Sunday and you can't reflect Christ's likeness to your brother and sister here within these walls, it's gonna be an uphill battle outside. Because these people all love you, supposedly.
00:17:43
Speaker
This is the reason why Paul is giving us these groupings. So let's look here at this the second section, the work and goal of believers. He starts here with the older saints.
00:17:55
Speaker
Older men are to be sober and dignified. You know, there's a real dignity to old age that produces respect. You know that? Have you ever seen somebody, and I'm not just talking age here like you're a really old guy and therefore you deserve respect, but this is saying somebody who has walked the walk who has lived a life worthy of the call, and they've done it not perfectly, but they've walked and now they've matured, not only as a Christian, but in age, they're there comes with that a certain amount of dignity and respect. And you see that when you go to certain congregations, there are these older men, these pillars of the faith that the church has to have. They have to have that.
00:18:48
Speaker
They're sober. They're dignified. They're temperate, which means they're self-controlled. They're not too loud. They're not too soft. They're not too quiet. They're not too loud. They're not too rambunctious. holy in reserved therere They're They're temperate. They're balanced.
00:19:12
Speaker
says they older men should know what they believe. Those beliefs should line up with the Word of God. And their lives should reflect those beliefs. So older men, I'm talking to you right now as I look out in this crowd if I find any of you guys.
00:19:32
Speaker
Does sober, dignified, respectable, temperate, self-controlled, does that describe your walk right now? Not perfectly. But would somebody coming here within these four walls go, that gentleman or that gentleman or that guy? Boy, I'd love to, I love that guy because boy, he sticks real close to the Bible and he's living it out and I can see it in his life. He's not one way on Sunday and he's a completely different way Monday through Saturday.
00:20:07
Speaker
Because it's easy, friends, men, to do that, to put on the church uniform for Sunday. And then on Monday, when you're hanging out with your buddies, which we were talking to our son in San Diego, and he has a new job. And I said, how's it going? Well, I'm hanging out with a bunch of guys. I said, well, that's fantastic. You're making some friends at work? Yeah, we go out to the bar. And I go, oh, Lord. Some of you are shaking your heads. You're right.
00:20:37
Speaker
I'm the pastor and that's my son. And if he's doing it, your kids are doing it too. We're not perfect. That's this walk of sanctification, right? where're We're trying to impart upon them, this is what it looks like all the time. I want you to see me at the pulpit and then I want you to see me out pumping gas at at the Cefco and I'm the same person. Or if I'm working underneath the car and I and i hit my knuckles on the ranch, I'm not saying something inappropriate that I shouldn't say that I wouldn't say up here. It's it's the idea that I'm the same everywhere. ah Older saints, older men, I hope that's the case for you as well. Ladies, you don't get off quite as easy either. Older ladies, listen.
00:21:26
Speaker
You must also reflect godliness. And he says, you must not pick up, and I like this word picture he's using here, don't pick up gossip and spread it around. It's like ah like you would do with seeds. No, I'm just gonna pick up some seeds and go out and scatter them in the fields. Don't be known as that person who goes out
Moderation and Behavior in Faith
00:21:43
Speaker
and do that. You too must be temperate. But look what the asterisk he puts on here. You must be temperate in your use of wine. So that means, you know, and all the Baptists are looking up right now, I know.
00:21:57
Speaker
I love it. Can I just tell you something in from my pastoral heart? I have not found it yet in the Bible, and I'm a pretty studious person when it comes to the Bible, where it says you are not allowed to drink alcohol, and that's going to offend some people who are longtime non-drinkers. But it says all over the Bible, do it with what? Temperament.
00:22:21
Speaker
Be wise. If you're going to do it, don't make another brother or sister stumble, if that's where it it is. Friends, if you're out in a public gathering, like we're going to be at the Shriners here tonight, if Jim breaks out of Dos Equis, he is well able and capable of doing that. I hope you don't.
