Words With Families Monday

Monday, Read Titus 2:2, 6-8

    Spell out “FATHERS” and ask for words that contain those letters to describe mature men. When women and men teach by example as well as explanation, they ensure that the word of God is not maligned or used in vain.

Faithful “sound in faith” Paul teaches that men are to be assured of their faith in God and assure others that they will be found faithful. The word “sound” applies to faith, love and endurance and means “healthy”.

Agape “sound in love” The word “love” comes from a Greek word pronounced “Ah-Gah-PAY” (used in John 3:16) and means a selfless, sacrificial love that meets the needs of others. It is a stronger word that the “phileo” love used to teach women to love their husbands and children. Men should be strong and healthy in their love.

Temperate “not extreme” Many men go to the extremes but a mature man should be moderate and controlled in all he does.

Holiness (vss. 6-8 with Heb. 12:7-10) When men discipline children, the writer of Hebrews explains that godly fathers should discipline not out of anger or even to punish but to produce holiness.

Endurance “sound in patience” KJV (See Col. 3:21) Men of high rank must have the endurance and patience to work with disciple younger men. Blessed is the man and the father who finishes well.

Respectable “worthy of respect” The most recurring command for wives is to respect their husbands. Men thrive on respect, but mature men don’t demand it, they earn respect.

Self-controlled “sober” KJV This self-controlled sobriety is not from within or as a result of one’s own will, but rather it is the control of a man’s self by God.

Words With Families Sunday

Introduction to Christian Home Week, 2012

    During Christian Home Week, FBC Killeen encourages families and friends to have seven days of devotionals.  If you have a Scrabble game, pick out the letters each day for the devotional word. (If you don’t have a Scrabble game, consider buying one as games are a great family get-together).

    Get a device with internet access (go to www.biblestudytools.com) Bibles with different translations to read a variety versions to come up with words to go with each day’s key word. Turn to Titus chapter 2 (NIV)

    “Words With Family” is for family members to come up with words to connect with each day’s Bible theme word.Don't feel limited to the ones on the devotionals. Encourage family members and friends to come up with other words to describe our members.

Read Titus 2:1-15

  ¹You must teach what is in accord with sound doctrine. ²Teach the older men to be temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance.  

³Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good.⁴Then they can train the younger women to love their husbands and children, ⁵to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God. ⁶Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. ⁷In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness ⁸and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us. ⁹Teach slaves to be subject to their masters in everything, to try to please them, not to talk back to them, ¹⁰and not to steal from them, but to show that they can be fully trusted, so that in every way they will make the teaching about God our Savior attractive. ¹¹For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. ¹²It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, ¹³while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, ¹⁴who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. ¹⁵These, then, are the things you should teach. Encourage and rebuke with all authority. Do not let anyone despise you.

Sunday. Read Titus 2:3-5

    Use Scrabble letters to spell out “MOTHERS”. When you think of godly women, what are some words that use the letters found in “MOTHERS”?

Mature “...older women” The word “older” not only means age, but can mean “advanced rank” and is sometimes translated “ambassador” or “elders” in the church. There are always those who are more advanced than we are from whom we can learn and to whom we can give respect. This means to revere or be respectful of one another. Specifically, Paul encourages women not to hurt people with words (“slander”) and not to be indulgent in self-pleasures, especially alcohol.

Others “to love their husbands, to love their children” Women are to put others first, especially in their love for their husbands and children.

Teachers “teach what is good” Mothers are our first teachers. In addition to love, Paul gives the following four examples of what mature women can teach younger women (and the rest of us as well).

Homemakers. “busy at home” Many women work outside the home, but all mothers make their homes a priority.

Examples “to be kind” Some translations simply say women are to teach the younger women to be good.

Righteous in action “pure” The word pure or chaste is from the same word we the word “Holy.” (Greek: HAGIOS)

Sensible (in wisdom). “self-controlled” This word means to be of sound mind, temperate, “wise thinking. Other translations render these last two words as “chaste and discreet” or being “wise in mind and clean in heart.” 

A study on pastors, elders and overseers

     Read Jesus' charge to Peter in His three-fold restoration of the future pastor in John 21, and then compare it with one of Peter's final charges to young ministers in 1 Peter 5:1-5. In the comparison, we see some striking analogies and teachings of who are the spiritual leaders in our churches. 

Who are elders/presbyters?

As elders, pastors are to “Feed My lambs”

            Jesus’ charged first of all to “feed My lambs” or those who are young in the faith. We can see that “elder” means someone appointed to serve as a spiritual leader in the church, rather than simply the oldest men of the church, in Acts 20:17 and 18

   "From Miletus, Paul sent to Ephesus for the elders (presbytery) of the church...Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers (episkopos). Be shepherds (poimaino=feed or rule; used also in John 21:16 and 1 Peter 5:2) of the church of God,

which he bought with his own blood."

