THE LIVING WORD TRANSCRIPT
PROGRAM AIR DATE: 10-28-18
LESSON TITLE: "IN DOCTRINE SHOWING REVERENCE"
WELCOME
TODAY WE ARE BLESSED WITH A WONDERFUL GIFT FROM GOD, THE BIBLE. THIS BOOK IS GOD'S LIVING WORD. IN ITS PAGES, WE ARE TOLD "FOR THE WORD OF GOD IS LIVING AND POWERFUL AND SHARPER THAN ANY TWO-EDGED SWORD." IT IS IN THIS BOOK OF BOOKS THAT WE FIND THE ANSWERS TO ALL OF MAN'S QUESTIONS AND NEEDS. THIS MORNING YOUR AREA CHURCHES OF CHRIST WELCOME YOU TO A PROGRAM COMMITTED TO THAT PERFECT LAW OF LIBERTY AS WE PRESENT THE LIVING WORD. NOW HERE IS YOUR HOST, RAY SULLINS.
HERE WE ARE TOGETHER AGAIN ON A WONDROUS LORD'S DAY MORNING. PRIVILEGED TO SERVE OUR GOD IN SONGS OF PRAISE AND THROUGH THE STUDY OF HIS WORD. WE WELCOME YOU TO THIS TIME OF OFFERING TO GOD.
I HOPE EACH OF YOU HAD A GREAT WEEK AND I HOPE YOU ARE READY TODAY TO THINK ON THINGS ABOVE, AND TO GIVE FULL ATTENTION TO OUR CREATOR WHO HAS DONE SO MUCH FOR ALL OF US. IN FACT, THIS MORNING WE WANT TO BEGIN BY TALKING TO OUR GOD IN PRAYER. WON'T YOU BOW WITH ME AT THIS TIME BEFORE THE THRONE OF GOD.
PRAYER: OUR GOD AND FATHER IN HEAVEN, WE'RE SO THANKFUL FOR THIS DAY AND EVERY DAY OF LIFE, THE GREAT PRIVILEGE THAT WE HAVE TO BE CALLED YOUR CHILDREN, TO BE SERVANTS IN YOUR KINGDOM, AND HELP US THIS DAY TO GIVE YOU GLORY, PRAISE, AND HONOR AS YOU HAVE COMMANDED IN YOUR WORD AND DO OUR VERY BEST TO SHOW YOU HOW MUCH WE LOVE YOU. AND THANK YOU FOR THE GREAT GIFT OF JESUS WHICH AGAIN ALLOWS US TO BE FOUND ACCEPTABLE IN YOUR SIGHT. IN JESUS NAME WE PRAY, AMEN.
AT THIS TIME WE WANT TO SING OUR FIRST SONG OF THE MORNING. WON'T YOU ALL JOIN IN WITH THE CONGREGATION AT THIS TIME AS WE PRAISE GOD TOGETHER WITH THE HYMN, "HAVE YOU COUNTED THE COST."
DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS
WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU TOOK SOME MEDICINE FOR A HEADACHE, PAIN, OR FOR SOME DISCOMFORT? SOME OF US HAVE ALREADY TAKEN SOME THIS MORNING, AND THE REST WILL PROBABLY TAKE SOME DURING THE DAY. AND IF NOT TODAY THEN YOU AT LEAST WILL TAKE SOMETHING DURING THIS NEXT WEEK. IF YOU DON'T THINK AMERICANS ARE INTO TAKING MEDICINE THEN YOU NEED TO CHECK THE STATISTICS. THE MEDICINE INDUSTRY IS A MULTI-BILLION DOLLAR ONE HERE IN THE UNITED STATES, BUT WHY? WELL, BECAUSE WE ALL KNOW WE CAN TREAT OUR SYMPTOMS AND PAINS WITH THESE MEDICINES THAT HAVE BEEN INVENTED BY MAN.