00:22:46
Speaker
But not for that point. He has the freedom to do that. You have the freedom to do that. But if you're doing it, in doing that, if you cause somebody else to stumble, then you need to restrain yourself. And that's what I want to say. i want I want you to know that it doesn't say anywhere in here, don't do it. But he's saying, ladies, just like you're not supposed to pick up gossip and spread it around, be real careful when it comes to wine and drinking that. Don't do it too much. Be a good example.
00:23:15
Speaker
So you must be good teachers of good things. My experience is most of the wiser, more mature women that I've met in the church are often really good teachers. That's just something that comes with it. They are to teach younger women how to keep house. And I know, hold on, ladies, hold on. Let me explain what's going on here.
00:23:41
Speaker
the house at this time was her domain, right? This was her sphere of influence. And he's saying younger women often who were Gentiles, who didn't have certain obligations, who had a lot of freedoms, may not know how to take care of their house. And he's saying part of the older, more mature women in the congregation, your job is to teach these younger women the ropes. This is how you keep house. This is how you keep your husband happy. Don't be argumentative. Be chaste is this word. Pure of heart, pure of mind. Be kind. This is also the word good.
00:24:30
Speaker
Be good in your house, meaning don't roll with an iron fist. Be kind, be loving.
00:24:38
Speaker
The same tempered word is not only used of older women. He's saying also slaves, you too must be tempered. Temper your mouth. Don't run off at the mouth if you're working for your boss. When we hear slaves in ah in our time, it doesn't ring. We don't grasp it because none of us want to admit we're slaves. But if you're going and working for the man, you're you're under somebody's authority. And it says here, for our takeaway today,
00:25:09
Speaker
Guard your mouth, guard your tongue around them, because if you run off at the mouth at work, it says you're not only doing yourself a disservice, it says you're sliding God's reputation, because people are gonna see you as a Christian at work, and they're gonna go, wow, that guy talks like that to his boss? Or that lady talks like that to her boss? It says, if at all possible, obey.
00:25:36
Speaker
and seek to please your master or your employer by going the extra mile. Don't simply obey, but do it from the heart. Go above and beyond if possible in your job. Don't do it begrudgingly. This word, right, I like this. I'm gonna do it, but I'm not gonna like it. How many of us have said that at work before? Even under our breath, right? I may not like it. I'll do it.
00:26:04
Speaker
Right? That's the same attitude that he's saying here. Slaves don't have that. Don't be argumentative. And then he just throws in for good measure, don't steal, as the practice was for slaves back then. I'll just take a little bit for myself. It's the same thing in the workplace today we see. I'm going to take that couple extra pieces of copy paper back home. I'm going to take those pencils or those pens that I know aren't mine.
00:26:30
Speaker
Those paper clips, I'm gonna take those. And you go, really? Seriously, pastor? Yeah, seriously. You know, there's millions of dollars are taken by employees every year. Are you that person that says, hey, I'm just gonna take a little extra of whatever home with me from work and I'm gonna use it at my house? Because friends, people are watching you in the workplace and they're saying, oh, that's a Christian, that's what they do. They just take a little extra and take it back home for themselves. He's saying, be wary of that.
00:26:57
Speaker
We must demonstrate right behavior. We must reflect godliness, not simply out of obedience, because we are Christ's. We are owned by Christ. Therefore, our duty, our obligation, because we've been purchased with the blood of Jesus, is to demonstrate that right behavior. You're not just doing it for the sake of obedience. And kids, I'll tell you, that's that's the same for you guys, you young ones. I'm not even looking at you right in your face right now.
00:27:25
Speaker
It's tough if you're simply trying to follow the rules and be obedient and you have no motivation other than pure obedience. You're going to fail. You're going to make mistakes. But if your motivation behind what you do is because you belong to Christ, boy, I think it just completely changes our outlook.
00:27:44
Speaker
He gets the glory, we don't. Paul says that in doing the right thing, because you're purchased by the blood, you bring God glory and His reputation is enhanced. You ever thought about that just by your behavior? You're enhancing God's reputation? When somebody sees you, they go, well, I could have swore that person would would have reacted this way.
00:28:09
Speaker
I would have reacted this way, but they're reacting differently. And in that behavior, you're bringing glory and honor to God.
