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We could turn with me in your 
Bibles to Titus chapter two. Titus chapter two, God willing, 
we'll return to the book of Acts next week, but we're gonna look 
at Titus chapter two, the duties of Christian women, specifically 
verses three to five, but we'll have cause to refer to other 
parts of this particular chapter. So I'll read beginning in Titus 
chapter two at verse one. But as for you, speak the things 
which are proper for sound doctrine, that the older men be sober, 
reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience. 
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 to love their husbands, to love their children, to be 
discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, 
that the Word of God may not be blasphemed. Likewise, exhort 
the young men to be sober-minded, in all things showing yourself 
to be a pattern of good works, in doctrine showing integrity, 
reverence, incorruptibility, sound speech that cannot be condemned, 
that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil 
to say of you. exhort bondservants to be obedient 
to their own masters, to be well-pleasing in all things, not answering 
back, not pilfering, but showing all good fidelity, that they 
may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in all things. For 
the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all 
men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, 
we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in the present age. 
looking for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our 
great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us, that 
he might redeem us from every lawless deed and purify for himself 
his own special people, zealous for good works. Speak these things, 
exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one despise you. Amen. Let us pray. Father, we thank 
You for the written Word. We thank You that it's profitable 
for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, and for instruction 
in righteousness. And as we survey this passage 
of Scripture, we pray for the ministry of Your Holy Spirit. 
Give us wisdom, give us grace, give us the ability to apply 
these things in our own lives, both women and men, and cause 
us, God, to reflect upon Your goodness. that you have saved 
us, you've called us to yourself, you've given us forgiveness, 
you've given us life eternal, and you've given us your wonderful 
law as a pattern for our sanctification. And we pray now that the Spirit 
would work in us, and that we would indeed pursue the things 
that are pleasing in the sight of our gracious Father. Not because 
we hope to be saved, but because we are saved. And we want to 
express gratitude, and thankfulness, and worship, and praise, and 
glory to our God. Do forgive us now for our sins 
and our transgressions, and we pray through Jesus Christ our 
Lord. Amen. Well, Titus is what's called 
a pastoral epistle. Along with 1 and 2 Timothy, Paul 
writes these letters to young pastors in ministry situations, 
and he gives them particular instructions on how they are 
to function as gospel ministers. In chapter 1, he sets forth the 
qualification for elders in verses 5 to 9. He wants Titus to appoint 
elders in every city on the island of Crete. That's where Titus 
was laboring. So he's on the island of Crete. 
There's cities on Crete that have churches, but they don't 
have elders yet. And so Paul gives him instruction 
on that. And then in verses 10 to 16, 
he highlights for Titus how he's supposed to expose and refute 
heretics, those who contradict the word of the living God. And 
then here in chapter 2 at verses 1 to 10, he instructs various 
people groups that make up the life and context of the church. Notice in the first place, he 
says, the older men. Secondly, he highlights the older 
women, and then the younger women, and then the younger men, Titus 
himself, and then bond servants. Now, all of these things are 
connected intimately to verses 11 to 14. In other words, the 
theological basis for Christian ethics is the gospel of our salvation. We simply read the passage wrong 
if we think that by these instructions, Paul is saying, you need to be 
this, you need to be that, and you need to function in this 
particular way in order to be saved. No, we've been saved by 
the grace of God, that grace of God that's appeared to all 
men, that grace of God that has taught us how to deny certain 
things, and that grace of God that has promoted in us a desire 
to do certain things, specifically live in light of the commands 
given there in chapter 2, verses 1 to 10. And so I did want to 
address specifically our ladies this morning with reference to 
verses 3 to 5. I want to note, first of all, 
the instructions for older women in verse 3. Secondly, the exhortation 
to the younger women in verses 4 to 5. And then finally, again, 
just a brief survey of the basis for these instructions in verses 
11 to 14. Now, I would imagine some are 
thinking, wow, I got for Mother's Day a pastor yelling at me and 
telling me how I'm supposed to obey God's law. Well, I'm going 
to try not to do that too much, but I can't promise you that 
I won't do it at all. This is an encouragement. This 
is hopefully an inducement to do what God has called you to 
do. We all need these reminders. I'm not beholden to Mother's 
Day. I want to wish you all a happy Lord's Day because that's what 
it is. But it is in our minds that we ought to think in terms 
of our moms once in a while. And this happens to be the day 
on the calendar to do that. So I think it's fitting and appropriate 
to remind ladies of their specific responsibilities, but men do 
not tune out and do not do this. Oh, great. Pastor Butler is going 
to deal with some things I've been too cowardly to bring up. 