IN THE BOOK OF PROVERBS, THE WISE MAN SOLOMON KNEW A LITTLE ABOUT MEDICINE, TOO. THE BEST PART OF IT IS THAT HE TALKED ABOUT A MEDICINE THAT IS REALLY EFFECTIVE, BUT CHEAP. THERE AREN'T TOO MANY OF THOSE TODAY. ALSO, THE MEDICINE HE MENTIONS CAN BE FOUND ANYWHERE AND IT IS READILY AVAILABLE TO EVERYONE. READ WITH ME THE WORD OF SOLOMON, WHERE HE SAID, "A MERRY HEART DOES GOOD, LIKE MEDICINE, BUT A BROKEN SPIRIT DRIES THE BONES," PROVERBS 17:22. DID YOU GET ALL OF THAT? HE SAID, THAT A MERRY OR CHEERFUL HEART DOES GOOD, JUST LIKE MEDICINE. DOESN'T THIS IDEA JUST MAKE GOOD SENSE? CONSIDER A PERSON WHO IS ALWAYS SERIOUS, DOWN, OR DEPRESSED. WHAT TYPE OF LIFE DO THEY HAVE? WHAT TYPE OF HEALTH DO THEY HAVE? IF WE ARE NEGATIVE AND DEPRESSED MOST OF THE TIME, IT AFFECTS THE WAY WE FEEL, ALSO. HOWEVER, IF WE ARE HAPPY AND JOLLY, THEN WE WILL REALLY ENJOY LIFE AND THE THINGS THAT IT HAS TO OFFER. EVEN WHEN THOSE TRIALS OR PROBLEMS COME OUR WAY, A CHEERFUL PERSON IS GOING TO TAKE THEM MORE LIGHTLY AND BE ABLE TO DEAL WITH THEM BETTER.
HOW MANY TIMES HAVE YOU BEEN REALLY SERIOUS OR WORRIED ABOUT SOMETHING BUT A YEAR LATER YOU CAN'T EVEN REMEMBER WHAT IT WAS? YOU SEE WE MUST LIVE LIFE, TAKING THE GOOD AND THE BAD, KNOWING THAT IF WE HAVE A HAPPIER DISPOSITION, THEN LIFE WILL BE EASIER TO DEAL WITH AND MUCH MORE ENJOYABLE. FURTHERMORE, GOD WANTS US TO BE A HAPPY PEOPLE, AND NOT JUST FOR OUR OWN SAKE BUT FOR THE SAKE OF THOSE AROUND US. HOW MANY OF US LIKE TO HANG AROUND THAT PERSON THAT IS ALWAYS SAD OR DEPRESSED? BUT HOW MANY OF US LIKE THOSE WHO ARE FUN TO BE AROUND, OR THE LIFE OF THE PARTY? WOULD ANYONE WANT TO KNOW OUR JESUS IF THEY ALWAYS SEE US UNHAPPY? IF PEOPLE SEE CHRIST IN US, THEY ARE GOING TO HAVE TO SEE THE JOY WE HAVE BECAUSE OF HIM AND HIS PROMISES. CHEER UP IN THE LORD, TAKE HIS MEDICINE AND YOUR LIFE WILL BE A LOT MORE WORTH LIVING.
TODAY WE ARE EXCITED TO AGAIN HAVE WITH US BROTHER BRENT GREEN. BROTHER BRENT WORKS FULL TIME WITH THE BIBLE INSTITUTE OF MISSOURI. WE ALWAYS ENJOYING HAVING BRENT WITH US AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO HIM LEADING US IN THE STUDY OF GOD'S WORD IN JUST A FEW MINUTES. OUR STUDY THIS MORNING WILL AGAIN FOCUS ON OUR SERIES ENTITLED, "SHOWING YOURSELF TO BE..." OUR SPECIFIC TOPIC TODAY IS, "IN DOCTRINE SHOWING REVERENCE!" NOW, LET'S JOIN IN OUR SECOND HYMN OF THE MORNING. THE NAME OF THE SONG, "HE IS MY EVERYTHING!"