00:28:21
Speaker
Verse five, end of verse five, look with me here, end of verse five. This is how we enhance God's reputation. It says, what's the goal of godly living? It's to reflect Christ to those we meet so that the word of God will not be dishonored. This is the the word blasphemed, your translation may say.
00:28:41
Speaker
Right behavior, based on what Christ has done for us, when we do the right thing, God's reputation is not tarnished. It's not dirt dirtied over like that old antique mirror. it's Instead, it's clean and bright, and everybody can see the reflection more clearly.
00:29:03
Speaker
He uses this word here at the end of verse 10. We do it with the right motive so that God's message will be attractive. Now, I don't like this word attractive. I like this word intriguing better. It's a better word here. So that when your friends at school or your coworkers see you and they know you're a Christian, they go, there's something different about that person, that man, that lady, that young person. There's something different about them. I wonder what's going on there at First Baptist Church, Cameron.
00:29:33
Speaker
You're not trying to win them over. You're not trying to make the gospel message more appealing. yeah Friends, you don't have to do that. Salvation by itself sells itself. You don't have to make it any better. I mean, in John's class, he gave the 10-word gospel at least 10 times. I was counting. I was so proud of him.
00:29:57
Speaker
It's just that simple. Christ died for our sins and rose from the grave. You don't have to flower it up, pretty it up. To the lost person who is dead in their sin, salvation through Christ sounds great all on its own. We just simply have to live out that reality that Christ saved us and the way we live is intriguing to others. And friends, it'll bring them in the church doors and then the message here from God's word, convicts.
00:30:26
Speaker
right that's You don't have to go out and try to win souls over. You really don't. You have to live in such a way that you can invite. You have to live in such a way if somebody asks you a question that you're able to to tell them from God's word, oh, here's what I know. um I might not know all the answers, but here's where I can point you. I might know it all, but at least I know 10 words in this 10-word gospel message. Bring them into the doors. They see how we treat each other and the love and respect that we show each other.
00:30:57
Speaker
and that we stand on God's Word and that friends will convict. So what do we do with this today? How do we reflect Christ today? I just have two things. And I know you're saying it's normally a three-point sermon. That's only two. Only two today. Because I want it tangible. I want you to be able to walk out today with just two things that you want to do.
00:31:21
Speaker
right from the scripture, right here from Paul telling Titus that we stop doing something and we start doing something else. We stop doing something, we put it away, there's a prohibition side when we start walking our Christian walk once we've been saved where you need to stop doing certain things and start doing others. Let's start with the putting away. It's helpful, I think, to look at these various items here of prohibition and umbe unhelpful behavior.
00:31:52
Speaker
because we all do all of them. I started looking through the list and I thought, Myles, there's something in here that I can really single in on. But but friends, you just have to look through this list. Are you argumentative? Do you gossip? Maybe you do both. Are you somebody older and think you deserve dignity and respect but you're not living in such a way that deserves that dignity and respect? Maybe you struggle with self-control.
00:32:22
Speaker
or moderation. those two are Those two are for me, by the way. He doesn't say you can't drink wine, but you gotta be moderate. You gotta to be sober. But if that some of you struggle that way, let me encourage you, that might be where you need to show some restraint.
00:32:45
Speaker
Perhaps it's complaining or lack of kindness in your home.
00:32:52
Speaker
And I'm purposely looking down and not looking out so that I don't see any of the elbows being nudged right now. Friends, you know your house better than I do. You know what goes on behind closed doors. Are you showing kindness? Are you submitting? Are you leading? For those of you who should be in positions of leadership in your house.
00:33:18
Speaker
There's something in this list you need to put away.
00:33:23
Speaker
And the in the verb that Paul uses to tide us here today is it's a once and for all putting away. So the thing that that as a pastor that I often hear is I continually struggle with fill in the blank, to which I say why. Why do you continually struggle with that one thing? Because the word here is you've already been rescued, you've already been saved,
00:33:51
Speaker
That sin no longer is your master, so if you're returning to it, friends, you're returning to it all on your own. Instead, it says, put it away once and for all. Tuck it away. I no longer need to gossip. I no longer need to drink a lot. I no longer need to be argumentative.