Don't treat your wife that way. Don't think or say, oh, honey, 
did you hear that? You need to be faithful in the 
homemaking business. Honey, did you hear that? You 
need to make my waffles. Don't do that. You should be 
able to hear this and sympathize with the plight that your wife 
goes through. It's no easy task to be a wife and a mother, especially 
when it's to people like us and to kids like ours. I mean, it's 
a high calling. And it's unfortunate that motherhood 
and wifery, I don't know if that's the way to say it, has fallen 
on hard times. I don't know why that is, other 
than a God-hating generation that attacks the very foundation 
of society. And motherhood and being a wife 
and being faithful as older women in the context of the church 
is a very high and noble calling. And we need to embrace that. 
So men don't nudge your wives and say, oh, you ought to pay 
attention. Men, you ought to pray for your wives, that they 
be the women that are described here. And you need to encourage 
them. And you need to be the kind of husband that they want 
to engage in this sort of activity toward. Now, note first the instructions 
for older women. Excuse me, in verse 3. There 
are virtues and there is an activity. Notice the virtues indicated 
in verse 3a. She is to be reverent in her 
behavior. She is to be reverent in her 
behavior. That's not just in public worship, 
but that's in all of life. There's a reverence about her. 
There's a dignity about her. Just like the older men in verse 
2. The older men, be sober, reverent. We ought not to be given to, 
you know, foolishness and frivolity. No, that doesn't mean she can't 
be happy, she can't joke, she can't laugh, she can't enjoy 
play and that sort of thing. But the overall demeanor and 
characteristic of her heart and life is one of reverence. She 
is also, secondly, in terms of virtue, to be faithful in her 
speech. Notice what Paul says there in verse three. The older 
women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers. Literally, it's not devils. The devil's function is to accuse. The devil's function is to slander. The devil's job is as the one 
who is a liar from the beginning. And so the older women are cautioned 
against devil-like behavior. She's to maintain control over 
her tongue, and she is not to be a slanderer. John Calvin makes 
the comment that talkativeness is the business of a woman, especially 
as she gets older. Now, I wasn't going to quote 
that because it sounds particularly sexist or chauvinistic in this 
age or in this generation. But I think, at least as I've 
surveyed the New Testament, more often than not, the prohibition 
against gossip is directed toward women. Now, that is not to say 
that men don't gossip. Men certainly do gossip, and 
we need to stop. But in terms of her speech, she 
shouldn't be a slanderer. She shouldn't be a devil. She 
shouldn't be the sort of person that says, did you hear? Did 
you hear? Did you hear? Brethren, that 
stuff kills churches more often than not. It's not a pastor coming 
into a pulpit and saying Jesus is a created being that kills 
churches. I know that can happen, but in 
reform context, it doesn't typically happen. But what kills churches 
is devilish talk. It's slanderous talk. It's gossipy 
talk. It's this burning desire to spread 
things that are none of your business. Paul says to Titus, 
you need to tell them to be reverent, overarching concern in terms 
of their demeanor, but you need to tell them to control their 
tongues. And then she is to be moderate 
with alcohol. She's not to be given to much 
wine. Doesn't mean she can't ever drink 
wine. The Bible doesn't say that. The Bible condemns drunkenness. 
It doesn't condemn lawful, moderate use of the gifts that God has 
given. This prohibition obtains for the elders, it obtains as 
well for the deacons, and it's something consistent throughout 
these pastoral epistles. Now, note the action she is to 
engage in according to verse 3. She, or the older women likewise, 
that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to 
much wine. Now notice, teachers of good things. So older women 
are to be teachers of good things. Now, I think it bears repetition, 
because I'm sure I said this recently. Don't, as a younger 
woman, sit back and wait for all the older women to email 
you, to text you, to call you, and to show up at your door to 
teach you how to do things. You might actually have to go 
up to them and say, hey, how about if we get together for 
coffee? and you show me how to do certain things. The onus isn't 
on the older women to go find all the younger women and teach 
them, but they need to be able to teach, and we need to appreciate 
the context in which Paul is speaking. There was a ruckus 
this past week over women preaching. There's a woman by the name of 
Beth Moore who said that she's going to be preaching in a Southern 
Baptist church on Mother's Day. And rightfully so, she took a 
lot of flack for that. And she said, well, I've only 
ever preached about 14 or 15 times in 40 years. That would 
be akin to you and I saying, well, I've only ever murdered 
about 14 or 15 times. The amount of sin isn't the necessary 
thing. It's the prohibition against 
something that we need to respect. Now, when Paul says that the 
older women need to be teachers of good things, the context specifies, 
vis-à-vis verse 4, that she has to be a teacher of younger women. Now, she can certainly teach 
children as well, but I want us to remember what the Bible 
says concerning this particular topic. In the first place, a 
woman is not to serve as an elder in the church. Again, persons 
get offended by this, but we shouldn't. Maybe it's because, 
you know, I was reflecting upon this as a child. I don't think 
my parents ever told me, you can be whatever you want to be. 
