Striving For Church Health - Healthy Senior Women Series

INTRODUCTION

Opening Statement: There’s a new age coming – a new age wave. It is going to hit the 21st century church like a Pacific tsunami. There are now more people over age 65 than under 18. We would be wise to look at the fact that Apostle Paul recognized the value and usefulness of senior adults in general, and of women in particular when he addressed senior women in Titus 2:3-4.

Transition: Two weeks ago, we began to talk about Striving For Church Health. If SCC is going to be a healthy church, the senior saints must lead the way in example and conduct and we, the congregation, must know how to react and respond to their lives and walk among us.

Text: Titus 2:1-10

Background: The apostle left Titus on the island of Crete to ’’set in order what remains, and appoint elders in every city (Titus 1:5).’’ They have need for spiritual maturity in the congregation. And so Titus has been given the assignment to work to that end. To establish order in the church Paul gave Titus instructions concerning the behavior of various groups of Christians. Titus was instructed to approach every group in the church and challenge them to a holy lifestyle. “I want them to be godly men and women so that they will be salt and light on that island.” He did not only want them to live holy lives but to preserve a powerful Christian testimony in their community. He wanted them to be a healthy, well-balanced group of believers that clearly and attractively presented the gospel in their island community.

Title: Striving for Church Health

Miniseries Theme: Equipping Them In All Stages of Life!

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OUTLINE

Opening Statement: Look on the back of your bulletins with me. This will assist you in responding to three soon-coming questions. Would our worship leaders please stand? Would our deacons/lay leaders please stand? Would our ministers please stand? You are all ministers. Every minister needs to be equipped to do the work of ministry among all ages. A healthy church is one that grows warmer in fellowship, deeper through discipleship, broader through ministry, and larger through evangelism. One author has noted: “You don’t judge an army’s strength by how many people sit in the mess hall. You judge an army on the basis of how many people are trained, equipped, and active on the front line.” You don’t judge a churches success by how many people attend a worship service on Sunday morning, though many times that is a good indicator of what’s happening. You judge a church by how healthy and prepared it is when it comes to equipping people to take back enemy-held territory in people’s lives.

Key Word: Paul exhorts Titus to be alert to five different groupings of people on the island of Crete. There are 5 SPECIFIC GROUPS that are addressed: senior adult men, senior adult women, young women, young men, and employees.

Target: Every senior adult woman aged 60 or above, please stand. These are the focus this morning, with applications for everyone.

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Healthy Senior Women

Opening Statement: God desires that you and I come into our older age with grace and dignity while at the same time being useful in the local church. In His Word, God gives us instruction as to how senior adult women are to be useful in the local church.

Recitation: Titus 2:1 But as for you, speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine. [This is my job – to communicate what a healthy church should look like. This was Titus’ job.] 2 Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in perseverance. 3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, 4 so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored. 6 Likewise urge the young men to be sensible; 7 in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified, 8 sound in speech which is beyond reproach, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us. 9 Urge bond slaves to be subject to their own masters in everything, to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, 10 not pilfering, but showing all good faith so that they will adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect.

Explanation: Paul turns to the second group, the "older women." Women are to be a godly resource in the church. Here he is addressing grandmothers, and women who have raised their children and have a wealth of life experience. Senior women are to be reverent in their behavior, not gossips or drunkards. He says some specific things about women in light of the society in which they lived.