TEXT: Titus 2:3-5
THESIS: To show the characteristics & duties of mothers, grandmothers, daughters & wives.
INTRO.:
A. Mother’s Day was started as a national holiday in America in Phila. because of a lady named Ann Jarvis, over 50 years ago. It was first observed in churches as a result of the Bible’s emphasis on motherhood.
B. No society survives for long when the mothers lose their natural affection for their children or children lose their respect for their mothers. In our country today the abortion industry threatens the very existence of our nation. The disrespect for life generated by abortion, degrades motherhood & creates an ungodly atmosphere where children no longer respect or honor their parents.
C. Biblically God has set standards for mothers & guidelines for children.
💥The duties of moms & grandmoms, daughters & wives are given to us in this centuries -old passage of Scripture, which nonetheless sets the standard for
“MOTHERS FOR THE NEW MILLENNIUM.”
I. GODLY MOMS & GRANDMOMS: V.3,4a
A. Their Behavior: v.3
1.The first prerequisite to godliness is holiness.
a. Godliness is nothing more than moral cleanness.
b. The godly mother or grandmother is to live her life as if it is a sacred Trust.
c. Holiness is Christ-honoring, but it also protects the woman & most importantly sets an example for children to follow.
2. If the first prerequisite to godliness is moral cleanness, the second is mutual carefulness. “…not false accusers”
a. The godly mother or grandmother must bridle her tongue to avoid the natural tendency to demean, criticize or belittle others.
QUOTE: Calvin: “Talkativeness is a disease of women & it is increased by age.”
b. Christian ladies are to be careful in their conversation concerning others & should set a godly example for all who know them; especially their children & grandchildren.
3. First comes moral cleanness, secondly mutual carefulness & then godly ladies are to be manifestly consistent.
a. Oliver Greene says that “the Greek suggests that it means that these women are not to talk & act like women who linger over wine” i.e., foolishly.
b. He further states that “this does not condone drinking even a little wine - certainly not the kind we have in liquor stores & wineries today. There is no excuse for any spiritually minded person being confused over total abstinence from alcoholic beverages.”
ILLUS.: Even when Paul admonishes Timothy to “use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake & thine often infirmities,” he is not recommending wine with the alcoholic content of today’s wines.
B. Their Beliefs: v.3b,4a
1.We have already seen that moms & grandmoms are to teach by their godly example.
2.They are also to formerly teach the younger women, the lessons of life they have learned in their years of serving the Lord.
ILLUS.: Obviously the admonition of Paul “I suffer not a woman to teach” was not intended for all types of teaching, they are simply not to “usurp authority over the man.” 1 Tim.2:12
a. Paul urges the older women to teach the younger women “good things,” i.e., spiritual truths to help them be better wives & moms.
b. These “good things” follow in v.4,5
II. GODLY DAUGHTERS & WIVES: v.4,5
A. Acceptable Behavior: v.4,5a
ILLUS.: No one “catches” good health, but you can follow a preventive regimen. The ministry of the older women was to teach the younger women how to avoid poor spiritual health. They were to learn how to have a healthy & happy home. To do so they would have to follow the older ladies’ prescription.
1. The younger women were to follow the example of the older women & avoid excessive & addictive behavior. “sober…”
2. The older women were to instruct the younger women to “love their husbands…&…children (note the order!).”
ILLUS.:
🔸The Holy Spirit knew that women would leave their “natural affection” for lust, lesbianism, prostitution, abortion & abuse of children - & we are seeing this happen NOW!
🔸This admonition is necessary also because we are all basically selfish. Often wives & mothers put their job or career above their husbands & children. Some place their poodles, parakeets & promotions over their home, husbands & children.
🔸As one little 3 year old said, who was always taking second place in his mother’s heart, & who wanted her full attention. “I wish I had two mommies – one to go to work & the other to sit on the couch with me.”
If only we could get wives & moms to love their husbands & children again & make them a priority, the home would be a suburb of heaven! Couples may live in a mansion, have the finest furniture, eat the best foods, and dress in designer clothes, but if the hearts are not knit together in love, that mansion is a hell on earth!
ILLUS.: It seems redundant to require the older women to teach the younger women to love their children. But moms, no other person will ever love your child as you can. No other person can train & discipline your children as you can. No one can take the place of a godly mother; therefore moms should love their children above fame, money, beauty, houses or social prestige. A mother should forsake all except her husband to give her love, time & attention to her children.