LESSON
BY BRENT SULLINS
WHEN YOU CONSIDER YOUR LIFE AND EVEN WHAT PEOPLE THINK OF YOU WHAT ARE YOU SHOWING YOURSELF TO BE? IN OTHER WORDS, WHEN PEOPLE LOOK AT YOU WHAT DO THEY SEE? DO THEY SEE SOMEONE WHO IS LOVING AND KIND AND GENTLE? OR DO THEY SEE SOMEONE WHO'S HATEFUL, UNKIND, AND MAYBE EVEN HARSH? YOU SEE, SOMETIMES WE DON'T OFTEN CONSIDER WHAT OTHER PEOPLE SEE IN US BY THE LIVES THAT WE'RE LIVING. SO AS YOU THINK ABOUT THAT, CONSIDER WITH ME WHAT WE FIND THERE IN TITUS CHAPTER TWO BEGINNING THERE IN VERSE SEVEN. IT SAYS, "IN ALL THINGS SHOWING YOURSELF TO BE A PATTERN OF GOOD WORKS; IN DOCTRINE," AS IT SAYS THERE GOING ON, "SHOWING INTEGRITY, REVERENCE, INCORRUPTIBILITY." I WANT YOU TO FIRST THINK ABOUT THAT THOUGHT SHOWING YOURSELF TO BE. IN OTHER WORDS, WHAT IS IT THAT PEOPLE SEE IN YOU WHEN THEY LOOK AT YOUR LIFE? WHAT DO THEY CONSIDER YOU TO BE AS THEY SEE YOUR LIFE, YOUR ACTIONS, YOUR WORDS, ALL THOSE THINGS THAT ENCOMPASS YOU EVERY SINGLE DAY. DO THEY SEE YOU TO BE A CHRISTIAN? DO YOU ACT LIKE ONE? DO YOU LIVE LIKE ONE? IT WOULDN'T MATTER WHETHER YOU'RE YOUNG OR OLD. WHAT IS IT THAT PEOPLE SEE IN YOU AS A CHRISTIAN? COULD THEY EVEN TELL YOU THAT YOUR ARE ONE?
WELL, AS YOU THINK ABOUT THOSE THINGS, SPECIFICALLY HERE IN TITUS CHAPTER TWO, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT THERE AS YOU SEE THERE IN VERSE SEVEN SHOWING OURSELVES TO BE DIFFERENT THINGS. NOW PARTICULARLY HERE IN THIS CONTEXT HE'S TALKING FIRST EARLIER IN THE CHAPTER THERE TO THOSE WHO ARE OLDER MEN, ALSO VERSE THREE TO OLDER WOMEN AND HE ALSO SPEAKS TO THOSE WHO ARE YOUNGER WOMEN. THEN IN VERSE SIX THROUGH EIGHT HE TALKS TO YOUNG MEN, CHRISTIANS, THOSE WHO ARE YOUNG IN THE FAITH. THOSE WHO ARE YOUNGER IN AGE. HOW ARE THEY TO SHOW THEMSELVES TO BE TO OTHER CHRISTIANS AROUND THEM? TO THE WORLD AROUND THEM? WELL, THESE DIFFERENT AREAS ARE GIVEN AND ONE OF THOSE WE WILL LOOK AT IN PARTICULARLY IN VERSE SEVEN: SHOWING YOURSELF TO BE A PATTERN OF GOOD WORKS IN DOCTRINE, SHOWING INTEGRITY, REVERENCE, AND INCORRUPTABILITY. WE WANT TO PULL OUT THERE AND LOOK AT THE ONE THAT SPEAKS OF REVERENCE.
HOW CAN YOU SHOW YOURSELF TO BE AN EXAMPLE OF REVERENCE IN THE WORLD AROUND YOU? THE CONTEXT HERE DOES RELATE FIRST TO YOUNG MEN WHO ARE CHRISTIANS. I THINK OF COURSE WE CAN UNDERSTAND THAT THE LESSON IS APPLICABLE TO EVERY SINGLE ONE OF US, THAT WE MIGHT SHOW OURSELVES TO BE EXAMPLES IN REFERENCE HERE IN RELATIONSHIP TO THE WORLD AROUND US. I WANT US TO FIRST UNDERSTAND WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT WHEN WE SAY REVERENCE. LET'S DEFINE THIS FOR US AS WE WOULD CONSIDER IT. REVERENCE HERE IS A WORD THAT COULD ALSO BE TRANSLATED AS GRAVITY OR HONESTY. THE IDEA THERE EVEN IN OTHER TRANSLATIONS THAT IS SOMETIMES TRANSLATED AS DIGNITY