I don't know if that was a reflection of bad parenting on them or a 
realism. Maybe they understood the writing 
on the wall. This guy ate the brightest bulb in the chandelier. 
He may not be able to do everything that he wants to do or what he 
desires. We almost take it as an offense 
for somebody to say, look, you're not qualified to do that. That 
doesn't mean you're a terrible, miserable, horrible person. It just means that you don't 
have a skill set necessary to engage in a particular activity. 
Is that offensive? Does that make us want to cry? Does that, you know, make us 
raise our fist at God? I wanted to be an astronaut, 
God, but I can't go up to the top of a ladder, and I don't 
like this. It's not fair. No, we don't do 
that when it comes to stuff like that. We don't complain to God 
that we're not cowboys because we don't know how to ride horses 
or we never want to. We just don't do that. But when 
it comes to these particular things, people lose it. Oh, you 
can't tell me what I can or can't do, but Paul can tell you what 
you can or can't do. And women are not to serve as 
elders in churches, 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. The qualifications 
are uniquely male. They are uniquely man. Secondly, 
she is not permitted to teach or exercise authority over a 
man. Again, I'm not making this up. 
In fact, you can turn there to 1 Timothy 2, just so nobody sides 
with Beth Moore and says, oh, how bad Pastor Butler is because 
he's on the opposite side of her. The Apostle Paul is on the 
opposite side of her, and she needs to take heed to that. Notice 
in verse 8 of 1 Timothy 2, And may I just say, the men pray 
when we gather together for prayer meeting. It's not a pause meeting. It's 
not a silence meeting. When we gather for prayer, brethren, 
we're there to pray. That's the point of prayer meeting. 
It's to call upon our great God. It's to unburden our souls before 
the one who says to cast your cares upon me because I care 
for you. That's what Paul stipulates when men gather for prayer. I 
desire that the men pray everywhere, lifting up holy hands without 
wrath and doubting. Now notice, in like manner also 
that the women adorn themselves in modest apparel with propriety 
and moderation, not with braided hair or gold or pearls or costly 
clothing, but which is proper for women professing godliness 
with good works. Now note verse 11, let a woman 
learn in silence with all submission, and I do not permit a woman to 
teach or to have authority over a man, but to be in silence. 
Again, that might hit you as a woman and you might say, well, 
that doesn't seem fair. You need to regulate your conduct 
under the word of God. You need to repent if that is 
your response. God, in his world, made birds 
to fly, he made fish to swim, and he made men to lead in the 
context of the church and in the home. That's it. That's the 
way it is. That's what's specified. Not 
simply here in 1 Timothy chapter 2, 1 Corinthians chapter 11. 
It's very conspicuous. 1 Corinthians chapter 14 as well. But notice what Paul does here 
when he argues with reference to this prohibition. Verse 12, 
I do not permit a woman to teach or to have authority over a man 
but to be in silence. He doesn't say, well, because 
ethicists has a cultural problem with pushy and obnoxious women. 
He doesn't argue based on culture. He doesn't argue based on society. He doesn't argue based on the 
empire. He argues based on God. Notice in verse 12, or verse 
13, for Adam was formed first, then Eve, and Adam was not deceived, 
but the woman being deceived fell into transgression. So, 
creation, Adam made first, and fall, the fact that Eve was deceived, 
that stipulates, with reference to God's order in this world, 
that men preach and teach the gospel in the church. Now, if 
you have tuned out, I would invite you to tune back in and stay 
with me, because I think that this is crucial. We're seeing 
persons fall by the wayside on very clear teaching like this. 