1. They were to be instructed to be “discreet,” i.e., to have controlled desires & be temperate.
2. They were to be taught that they must be “chaste,” i.e., innocent, modest.
3. They were to be taught that they must be “keepers at home.”
ILLUS.:
👉A woman may “make” a home w/out keeping it. She may “spend time” in a home w/out keeping it; but she can work outside the home & still keep it. (Prov.31)
👉She “keeps” her home by protecting it from the worldly influences, interferences & outside interests. There is no greater career than this for a married woman!
1. They must be “good,” i.e., she is to be above reproach in her testimony.
ILLUS.: “Whoso findeth a wife, findeth a good thing!” God made woman to make this world a sweeter, brighter, happier place to live. Adam was lonely; his life was empty, incomplete. The sweetest thing on this earth is a “good” woman! If you have found one, men, treasure her! Oliver Green said the sweetest & meanest thing on this earth is a woman. She has a greater capacity to love than a man, but also a greater capacity to hate than a man. He quoted someone who said: “There never has been a great man who did not have a great woman in his life” and he added “there never has been an ungodly man to whose wretchedness a woman did not contribute!”
2. They must be taught to be “obedient to their own husbands.”
ILLUS.: Oh, the unsearchable riches of the KJB, how simple are its precepts & its inestimable wisdom past finding out! But it cuts across the grain of modern marriages, wimpish men, liberated career women & new version translators. So it is watered down in the new “bibles” (except the NKJB which retains “obedient” here)!
God created woman for a specific purpose – but He did not create her to rule man! Any home, church or nation ruled by a woman is headed for destruction.
B. Avoiding Blasphemy: v.5b
Since blasphemy is “confined to that which is defamatory of the Divine Majesty” the translations have a problem w/the ref. being to the Word of God, so they substitute “maligned…dishonored,” etc.
But God’s Word is blasphemed whenever its precepts are distorted, or Ignored, and here the precepts deal w/grandma's, moms, wives & mothers.
ILLUS.: God honored woman by allowing her to conceive & bring forth His only begotten Son. Man had no part in the birth of Jesus; the virgin Mary gave Him His flesh, & God gave Him His blood (Acts 20:28). God has also honored woman in allowing her to be a wife & mother, but she must take her responsibilities seriously.
CONCL.: What we need are godly “MOTHERS FOR THE NEW MILLENNIUM” with all the qualities & character outlined here. How do you measure up, ladies?! Of course you cannot be a godly mother if Jesus isn’t your Savior. Come to Him now!
THESIS: To show the characteristics & duties of mothers, grandmothers, daughters & wives.
INTRO.:
A. Mother’s Day was started as a national holiday in America in Phila. because of a lady named Ann Jarvis, over 50 years ago. It was first observed in churches as a result of the Bible’s emphasis on motherhood.
B. No society survives for long when the mothers lose their natural affection for their children or children lose their respect for their mothers. In our country today the abortion industry threatens the very existence of our nation. The disrespect for life generated by abortion, degrades motherhood & creates an ungodly atmosphere where children no longer respect or honor their parents.
C. Biblically God has set standards for mothers & guidelines for children.
💥The duties of moms & grandmoms, daughters & wives are given to us in this centuries -old passage of Scripture, which nonetheless sets the standard for
“MOTHERS FOR THE NEW MILLENNIUM.”
I. GODLY MOMS & GRANDMOMS: V.3,4a
A. Their Behavior: v.3
1.The first prerequisite to godliness is holiness.
a. Godliness is nothing more than moral cleanness.
b. The godly mother or grandmother is to live her life as if it is a sacred Trust.
c. Holiness is Christ-honoring, but it also protects the woman & most importantly sets an example for children to follow.
2. If the first prerequisite to godliness is moral cleanness, the second is mutual carefulness. “…not false accusers”
a. The godly mother or grandmother must bridle her tongue to avoid the natural tendency to demean, criticize or belittle others.
QUOTE: Calvin: “Talkativeness is a disease of women & it is increased by age.”
b. Christian ladies are to be careful in their conversation concerning others & should set a godly example for all who know them; especially their children & grandchildren.
3. First comes moral cleanness, secondly mutual carefulness & then godly ladies are to be manifestly consistent.
a. Oliver Greene says that “the Greek suggests that it means that these women are not to talk & act like women who linger over wine” i.e., foolishly.
b. He further states that “this does not condone drinking even a little wine - certainly not the kind we have in liquor stores & wineries today. There is no excuse for any spiritually minded person being confused over total abstinence from alcoholic beverages.”
ILLUS.: Even when Paul admonishes Timothy to “use a little wine for thy stomach’s sake & thine often infirmities,” he is not recommending wine with the alcoholic content of today’s wines.
B. Their Beliefs: v.3b,4a
1.We have already seen that moms & grandmoms are to teach by their godly example.