OR DIGNIFY. THE IDEA OF EVEN SHOWING SERIOUSNESS. WELL AS IT RELATES TO GOD'S WORD, HIS DOCTRINE, WE DO HAVE TO HAVE THAT LEVEL OF SERIOUSNESS OR THAT LEVEL OF DIGNITY AS WE USE IT. WE CAN'T JUST THROW GOD'S WORD AROUND. YOU CAN'T JUST THINK ABOUT, 'WELL, IT'S NO BIG DEAL. IT'S JUST A BOOK LIKE ANY OTHER BOOK.' WE HAVE TO SHOW REVERENCE IN RELATIONSHIP TO THAT WORD OF GOD. OTHER PASSAGES WOULD USE THIS VERY SAME TERM. FOR INSTANCE IN FIRST TIMOTHY CHAPTER TWO AND VERSE TWO THOSE WHO ARE KINGS OR THOSE IN AUTHORITY ARE TO SHOW THEMSELVES, TO LIVE IN THIS LIFE, IN ALL GODLINESS AND ALL REVERENCE. WELL, MEANING THERE OF THOSE IN AUTHORITY, THEY ARE TO LIVE AND TO ACT IN A DIGNIFIED WAY. THEY ARE TO TAKE THEIR RESPONSIBILITY, THEIR JOB THAT THEY DO AS A KING OR ONE IN AUTHORITY WITH THIS IDEA OF SERIOUSNESS. THEY DON'T JUST THINK ABOUT AS IF IT DOESN'T MATTER BUT THEY'RE SERIOUS ABOUT WHAT THEY DO. THAT THEY ARE TO BE HONEST IN THEIR DEALINGS WITH ALL PEOPLE. I THINK THAT AGAIN WOULD HELP US TO UNDERSTAND WHAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT HERE IN RELATIONSHIP TO REVERENCE. ALSO IN FIRST TIMOTHY AND CHAPTER THREE AND VERSE FOUR, SPEAKING OF ELDERS AND THE CHILDREN THEY ARE TO HAVE, THEIR CHILDREN ARE TO BE IN SUBMISSION WITH ALL REVERENCE. WELL, IT WOULD ALSO MEAN OF THOSE CHILDREN THAT THEY ARE TO ACT IN A DIGNIFIED WAY IN RELATIONSHIP SPECIFICALLY TO THEIR PARENTS. THAT THEY WOULD OBEY THEM. THAT THEY WOULD SUBMIT TO THEIR AUTHORITY. THAT THEY WOULD BE SERIOUS ABOUT THAT. BUT FURTHERMORE THAT THEY WOULD ACT IN RELATIONSHIP IN A RESPECTFUL WAY AND AN HONEST WAY, NOT JUST TOWARDS THEIR PARENTS BUT TOWARDS ALL PEOPLE. WELL, IF WE COULD UNDERSTAND THAT WORD AS IT'S USED IN RELATIONSHIP TO THOSE IN AUTHORITY, AS IT'S USED OF CHILDREN THERE, SURELY WE COULD UNDERSTAND IN RELATIONSHIP, NOT JUST OF THESE YOUNG CHRISTIAN MEN BUT ALSO UNTO OURSELVES IN GENERAL. BECAUSE IT'S NOT JUST USED OF ONE CATEGORY OF PEOPLE. IT'S USED ALSO IN OTHER PLACES OF DEACONS AND THEIR WIVES. FIRST TIMOTHY CHAPTER THREE VERSES EIGHT AND 11. EVEN OLDER MEN. AND IT'S USED IN THE VERY SAME CHAPTER TITUS TWO AND VERSE TWO. IT SAYS OLDER MEN ARE TO, "BE SOBER, REVERENT, TEMPERATE, SOUND IN FAITH, IN LOVE, IN PATIENCE." YOU SEE, THAT WORD REVERENCE CAN BE APPLIED TO SO MANY DIFFERENT ASPECTS OF PEOPLE'S LIVES IN THIS WORLD, OLD AND YOUNG, THOSE IN AUTHORITY, THOSE WHO ARE CHILDREN. SO AS IT RELATES TO US AND THIS LESSON HERE, HOW CAN WE SHOW OURSELVES IN DOCTRINE TO BE REVERENT? WELL, LET'S USE SOME OF THOSE SAME SENTIMENTS AS WE TALK ABOUT THE IDEA OF DIGNITY OR SERIOUSNESS OR GRAVITY ONCE AGAIN. THOSE WORDS THAT WE EMPLOY THEM AS THEY RELATE TO THIS IDEA HERE OF BEING THOSE IN OUR LIVES AS CHRISTIANS WHO SHOW OURSELVES TO BE REVERENT.