00:34:12
Speaker
My prayer this morning for you is that the Holy Spirit reveals something from this list that you need to work on.
00:34:20
Speaker
And for you older saints in the community, perhaps that is idleness. It's another word that we see here, idleness. Sitting around with too much time on your hands. I haven't found retirement yet in the Bible. When I get there, I'll let you know. It's a great concept from work, like I'm gonna quit working, but biblically, there's no quitting. There's just continually serving. So perhaps today, one of the putting away things is,
00:34:49
Speaker
You're putting away idleness and you're going to say, I'm coming up to the church and I'm going to get plugged in in some capacity all during the week. Imagine if everybody that's retired here came up during the week and just hung out and fellowshiped and thought of ways to serve the community. By the way, I won't stop any of you if you want to come up. I encourage you. At our last church, we had a very significant number of retired people They were always up at the church, always doing something. Okay, so we all need to put away something. That's the first thing. The second thing, what do we need to put on? For the older saints and the younger saints, there's a call to do one of two things. So if you're older, listen up. The call for you is step up this morning. Step up. If you're younger, it's step under.
00:35:49
Speaker
If you're older, step up. If you're younger, step under. If you're older, it's time to step up. The time is short, the season is now. Can no longer simply show up for service on Sunday morning.
00:36:07
Speaker
Oh yeah, I did write that. You can no longer just simply show up Sunday morning at 10 45 or 10 40 in case it hasn't been clear from the pulpit, I apologize. Church here really begins at 930, and it starts at Bible study class. And your Bible study teachers have spent all week long preparing a fabulous Bible meal for you so that you may consume when you get here. But that meal starts at 930. Some of you, that just means getting here a little bit earlier. It's a great start. For others of you, I think this idea of been there and done that attitude
00:36:48
Speaker
and this church needs to go away. And I say this the most loving way as I look out, I know the life cycle of the church. So I'm telling you this from your from the pulpit as your pastor, for the older saints. If you don't step up, if you do not get engaged and you do not pass down what you know to the next generation, friends, there will not be a next generation.
Intergenerational Wisdom in the Church
00:37:16
Speaker
Because you can look around right now, it we are an older congregation. We don't have quite as many younger people as I would like to see. We need to bring these younger people in, we need to fill up the church, and you need as older saints to fill up those younger people. You need to tell them what's right. You need to teach the men teaching younger men how to live that godly life.
00:37:43
Speaker
Older women, you need to be passing on to the younger ladies. This is how I've been successful. Watch out for this. Don't make this same mistake I made.
00:37:55
Speaker
Younger folks, step under. What do I mean by step under? You have a great resource in older saints here in this church. If you're a younger person, you need to put yourself up under one of these men or ladies. You need to be discipled.
00:38:13
Speaker
by mentored, if you want to use that word, by somebody here, so that as the natural life cycle of the church happens and these members pass away, because I want to let you know that's just what happens, some of you a little bit closer than others, the older generation will pass and the next generation will come up.
00:38:39
Speaker
and you younger generation, guess what? One day you will be the older generation. See how that works? 10 years from now, we want First Baptist Church Cameron to still be kicking and to be lively, right? Just means we have to ditch some of these attitudes. this I've been there, I've done that, I've already served that way in the church, I don't really wanna serve that way again.
00:39:15
Speaker
Yep, I'm ending this way. This is gonna be fabulous. Mr. Pease has no idea that I was even including this in my my sermon today. I'd like for you to look to the person to your left real quick and repeat after me. You are the church. Oh no. Better than that. One, two, three. Look to your right. Except for you people over here. On the count of three. One, two, three.
00:39:46
Speaker
What am I saying there, friends? It's not this. It's not this. It's all of us. We're all the church. I want your grandkids here. I want your kids here. I don't want to hear about how great it used to be. I want to instead hear about how great it's going to be, because that's what's going to launch us forward. Amen? Let's pray.