I mean, if we miss this, women in the pulpit, if that's what 
we're ready to allow, what else are we going to allow? I'm not 
saying all women are terrible. That's not the argument. It's 
not to say that all women aren't as smart as all men. That's not 
the argument. The argument is that in God's 
world there is a created order, there is a structure, there is 
a way about things, and we must observe that, and we must respect 
that, and we must own that, we must operate according to that. 
So back to Titus chapter 2, it's delimited, it is specific, it 
is highlighted who she is to teach at the end of verse 3. 
She is a teacher of good things, and then in verse 4, that they 
admonish the young women. The church must not disregard 
the regulative principle of worship. God regulates how sinners, redeemed 
sinners, are supposed to come to Him in the worship of God. 
We wouldn't allow a lot of things under the banner of the regulative 
principle of worship. We ought never to allow women 
preachers. Again, that's not to say that 
women are terrible, that women are bad. that women don't know 
theology, that women are always susceptible to deception. I've 
preached on 1 Timothy 2 before and have dealt with that whole 
idea wherein Eve was deceived. I don't have time to rehearse 
all of that, but that is the purpose for which Paul prohibits 
women teaching in the context of the church. It's not Ephesus. 
It's not the Roman Empire. It's God's Word. It's God's order. It is the structure that he has 
embedded in creation. Now notice what the women, the 
older women, are to teach the younger women. So we've seen 
the instructions for older women, verse 3. Now we'll move to the 
exhortations to the younger women in verses 4 and 5. In the first 
place, she is to engage in faithful domestic relationships. Look 
at verse four. It's intriguing that they admonish 
the young women to love their husbands, to love their children. Now, when the apostle Paul deals 
with husband-wife relationships in, say, Ephesians and in Colossians, 
he emphasizes that husbands love their wives, and he emphasizes 
that wives are to submit to their own husbands. In fact, at the 
end of verse 5, he tells them again that they need to be submissive 
to their own husbands. Not every husband. God is protecting 
you, ladies. It's not a Muslim culture where 
you're subject to all men. No, you obey and submit to your 
own husband. There's one man that God has 
given you that you carry out these responsibilities to. Now, 
that doesn't mean you're an irreverent. you know, wine-bibbing wretch 
around everybody else. But the point is, is that God 
protects women. God is pro-women. Paul, the apostle, 
one has called him a novelist. George Bernard Shaw said he was 
the eternal enemy of women. Do you realize that in this context, 
the stuff that Paul is speaking to, in terms of the protection 
of women, would have been counter-revolutionary with reference to the Roman Empire? 
He is out for women's rights. He is out for feminism, as it's 
properly defined. He is pro-women, seeing that 
their responsibility is to the man that God has given them. 
But notice, she is told to love her husband. She is told to love 
her children. George Knight says, it is noteworthy 
that the list of characteristics for young women begins with love 
for husband and children. This section thereby fills out 
the instruction to wives in Ephesians, Colossians, and 1 Peter, where 
the emphasis falls on fulfilling the role of submission and where 
love on the part of wives is not mentioned. It may seem strange 
for older women to be called upon to teach younger women to 
love their husbands and children, but this is put into perspective 
when we realize that Christians are constantly being taught in 
the New Testament to love, whether it be God or fellow Christians 
and neighbors. And it could possibly kind of 
flow this way. You need to love your man and 
you need to love your children so that when you seek to carry 
out the remainder of the virtues and the duties that I'm going 
to prescribe, it's not Stoicism, it's not Spartanism, it's not 
a Grenade Barrett-ism. It's born out of love. In other 
words, why do women, younger women, function the way they 
do in obedience to the law of God? It's because they love their 
husbands. It's because they love their 
kids. See, when you get married, it isn't for what you get. When you get married, it's for 
what you give. See, it's another thing we lost 
a long time ago in the Western world. It's all about us. It's 
all about me. It's all about my needs. That's 
not what marriage is supposed to be. Marriage is about giving 
to the other person. That's why typically I ask the 
young people or the older people that come to get married, are 
you prepared to give yourself? And it's not just women giving 
themselves for men, it's men willing to die for their wives, 
just as Christ loved the church and gave himself for her. The 
paradigm with reference to marriage in our Bibles is not coming to 
the altar, so I have this e-ticket to get whatever it is I want. 
It is rather, I have found the person that my heart loves, that 
has my affections, that is, I forget, the queen of my empire? I don't 
remember. The empress of my affections? 