WELL HERE YOUNG CHRISTIAN MEN SPECIFICALLY ARE TO BE REVERENT IN DOCTRINE. WELL, HOW COULD THEY DO THAT? WHAT COULD THEY DO IN ORDER TO SHOW THAT REVERENCE IN RELATIONSHIP TO DOCTRINE. WELL, THEY WOULD HAVE TO HANDLE GOD'S WORD IN A DIGNIFIED WAY. THEY WOULD HAVE TO BE THOSE THAT WERE SERIOUS IN THEIR STUDYING OF THE BIBLE AND ALSO IN THEIR USE OF THAT MESSAGE BECAUSE IT'S A MESSAGE OF ETERNAL LIFE. YOU COULDN'T JUST THROW THAT AROUND AND TREAT IT AS IF IT WERE NOTHING. THEY WOULD HAVE TO USE IT ONCE AGAIN IN THIS PROPER WAY. THEY WOULD HAVE TO BE HONEST IN THE USE OF THE BIBLE ALTOGETHER AND ALSO MAINTAIN A PROPER SPIRIT. THAT IS A SPIRIT OF RESPECT FOR SOUND DOCTRINE, FOR GOD'S WORD. AS WE UNDERSTAND FROM THIS CONTEXT THAT THESE YOUNG CHRISTIAN MEN WERE TO SHOW REVERENCE IN DOCTRINE DOES ANYTHING REALLY CHANGE IN RELATIONSHIP TO AGE OR GENDER? NO. YOU SEE, YOUNG AND OLD WE'VE ALL GOT TO BE REVERENCE IN DOCTRINE. WHETHER IT BE OLDER MEN OR OLDER WOMEN OR YOUNGER MEN OR YOUNGER WOMEN, WE'VE ALL GOT TO BE THOSE WHO HANDLE GOD'S WORD IN A SERIOUS WAY, IN A DIGNIFIED WAY THAT WE MIGHT SHOW IT, AND LIKEWISE GOD, THE PROPER RESPECT BY HOW WE TREAT HIS VERY WORD. SO WE CAN FIRST DEFINE REVERENCE AS WE SEE IT HERE IN THIS PASSAGE. LET US ALSO CONSIDER THE NEED TO DEMONSTRATE THIS REVERENCE. DEMONSTRATING SOMETHING MEANS THAT WE ARE SHOWING IT. IT IS SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE CAN SEE IN US. YOU KNOW, HYPOCRISY IS SOMETHING THAT WOULD UNDERMINE THE DEMONSTRATION OF ANYTHING. WE UNDERSTAND PRACTICALLY THAT IF YOU WERE TO TEACH SOMETHING OR PREACH SOMETHING AS WE MIGHT SAY, YOU NEED A PRACTICE THAT. OTHERWISE WHAT WE CALL THAT IS HYPOCRISY. WELL THAT SAME TYPE OF HYPOCRISY IN GENERAL WOULD EVEN UNDERMINE THE DEMONSTRATION OF REVERENCE. FOR ONE TO TEACH REVERENCE, FOR ONE TO PREACH REVERENCE BUT NOT PRACTICE IT, WOULD PEOPLE THEN SAY? 'WELL, I DON'T NEED TO DO THAT EITHER. I DON'T NEED TO LIVE IN A REVERENT WAY ACCORDING TO SCRIPTURE. I DON'T NEED BE REVERANT IN DOCTRINE. THAT MAN WHO TAUGHT ME OR THAT PERSON WHO TAUGHT ME THIS WORLD ISN'T REVERANT IN DOCTRINE. WHY WOULD I NEED TO BE THE SAME?' WELL YOU SEE, HYPOCRISY IS NOT WHAT WE WANT TO DEMONSTRATE RATHER WE WANT TO DEMONSTRATE THIS REVERENCE IN DOCTRINE IN OUR LIVES. WHAT GOOD WOULD IT DO US TO TEACH AND PREACH REVERENCE IF WE DIDN'T PRACTICE IT? THERE AGAIN IN TITUS TWO VERSE SEVEN THAT PHRASE AS WE READ THERE, "IN ALL THINGS SHOWING YOURSELF TO BE A PATTERN OF GOOD WORKS; IN DOCTRINE SHOWING IN INTEGRITY, REVERENCE, INCORRUPTIBILITY." THE IDEA OF SHOWING YOURSELF TO BE SOMETHING. THAT'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT, TO DEMONSTRATE