Wednesday March 11, 2015

Read Titus 2:2

I was intrigued and decided to read on. It was interesting to see on the internet a ‘Must Read’ list for 2015 containing among other things the Bible. So in curiosity, I choose to read on. But as I read on I discovered the author thought that reading the Bible would be a good thing to do so that you can be educated against a system that tells you what to think and how to live. Read the Bible, stand against it and you’ll be free and independent was the subtext of the article. Doh! What he failed to mention was that every other book on the list was a similar companion of what to think and how to live.

Such people dislike the Bible because its standards are higher and purer than any other standard in existence. The Bible encourages us to aim for perfection and as such, attracts a lot of attack.

We see the high call to purity in the Bible in reference to all the subgroups in the church. Older men are called to be temperate or sober in their mind and their actions. They are to be able to assess the world and the workings of the church in accord with the Word of God and to act in an appropriate way. These older mean are to earn respect by their lives, their speech and their actions. They are to be exemplary models in the community. This happens as they display self control – not giving themselves over to lusts of the flesh, bursts of anger and the like. They are to be sound in faith, love and endurance. In short, these older men are to be men whom the younger men can look up to and imitate.

The word translated as ‘sound’ in verse 2 is the same word as used in verse 1. It means something like being healthy. Older men are to be healthy in their faith, love and endurance. They are to be men whom the congregation have seen grow in the faith, persevere through trials and standing up to the temptations of the world, of the flesh and of the evil one. They are to be men proven by their life and doctrine.

As we think about investing in each other we come to realise that as a man grows and matures in his life, his life is an investment in the local church. As a man strives and grows and matures in the faith he is growing in to a man that can be trusted, a man that can be followed, a man that can be sought after for advice and help, a man that can be looked up to and emulated. Such men are desperately needed in every congregation, even yours.

Men of Christ, it’s time to stand up and be counted. It’s time to take up the leadership roles God has given us. It’s time to lead by example and to put away sinful habits and desires. Men of Christ it’s time to lead our families in prayer, in the Word and in deed. It’s time to disciple our children and to show the way for our boys/teenagers to become men of God. It’s time to love our wives and daughters with the sacrificial love of Jesus so that they can blossom into pure and holy women of Christ Jesus. It’s time to redeem our friendships and to build them on Christ Jesus and the Word rather than on course joking or the footy or other things of the world. It’s time to let go of the lusts of the flesh and to focus on serving God with our heart, soul, mind and strength. Men of Christ it’s time to start investing in your local community.

Prayer:

Use the day’s reading notes and Bible passage to pray meaningfully:

Adoration:

Confession:

Thanks:

Supplication:

· Pray for the men of your church, notably that they would be men of Christ, of the Word and of love. Ask the Lord to be building strong male to male relationships throughout your church among all ages of men.

· Pray that the temptations

 Discussion & Reflection

1. Why should men stand up and lead?

2. Why should older men have the character outlined in verse 2?

3. How important is it for men in Christ to be sharing together and supporting one another?