     This passage clearly shows that elders, pastors and overseers are all interchangeable. This is also seen in Titus 1:5-7 where Paul says an elder is the same as an overseer (bishop).

          Paul charges Timothy that no one should look down upon his youthfulness, yet he was the leader of the church at Ephesus. However, elders should not be ordained ("laid hands on") too soon as they should be first proven as qualified (1 Tim. 5:22). Elders are listed alongside the apostles, as seen in Acts 15:4,6, 22-23; 16:4; 21:18, so we can see this term as emphasizing their role as devotion to prayer and the ministry of the word (Acts 6:4). Since that is to be their primary task, it is right that the church should pay them for the ministry ("You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain," and "The laborer is worthy of his wages" found in 1 Timothy 5:18 means that elders who are doing a good job should get receive "double honor."

         Specifically, the term elder describes who displays good leadership skills ("rule well" 1 Tim. 5:17) as well as maturity through his labor in the word and teaching (Titus 1:9). A good elder has mature discernment of the spiritual gifts in others in the church (1 Tim. 4:4). James 5:14 emphasizes the prayer maturity of the elder.

         There are checks and balances with elders who sin; first, have more than one person making accusations against elders and if the elder is shown to be in sin, he should be rebuked in front of the church openly, regardless of who the elder may be or how prestigious  (1 Tim. 5:19-21).             To the Jews, elder had a perfectly understood meaning since it was used in Judaism as a spiritual leader, but to the Greek-speaking Gentiles, elder simply meant “older man." As a result, the Bible uses two other names of the leaders in the church interchangeably with elder -- pastors (shepherds) and overseers (also called bishops).

Who are shepherds/pastors?

As shepherds, pastors are to “Shepherd My sheep”

            Jesus second charge to Peter found in John 21:16 changes both the verb (from feeding to shepherding) and the object of the verb (from lambs to sheep). This emphasizes the protecting of the more mature flock of God.

            “Shepherd” or “Pastor” is a term used frequently by Jesus. As earlier mentioned, sheep was one of the favorite analogies Jesus used for His people, so naturally he also referred to Himself as a shepherd (John 10:11,14; Mark 14:27). Jesus appointed Peter as a pastor, among others in the church, to feed and shepherd the lambs and sheep (John 21:16). That same word used by Jesus to "shepherd the sheep" is used by Paul in 1 Cor. 9:2 about good shepherds feed the flock and should be compensated for it.

            A good combination of protecting and providing is found in the Ephesians 4:11 passage which describes the “pastor-teacher” as one of the church leaders who would equip the church for the work of service. The flock and shepherd are interrelated as the shepherd provides for the sheep so that the sheep are then equipped to do the ministry of the flock.

            There are three strong opposites or contrasts of what a shepherd should be found in the New Testament. In John 10:10, Jesus describes a thief who steals, kills and destroys. In John 10:12 he describes a hireling who flees when danger approaches. In Jude 1:12, false leaders are described as “shepherds who only feed themselves” (NIV). Contrasting that, we see the shepherds' role is to sacrifice as a leader (John 10:11), face adversity (Acts 20:29) and nourish the flock to maturity (Acts 20:28).

Who are overseers/bishops?

As overseers, pastors are to “Feed My sheep”

             Jesus final charge in John 21:17 refers to feeding and watching over the mature church (Jesus says “sheep” rather than “lambs” as He did in verse 15). The seriousness of the charge was followed by a dire prophecy that Peter’s commitment will ultimately lead him to death. In verse 19, Jesus calls Peter to “follow Me.” In that command, we see all pastors are to follow Christ as the Chief Shepherd in their role as leaders of the flock.

            The term overseer or bishop comes from the Greek word “episkopos” which means watch over or  “over” (epi) “seer” (scope). Jesus is the chief Overseer of the church (1 Peter 2:25). Under Him, the flock of God is to follow pastors, who were appointed overseers by the Holy Spirit (Acts 20:28).

            Overseer is a leadership term, described in Hebrews 13:17 where the flock is told to “obey your leaders and submit to their authority.” Obviously, if the leadership directs the church to go against God or His clear teachings in the Word, the church should obey God rather than men (Acts 5:29).  The relationship between the pastor and the church members is clearly seen in the following charge: “They keep watch over you as men who must give an account. Obey them so that their work will be a joy, not a burden, for that would be of no advantage to you.” God will hold the pastors accountable for their leadership.

          Overseers are to “take care of the church” (1 Tim. 3:5). The picture of how God uses pastors to lead the flock is seen in Psalm 77:20:  God “led His people like a flock, by the hand of Moses and Aaron.” In the same way, God leads the church to be under the leadership of the overseers.

          With all humility, Peter (in 1 Peter 5:1-5) commands pastors to oversee the church voluntarily, according to God’s will, not for selfish motives and not lording it over the church but rather as an example to the flock.  The pastors are to lead, and the church is to follow God’s word, but both are to be clothed with humility toward each other.