SOMETHING. TO DEMONSTRATE THAT REVERENCE ONCE AGAIN ACCORDING TO GOD'S WORD. WELL, TITUS WAS TO TEACH OTHERS HERE, THESE YOUNG MEN TO BE REVERENT IN DOCTRINE. TITUS ALSO WAS TO TEACH OTHERS, THESE YOUNG MEN, TO PRACTICE BEING REVERENT IN THIS DOCTRINE, GOD'S WORD. YOU SEE, THEY WERE TO SHOW THEMSELVES TO BE A PATTERN FOR REVERENCE THAT OTHERS COULD LOOK AT. THEY WERE TO SHOW THEMSELVES TO BE REVERENT IN THE VERY WORD THAT HAD BEEN DELIVERED UNTO THEM. BEING PREACHERS OF GOD'S WORD ONE WHO DOES THAT MUST SHOW HIMSELF TO BE REVERENT IN DOCTRINE. BEFORE A PATTERN CAN BE FOLLOWED IT HAS TO BE DEMONSTRATED. YOU COULD TALK ABOUT IT ALL DAY. YOU COULD STAND AND TEACH IT ALL DAY BUT IF YOU DON'T DEMONSTRATE IT THERE WOULD NEVER BE A PATTERN FOR OTHERS TO FOLLOW.
THERE'S A VERSE IN PHILIPPIANS THAT TALKS ABOUT THE IDEA OF A PATTERN TO BE FOLLOWED. PHILIPPIANS CHAPTER 3 AND VERSE 17 PAUL THERE SAID, "BRETHREN, JOIN IN FOLLOWING MY EXAMPLE, AND NOTE THOSE WHO SO WALK, AS YOU HAVE US FOR A PATTERN." AND ALTHOUGH HE MAY BE DEALING WITH OTHER THINGS IN THE CONTEXT OF HIS LETTER TO THE PHILIPPIANS HE IS TALKING HERE ABOUT THE IDEA OF A PATTERN. HE SAYS WE HAVE SHOWED OURSELVES TO BE A PATTERN UNTO YOU. SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN SEE, SOMETHING THAT WE DEMONSTRATED BEFORE YOUR EYES AND YOU CAN FOLLOW THAT PATTERN. AS WE THINK NOW ABOUT PAUL WRITING TO TITUS TELLING HIM WHAT HE NEEDS TO TEACH TO THESE OTHERS, WELL HE IS ALSO SAYING TO TITUS AS TITUS IS TO CONVEY THE SAME MESSAGE TO THOSE AROUND HIM, YOU NEED TO SHOW YOURSELF TO BE A PATTERN. YOU NEED TO DEMONSTRATE THAT VERY REVERENCE THAT YOU ARE TEACHING. SO HE WAS TO DEMONSTRATE RESPECT FOR THE SCRIPTURES AS THE OTHER YOUNG MEN WERE AS WELL. HE WAS TO DEMONSTRATE A LOGICAL AND AN HONORABLE USE OF GOD'S WORD JUST AS THOSE FELLOW YOUNG MEN THAT HE WAS TEACHING WERE TO DO THE SAME. HE WAS TO DEMONSTRATE THE DEPTH OF HIS STUDY SHOWING THAT HE HAD THAT PROPER RESPECT AND SERIOUSNESS TO ACTUALLY UNDERSTAND WHAT GOD'S WORD SAYS BEFORE HE TURNED AROUND AND TAUGHT IT TO OTHERS. TO HANDLE THAT REVERENTLY, HE WAS TO DEMONSTRATE SERIOUSNESS IN THE MANNER OF HIS PRESENTATION OF GOD'S WORD. WHAT TITUS WAS TO DO WAS THE VERY THING THESE OTHERS THAT HE WAS TEACHING WERE TO DO, ALSO. THEY WERE TO DEMONSTRATE THIS REVERENCE IN THE DOCTRINE OF GOD'S WORD. ONCE AGAIN THOUGH, SHOULDN'T ALL CHRISTIANS DEMONSTRATE THAT SAME REVERENCE IN DOCTRINE? OF COURSE THE ANSWER IS YES! SUCH WAS THE CASE FOR TITUS AND IT WAS THE CASE FOR THESE YOUNG CHRISTIAN MEN AND THUS IT WOULD BE THE CASE FOR ALL CHRISTIANS TO SHOW REVERENCE CONCERNING GOD'S WORD - TO DEMONSTRATE REVERENCE IN RELATIONSHIP TO DOCTRINE.