I think that's it. I have found her and I want to 
give to her. And conversely, she has found 
the king of her affections and wants to give to him. So Paul 
says, love your husbands, love your wives. And as you consider 
this particular list, instead of going, oh, are you kidding 
me? This is what I need to do? This is legit. This is consistent. This flows out of the reality 
that you love this human being, that you love these little human 
beings. And you might think it odd that 
a woman needs to be told to love her children. I don't think that's 
odd at all. As I understand society today, 
I don't think it's odd at all to be suspicious as to whether 
or not mothers have a love and affection for their children. 
The abortion numbers suggest otherwise. The reality of child 
abuse suggests otherwise. The crimes committed against 
little ones with mothers involved in it would argue that this command 
needs to be preached from the rooftops to this society. Women 
you are to love your husbands and you're to love your children 
and I love the way Gil fleshes out this love for children He 
says not with a fond foolish and ungoverned affection now 
give Gil some credit I don't think he doesn't I don't think 
he means you can't roll around on the floor and tickle your 
kids I don't think he means that. I mean, a picture of Gil might 
suggest otherwise. He just looks miserable. I mean, 
you look at a guy. I mean, they say this is a great 
picture, the particular Baptist. Whoever publishes the Gil works, 
Baptist Standard Press, I think, they have this picture of John 
Gil. And they say, we're privileged to have this picture. He looks 
rough. He doesn't look like the sort 
of guy that would fall on the floor and tickle his kids. But 
he was a godly man, so he fell on the floor and tickled his 
kids. He's not suggesting that you ladies don't do that. What 
he is suggesting is that it's not only emotive. It's not only 
emotional. It's not only unprincipled. It's 
not only rolling around on the floor and tickling them. It is 
principled. It is obedient to the word of 
God. He says, not with a fond, foolish, 
and ungoverned affection, but so as to seek their real good. 
and not only their temporal, but spiritual and eternal welfare, 
to bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord, and 
to use and keep proper discipline and government over them. For 
otherwise, amidst all the fondness of natural affection, a parent 
may be said to hate a child." Proverbs 13, 24, which says, 
he who spares his rod hates his son, but he who loves him disciplines 
him promptly. You are not doing your children 
any favor and you are not expressing biblical love to them if you 
are not seeking to restrain their passions. This world desperately 
needs mothers loving their children enough to restrain their passions, 
to bridle their lusts, to be that hedge of protection over 
the little ones so that they are not left to themselves to 
do the sorts of things that young sinners unattended will do. Now 
notice, he highlights some particular virtues with reference to the 
ladies, the younger women. She is first to be discreet. 
Solomon puts it in a very sort of illustrative way. He says, as a ring of gold in 
a swine's snout, so is a lovely woman who lacks discretion. I 
mean, kids, you know what a swine is. It's a pig. Have you ever 
seen a pig with a ring of gold in its nose? You'd say, that 
seems odd. don't typically see pigs with 
gold rings in their nose. We typically see pigs on our 
breakfast plate. We typically see pigs in the 
zoo, or we think of pigs as oinking and doing the sorts of things 
that they do, and falling in the mud and rolling about. Some 
may even think of pigs as being very intelligent. I hear that 
they are quite intelligent in terms of the animal kingdom. 
