Prescription for Younger Women
Part 1
Pastor David L. Brown, Ph.D.
Sermon Delivered July 7, 2006
Key Verse – Titus 2:4-5
Titus 2:3-5 "The aged women likewise, that
they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers,
not given to much wine, teachers of good things; 4 That they
may teach the young women to be sober, to
love their husbands, to love their children, 5 To be
discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good,
obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not
blasphemed."
Review
This is the sixteenth message in our verse-by-verse study of
Titus. All the messages in this series are posted
www.sermonaudio.com/fbcoc.
Today, I want to review our study of Titus 2. We have looked at
the…
ü Sober – He
is a clear thinker. He is able to discern clearly which things are
of the greatest importance and value.
ü Grave –
Grave means to be serious. The word points to seriousness of purpose
and to self-respect in conduct.
ü Temperate
– Means to be self-controlled and to curb one’s desires and
impulses.
ü Sound In Faith
– Men need to know what they believe and why they believe it.
ü Sound In
Charity – It is the love that a Christian should have for God,
for Christ, and the love that Christians should have towards
Christians.
ü Sound In
Patience – Means patient enduring, perseverance, steadfastness.
We have looked at the…
P They Are To Be Holy –
That is, godly examples of holiness.
P They Are Not To Be False
Accusers – Not to spread malicious gossip or rumors.
P They Are Not
To Be Addicted To Much Wine – Not to be enslaved to alcohol
P They Are To
Be Teachers of Good Things – To teach the younger women things
that are solid and substantial, useful and improving, honest and
honorable, chaste and pure.
We have looked at the…
P Sober
-- Disciplined in mind and disciplined in life.
P Love their
husbands – This means to be fond of, or
affectionate to one’s husband. It indicates that there is to be a
"close friendship" between them.
P Love their
children – This means to be fond of, and affectionate to
children.
P Discreet –
Means to be prudent, especially in their thinking and in their
dress.
P Chaste –
Means to be chaste in body, in affection, words and
actions, having their love pure and single to their own husbands.
Focus
In this message we will finish up the…
The phrase keepers at home is a
translation of the Greek the word
oikourov
oikouros (oy-koo-ros’)
which literally means caring for the
home. Matthew Pool says, this is a reference to "house-wives, not
spending their time in gadding abroad, but in looking to the affairs
of their own families." It is not an easy job to be a wife and a
mother. A married woman’s duties are to be a good wife, a good
mother and overseer (manager) of the home.
Our families, in fact, our nation have been
greatly hindered because too many men have not highly valued the
work of stay-at-home moms! Being a stay-at-home mom is God’s design
for the family. Families are coming apart at the seams because mom
is completely out of the home and therefore exerts little influence
on the children. Men, do all you can to see that your wife’s primary
focus is the home. Also, realize that being a wife, mother and home
manager is NOT an easy job.
A word to you young ladies who are not yet married: I urge you to
look for a Christian man who understand the importance of your being
a stay-at-home mom so you can rear the children!
Let’s move on to the next thing in the list…
Good is a translation of the Greek word
agayav agathas (ag-ath-as’)
and implies being pleasant of nature, upright, decent, and the whole
spectrum of that which is proper. Vincent puts it this way –
The mistress of the house is to add to her thrift, energy, strict
discipline, and a gracious, heartily kind demeanor.
- Obedient To Their Own
Husbands
Why should a woman be obedient to her husband?
It is because that is the way God designed it! Turn in your Bibles
to Ephesians 5:23 "For the husband is the head of the wife,
even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of
the body."
Let’s look at the word that underlies our English
word obedient. It is upotassomenav
hupotassomenas (hoop-ot-asso-men-as). It is a very descriptive word
in the Greek. In fact, it is a Greek military term meaning "to
arrange [troop divisions] in a military fashion under the command of
a leader". In non-military use, it was "a voluntary attitude of
giving in, cooperating, assuming responsibility, and carrying a
burden". The idea is a woman putting herself under the authority of
her own husband.
Now, nearly every time I teach this, I get the
question after the service on this order – "How far does that
apply?" There are two passages of Scripture I usually point them to.
The first is Acts 5:29 "Then Peter and the other
apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God rather than men."
Here is how that applies. If you husband asks you to sin…to do
something that Bible forbids, or not do something the Bible
commands, you must "obey God" rather than you husband. To be sure,
don’t be snooty when you refuse. In fact, be meek in your approach
and explanation of why you cannot do what he asks.
However, far too many women do not obey their
husbands, not because their husbands are asking them to sin, but
because they just don’t want to do what he asks. I would point you
to a careful study of 1 Peter 3:1-6.
Wives, it is clear. You are commanded to obedient
to your own husband.
Finally, in wrapping up the instructions to the
younger women Paul writes that they are to do this "that the word
of God be not blasphemed." The Christian women who rebels
against these instructions and will not order their lives
accordingly runs the risk of causing the unsaved reproach [rail at,
revile, blaspheme] Christianity a being of no value.
John Wesley put it this way – "That the word of
God be not blasphemed" means that the word of God is "evil spoken
of; particularly by unbelieving husbands (or even backslidden
husbands), who lay all the blame on the religion of their wives."
I have seen this happen all too often in my
nearly 36 years of ministry. It is important that a wife be – sober,
love her husband, love her children, be discreet, chaste, keepers at
home, good and obedient to her own husband, that the word of God
be not blasphemed.
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