FINALLY I WANT TO CONSIDER THE IDEA THAT WE NEED TO EXEMPLIFY REVERENCE. THIS WILL GO HAND-IN-HAND WITH THE IDEA OF DEMONSTRATING IT BUT THIS IS FROM THE STANDPOINT OF NOW WHAT WE'RE SHOWING. BUT WHAT OTHERS, THOUGH IN RELATIONSHIP TO WHAT WE'RE SHOWING, ARE SEEING IN US AS CHRISTIANS. ARE THEY SEEING THAT REVERENCE IN OUR LIVES? EXAMPLES OF COURSE ARE VERY IMPORTANT. EYES ARE WATCHING, WHETHER IT'S THE EYES OF THOSE CHILDREN WHO ARE WATCHING THEIR PARENTS OR THE YOUNGER KIDS WHO ARE WATCHING THE OLDER KIDS OR MAYBE IT'S CHRISTIANS WATCHING THE EXAMPLES THAT ARE SET BY THE PREACHER, THE ELDERS, THE DEACONS. EYES ARE ALWAYS WATCHING. AND LIKEWISE EXAMPLES ARE BEING FOLLOWED. CHILDREN FOLLOW THE EXAMPLES OF THEIR PARENTS. YOUNGER KIDS FOLLOW EXAMPLES OF WHAT THEY SEE IN THE OLDER KIDS. EVEN CHRISTIANS FOLLOW THE EXAMPLES OF WHAT THEY SEE IN THE PREACHER AND THE ELDERS AND THE DEACONS. EXAMPLES ARE VERY IMPORTANT SO LIKEWISE THINK ABOUT SETTING AN EXAMPLE NOW IN DOCTRINE. IT IS SOMETHING OF COURSE THAT HAS TO BE DEMONSTRATED BUT SOMETHING THAT PEOPLE SHOULD BE ABLE TO LOOK THE OTHER WAY AND SEE IN THOSE WHO ARE PREACHING, THOSE WHO ARE LEADING IN THOSE DIFFERENT AREAS OF THIS LIFE.
AGAIN, TITUS TWO AND VERSE SEVEN AS WE CONTINUE TO LOOK AT THAT VERSE. TITUS 2:7 AGAIN BEGINS WITH THE WORDS, "IN ALL THINGS SHOWING YOURSELF TO BE." WELL, WE HAVE DEALT WITH THE IDEA OF SHOWING YOURSELVES TO BE. THAT'S DEMONSTRATING HERE AS WE FOCUS ON THE SPECIFIC ASPECT OF REVERENCE THAT VERY THING BUT IN ALL THINGS. WELL, SOME LOOK AT THAT AND CONSIDER THAT TO BE ALL THINGS IN GENERAL CONCERNING THE ASPECTS OF LIFE THAT ARE TALKED ABOUT IN THIS VERSE. SO IN ALL THINGS, WHICH WOULD INCLUDE IN THE PREVIOUS VERSE THE SOUND MINDEDNESS, OR THERE IN VERSE SEVEN ONCE AGAIN THE DOCTRINE, THE INTEGRITY, THE REVERENCE, THE INCORRUPTABILITY. WELL, INDEED THOSE ARE ALL THINGS THAT SHOULD BE EXEMPLIFIED OR SET A GOOD EXAMPLE FOR IN THIS LIFE. BUT COULD IT ALSO BE MORE THAN JUST SETTING AN EXAMPLE IN ALL THOSE DIFFERENT THINGS? COULD IT ALSO INCLUDE IN THE CONTEXT THOSE THAT WOULD SEE THAT EXAMPLE? ADAM CLARKE IN HIS COMMENTARY MENTIONED THAT IN ALL THINGS MIGHT BE IN REFERENCE TO ALL OF THESE PERSONS, THAT IS ALL THE CATEGORIES OF PEOPLE WE SEE IN THE FIRST EIGHT VERSES HERE. SO BE AN EXAMPLE TO THE OLDER MEN IN VERSE TWO. BE AN EXAMPLE TO THE OLDER WOMEN THERE IN VERSE THREE. BE AN EXAMPLE TO THE YOUNG WOMEN IN VERSE FOUR. AND BE AN EXAMPLE TO THOSE YOUNG MEN AROUND YOU AS WELL. I THINK WE CAN UNDERSTAND THAT IS NOT JUST IN ALL AREAS BUT BEFORE ALL PEOPLE. YOUNG AND OLD, MALE AND FEMALE. IT DOESN'T MATTER. WE NEED TO BE AN EXAMPLE. WE NEED TO EXEMPLIFY THESE TRAITS AND THESE ASPECTS IN OUR LIVES AS CHRISTIANS.