2.They are also to formerly teach the younger women, the lessons of life they have learned in their years of serving the Lord.
ILLUS.: Obviously the admonition of Paul “I suffer not a woman to teach” was not intended for all types of teaching, they are simply not to “usurp authority over the man.” 1 Tim.2:12
a. Paul urges the older women to teach the younger women “good things,” i.e., spiritual truths to help them be better wives & moms.
b. These “good things” follow in v.4,5
II. GODLY DAUGHTERS & WIVES: v.4,5
A. Acceptable Behavior: v.4,5a
ILLUS.: No one “catches” good health, but you can follow a preventive regimen. The ministry of the older women was to teach the younger women how to avoid poor spiritual health. They were to learn how to have a healthy & happy home. To do so they would have to follow the older ladies’ prescription.
1. The younger women were to follow the example of the older women & avoid excessive & addictive behavior. “sober…”
2. The older women were to instruct the younger women to “love their husbands…&…children (note the order!).”
ILLUS.:
🔸The Holy Spirit knew that women would leave their “natural affection” for lust, lesbianism, prostitution, abortion & abuse of children - & we are seeing this happen NOW!
🔸This admonition is necessary also because we are all basically selfish. Often wives & mothers put their job or career above their husbands & children. Some place their poodles, parakeets & promotions over their home, husbands & children.
🔸As one little 3 year old said, who was always taking second place in his mother’s heart, & who wanted her full attention. “I wish I had two mommies – one to go to work & the other to sit on the couch with me.”
If only we could get wives & moms to love their husbands & children again & make them a priority, the home would be a suburb of heaven! Couples may live in a mansion, have the finest furniture, eat the best foods, and dress in designer clothes, but if the hearts are not knit together in love, that mansion is a hell on earth!
ILLUS.: It seems redundant to require the older women to teach the younger women to love their children. But moms, no other person will ever love your child as you can. No other person can train & discipline your children as you can. No one can take the place of a godly mother; therefore moms should love their children above fame, money, beauty, houses or social prestige. A mother should forsake all except her husband to give her love, time & attention to her children.
1. They were to be instructed to be “discreet,” i.e., to have controlled desires & be temperate.
2. They were to be taught that they must be “chaste,” i.e., innocent, modest.
3. They were to be taught that they must be “keepers at home.”
ILLUS.:
👉A woman may “make” a home w/out keeping it. She may “spend time” in a home w/out keeping it; but she can work outside the home & still keep it. (Prov.31)
👉She “keeps” her home by protecting it from the worldly influences, interferences & outside interests. There is no greater career than this for a married woman!
1. They must be “good,” i.e., she is to be above reproach in her testimony.
ILLUS.: “Whoso findeth a wife, findeth a good thing!” God made woman to make this world a sweeter, brighter, happier place to live. Adam was lonely; his life was empty, incomplete. The sweetest thing on this earth is a “good” woman! If you have found one, men, treasure her! Oliver Green said the sweetest & meanest thing on this earth is a woman. She has a greater capacity to love than a man, but also a greater capacity to hate than a man. He quoted someone who said: “There never has been a great man who did not have a great woman in his life” and he added “there never has been an ungodly man to whose wretchedness a woman did not contribute!”
2. They must be taught to be “obedient to their own husbands.”
ILLUS.: Oh, the unsearchable riches of the KJB, how simple are its precepts & its inestimable wisdom past finding out! But it cuts across the grain of modern marriages, wimpish men, liberated career women & new version translators. So it is watered down in the new “bibles” (except the NKJB which retains “obedient” here)!
God created woman for a specific purpose – but He did not create her to rule man! Any home, church or nation ruled by a woman is headed for destruction.
B. Avoiding Blasphemy: v.5b
Since blasphemy is “confined to that which is defamatory of the Divine Majesty” the translations have a problem w/the ref. being to the Word of God, so they substitute “maligned…dishonored,” etc.
But God’s Word is blasphemed whenever its precepts are distorted, or Ignored, and here the precepts deal w/grandma's, moms, wives & mothers.
ILLUS.: God honored woman by allowing her to conceive & bring forth His only begotten Son. Man had no part in the birth of Jesus; the virgin Mary gave Him His flesh, & God gave Him His blood (Acts 20:28). God has also honored woman in allowing her to be a wife & mother, but she must take her responsibilities seriously.
CONCL.: What we need are godly “MOTHERS FOR THE NEW MILLENNIUM” with all the qualities & character outlined here. How do you measure up, ladies?! Of course you cannot be a godly mother if Jesus isn’t your Savior. Come to Him now!