But what you don't typically see is a ring of gold in its 
snout. That would be unheard of, wouldn't 
it? Well, listen to what Solomon says, so is a lovely woman who 
lacks discretion. Now, this particular virtue comes 
up in this list more than once. The old men are to be reverent, 
in verse 2, and the young men are to be sober-minded, in verse 
6. Same word, a bit of a semantic 
range. One popular dictionary defines 
it this way, pertaining to being in control of oneself, prudent, 
thoughtful, self-controlled. Pertaining to be in control of 
oneself, prudent, thoughtful, self-controlled. It's kind of 
like what Paul says with reference to the older women. When he says 
that she's not to be addicted to much wine, yeah, it's not 
just prohibiting her from getting hammered day in and day out, 
but it speaks to that larger framework of self-control, self-discipline. When Paul prohibits certain things 
from elders and deacons, again, the overarching concern is exercise 
self-control. And if we think biblically, we'll 
know that self-control is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, so it really 
ought to promote in a woman to cry out to God for the presence 
and the power of the Holy Spirit so that she can operate and navigate 
in her daily duties in a manner consistent with God's Word. Ladies, 
you are to be discreet. Notice, secondly, she is to be 
chaste. Paul says that in verse 4. I'm 
sorry, verse 5, to be discreet and to be chaste. Now, again, 
he doesn't flesh these out or tease these out or give us a 
million illustrations as to what he means by this. The overarching 
thought is purity. And certainly purity means, on 
the one hand, that she dresses appropriately in public worship, 
1 Timothy chapter 2. After Paul says, I want the men 
to pray this way, he then goes on to highlight what he wants 
from women in public worship. And what he wants from women 
in public worship is that they adorn themselves in modesty, 
that they're not ostentatious, that they're not coming in here 
saying, you know, everybody look at me. The purpose for gathering 
on Sabbath day is to look to God, not to look at you. Not to look at me, not to be 
drawn away with anything else. So Paul doesn't give concrete 
illustrations, hemlines and hairlines and all that sort of stuff. But 
he does say, don't spend a ton of money. Don't decorate yourself 
in such a gaudy way that everybody looks at you. Don't draw attention 
to yourself. that we might extrapolate from 
that in 1 Peter chapter 3. Not a public worship sort of 
setting, but in terms of a woman's deportment, in terms of the way 
that she carries herself, what's Peter saying? It's very much 
the same. Don't spend a million dollars 
on your outfit. Don't draw attention to yourself 
in that way. Now, it doesn't mean you need 
to be a prairie muffin. It doesn't mean you need to dress 
in a gunny sack. I mean, that woman in Proverbs 
chapter 31 made money. She dressed accordingly. And 
I think that falls into consideration, too. I mean, if you're on a Walmart 
budget, don't shop in Beverly Hills. It's just the way it goes. So these are the things that 
Paul addresses when it comes to younger women in the context 
of church, in the context of society, discretion, chastity. Now notice thirdly what he says, 
she has to be a homemaker. She has to be a homemaker. Now 
the definition again, according to BDAG, means to carry out household 
duties. It means to be busy at home. 
It means to carry out household duties. That's repeated twice. So again, I'm not saying that 
a man comes home, and he sits on his chair, and he just vegetates. Dudes, you can help do things 
at home. You can be nice. Just because 
her primary orientation is to serve in the home doesn't mean 
you get to just make it a mess so that she has more to do. You 
know, there's this man in the Bible called Nabal. And Nabal 
means fool. And in my experience, there's 
a lot of New Testament men that function as Nabals. You can do 
a dish. It's not going to kill you. It's 
not going to reverse the created order. It's not going to stop 
progress. You can fold a shirt. That's 
okay. You can cook an egg. I mean, 
there's things you can do that doesn't stop the process. But 
the primary orientation for a godly woman is to be a homemaker. She's got a husband. She's got 
children. What's a means by which she expresses 
love for that husband and love for those children? By being 
a homemaker. Notice in 1 Timothy chapter 5, 
there's a desirable paradigm and an undesirable one for the 
Apostle Paul. 1 Timothy chapter 5 at verse 
11. Paul is dealing with the support 
of persons in the church, monetary support. He deals with the support 
of qualified widows, those widows who have served, those widows 
who have been faithful, give to them. But in verse 11, he 
says, but refuse the younger widows, for when they have begun 
to grow wanton against Christ, they desire to marry, having 
condemnation because they have cast off their first faith. And 
besides, they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to 
house, and not only idle, but also gossips and busybodies, 
saying things which they ought not. Therefore, I desire that 
the younger widows marry, bear children, manage the house, give 
no opportunity to the adversary to speak reproachfully. You see, 
the positive or desirable outcome is verse 14. The undesirable 
is verse 13. In other words, this is not the 
way younger women should function. Verse 13. They learn to be idle. They wander about from house 
to house, not only idle, but also gossips and busybodies, 
saying things which they ought not. So what's Paul's point with 
reference to the younger widows? He's not saying, I don't want 
the church to give them any money. He says, I want them to get married. 
That's the best thing for a young widow is to get married. I read 
somewhere once that at Puritan funerals, the wife would be proposed 
to at the gravesite. I don't know if I'm into that 
at this particular point, but the idea was is that 1 Timothy 
chapter 5 was a reality. And in a society where there 
wasn't a whole lot of earning potential for a young widow, 
it was an act of mercy and kindness for somebody at the gravesite 
to propose to her. And we hear these things, we're 
horrified, but there's great reasons behind it. You see, Paul 
says, 1 Timothy 5.13, don't do this. This is bad. 1 Timothy 
5.14, do this. This is good. And this is what 
you ought to be seeking after as young married women that love 
their husbands and love their children. Younger widows marry, 
bear children, manage house, give no opportunity to the adversary 
to speak reproachfully. So back to Titus. The benefits 
of this aspect of being a homemaker or being, you know, busy in the 
home is certainly an expression of love for husband and children. 