AND SO WHICH ONE ARE WE TALKING ABOUT HERE? WELL THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF REVERENCE. THAT WE NEED TO BE AN EXAMPLE. WE NEED TO EXEMPLIFY REVERENCE IN OUR LIVES TO ALL THOSE AROUND US. WE NEED TO BE AN EXAMPLE TO THOSE WHO WOULD WATCH US IN OUR OWN HOUSEHOLDS. WE NEED TO BE AN EXAMPLE TO THOSE WHO'D WATCH US WHERE WE ATTEND SERVICES. WE NEED TO BE THE EXAMPLE TO THOSE WHO ARE LISTENING TO US PREACH AND TEACH GOD'S WORD. BE AN EXAMPLE! EXEMPLIFY REVERENCE IN YOUR LIFE. JUST LIKE WE'VE TALKED ABOUT THROUGHOUT SHOULD ALL CHRISTIANS EXEMPLIFY REVERENCE? OF COURSE AGAIN THE ANSWER IS YES! THERE IN FIRST CORINTHIANS CHAPTER 11 VERSE ONE PAUL SAID, "IMITATE ME AS I ALSO IMITATE CHRIST." IF SUCH WERE THE CASE HERE FOR TITUS, IF SUCH WERE THE CASE HERE FOR THESE YOUNG CHRISTIAN MEN, THEN WHY WOULD IT NOT BE THE CASE FOR EVERY SINGLE CHRISTIAN? YOU SEE, IT IS THE CASE. WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IT MEANS HERE AS WE TALK ABOUT REVERENCE AND ASK OURSELVES THAT QUESTION ONCE AGAIN, WHAT ARE YOU SHOWING YOURSELF TO BE? WHAT IS IT THAT PEOPLE ARE SEEING IN YOU IN YOUR CHRISTIAN LIFE? ARE THEY SEEING AS THEY COULD SEE HERE IN TITUS AND IN THESE YOUNG MEN THIS EXAMPLE OF REVERENCE? WHAT TRULY DO PEOPLE SEE WHEN THEY LOOK AT YOU? YOU NEED TO DEFINE REVERENCE, DEMONSTRATE IT, EXEMPLIFY IT, AND MAKE SURE YOU SHOW YOURSELF TO BE REVERENT IN DOCTRINE.
CLOSING COMMENTS
WHAT A WONDROUS TIME WE HAVE HAD TOGETHER IN PARTICIPATING IN THE THINGS OF GOD. I HOPE WE ALL HAVE BEEN ENCOURAGED THROUGH OUR TIME SPENT TOGETHER. PLEASE REMEMBER, YOU ARE INVITED TO JOIN US EVERY SUNDAY MORNING AT 730, AS WE COMMIT OURSELVES TO THIS SERVICE OF GOD.
NOW LET ME ASK IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR COMMENTS ABOUT TODAY'S LESSON? MAYBE, YOU WOULD LIKE A FREE TRANSCRIPT OR A FREE CD OF THIS PROGRAM? POSSIBLY, WE COULD ASSIST YOU WITH FREE BIBLE MATERIALS OR FREE BIBLE CORRESPONDENCE COURSES? NO MATTER WHAT YOUR NEED IS, PLEASE CONTACT US AT THE FOLLOWING ADDRESS:
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HOW BLESSED WE ARE TO BE ABLE TO REVERENCE OUR GOD AND TO SHOW HIM THE WORTHY PRAISE HE IS DESERVING OF. THE QUESTION IS, ARE YOU SHOWING PROPER REVERENCE TO GOD IN DOCTRINE? IF NOT, BEGIN DOING SO TODAY ACCORDING TO HIS PERFECT WILL!