Sermon Central
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Modeling Moms
Contributed by Ajai Prakash on May 5, 2011 (message contributor)
Summary: The home is where a woman provides the expressions of love for her husband and her children. The home is where she leads and guides and teaches and raises the godly generation. The home is where she is protected and secured from other men and potentially
Opening illustration: A preacher tells how he was once entertained by a teacher and his wife who had two boys in their middle teens. He writes, "Immediately on entering, I felt the home atmosphere. They were evidently a fine Christian family. However, I noticed that the carpet in the living room was tattered, and that there were actually holes in it. Nevertheless, the family was without doubt self-respecting. Before I left, the mother told me a story that helped me to understand about the rug. She said that one day when she was ready to sweep and dust, half a dozen boys were in her home. `Now,’ she had said, `you fellows will have to go out for a while for I have some things to do in the house this morning.’ `But where shall we go?’ they had asked. `How about your aunt’s?’ she then suggested to one. ’Do you think she would have us in her place? Not much!’ the boy had replied. Then she said to an-other, `Why don’t you go over to your house?’ and he had answered quickly, `Oh, Mother would never allow six of us in her fancy home!’ A few more questions and she found that hers was the only place where the boys were allowed to come in at will and have fun. She confided that now they always gathered at her place, and that was why they would soon have to buy a new car-pet. After hearing her story, her tattered rug was transformed in my estimation! It became to me the most beautiful one I had ever seen — for it was worn out in keeping and making good boys."
We all like to see a house that is neat and well cared for, but not at the expense of human values.
Let us turn to Titus 2 and see what God’s Word has to say about this.
Introduction: One of the most devastating and debilitating and destructive movements in our day is the Feminist Movement. It is changing not only the world but sadly it is changing the church. And as a result, the Word of God is being dishonored, opponents are having plenty bad to say about us and God, our Savior, is being dishonored and shamed. Radical feminism has brainwashed our culture. It has brainwashed our culture to the degree that even the church has fallen victim to this. Church leaders, theologians, professors of theology who are supposed to be profound in the Scripture as well as lay people in the church have bought the feminist lies. Is this what God’s Word portrays?
But young women have always needed instruction, just like young men and older women and older men do. And so here the Word of God is at stake ... the honor of the Scripture and the glory of God and the silencing of the opponents of the gospel. In other words, this simple set of commands has immense implications, has far-reaching ramifications for the Kingdom. If you love Christ, if you seek to honor God, if you want to lift up and exalt the Word, if you want to silence the critics, you will be eager to obey these commands. If you want to do what the society says, if you want to fulfill your own fleshly desire, you will disobey them. Jesus said it simply and concisely in the summary statement, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." And here are some of His commandments given to us by the Holy Spirit through the pen of the Apostle Paul.
How to model as a GREAT GODLY MOM?
1. Model to Exemplify ~ Godly Character (v. 3)
(a) The older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; that they admonish the young women
(b) The older women likewise: Just as Titus had to give special consideration to the older men, also must he keep in mind how to approach the older women. They have their own set of temptations and opportunities.
© Titus must teach them to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers. The word for slanderers is the same word used for "devils." When the older women - or anyone else, for that matter - slander and gossip are devils’ works!
(d) "It is a curious trait of human nature that most people would rather repeat and hear a malicious story than one to somebody’s credit." (Barclay)
(e) Not given to much wine: This was a common failing of older women in Roman and Greek culture. Paul recognizes that this special challenge needs special instruction.
(f) Teachers of good things: If the older women have special challenges, they also have special opportunities. God can use their wisdom and experience as they admonish the young women. This gives the older women something positive to live towards, instead of the negative things of slander and alcohol abuse.