It's certainly highlighted in Proverbs chapter 13. Who can 
find a virtuous woman? It's a serious question. He's 
not just, you know, throwing it out there. Who can find that 
woman described in Proverbs chapter 31? She's a gold mine. She's 
a unicorn. You find her, you put a ring 
on her finger right away. You take her to the altar. You 
say, I do. And you provide for her and you 
love her and you treasure her. Because that's the kind of woman 
that God intended for women to be. Now, as well, Matthew Poole 
makes this observation. He says, not spending their time 
in gadding abroad, but in looking to the affairs of their own families. That's that 1 Timothy 5.14 model, 
isn't it? 1 Timothy 5.13, they're idle, 
they go about from house to house, they're busybodies, they're gossips, 
they're saying things they ought not. And then if you really think 
in terms of, you know, what Solomon says in the book of Proverbs, 
what's an identifying characteristic of the harlot? What's an identifying 
characteristic? Actually, it's not the harlot. 
It's not a harlot. I'm sorry. I apologize. It's 
an adulterous woman. There is a difference between 
a harlot and an adulterous woman. The one is harder to say. But 
what Solomon says or characterizes her as in Proverbs 7, he says, 
she was loud and rebellious. Her feet would what? They wouldn't 
stay at home. What's the point? What's the 
implication? What's the legitimate inference? Where they should 
have been. Her husband is away on business. It's not her job to go out and 
entice a simple, young, lust-filled man and entice him to come to 
her bed. Her feet should have remained 
at home. She should have been busy doing 
the tasks associated with her sphere instead of being this 
loud and rebellious wretch whose feet wouldn't stay at home. Now, 
I spend a little time here because, as I said earlier, for whatever 
reason, we think it's bad to be a homemaker. Not we, not me. I don't. I think it's the hardest 
job on the face of the earth. I've seen a woman do it with 
five kids, and I marveled while she did it. I'm thankful to God 
Almighty that she did it. But the world has taught you 
ladies that there's something inferior about being a stay-at-home 
mom. There's dignity. You're raising 
human beings. What's bigger than that? And 
then maybe it's your own discontentedness in your own heart. Well, you 
know, I'm just doing this, that, and the other. Your husband's not out foiling 
crimes. He's not out writing steeds. He's not out gunfighting. He's 
not out engaged in these romantic pursuits. He has a normal humdrum 
job, just like every other guy in the world. It's not like there's, 
oh, my husband gets all this excitement and all the headaches 
associated with what you think is excitement. J. Adams in his 
little book, I use this book for Christian premarital counseling. 
I hope the kids read it or the young people read it. But J. 
Adams makes a point in there, and I think it would be offensive, 
not just to the world, but to probably some of you. He says 
something like this. He says, if I was a woman and 
I was a wife and I knew that for the next 50 years I was going 
to have to cook food, I would learn the science behind it. 
I would learn why water boils at a particular temperature. 
I would learn how spices and fats and oils and all these things 
work together to produce the best flavors. What's bad about 
that? What's wrong about that? Something 
in us or something perhaps in women say, well, it's just not 
that elegant of a role. There's nothing more elegant. 
There's nothing more glorious. There's nothing more worthwhile. 
When Napoleon was asked what was wrong with France, he said, 
we need better mothers. When you see a society in decay 
and declension, it goes back to the family. When you see a 
society, it looks like ours. It's mothers who don't control 
their kids at Walmart. It's fathers who don't love their 
wives the way Jesus Christ loves his church. It's persons that 
live as if there is no king in Israel and everyone does what's 
right in his own eyes. And if you are in your mind or 
heart to say, oh, yeah, it just doesn't seem as glamorous as 
a job as I'd like, again, ask your husband what he has to put 
up with Monday through Saturday. Ask your husband, is your job 
glamorous? It's not. I mean, there's a few 
glamorous jobs out there. I mean, if you're president, 
yeah, he's moving, he's shucking, he's jiving. There's a lot going 
on there. I mean, we couldn't say, oh, no, that's glamorous. 
But most of us are never going to be the president. It's simply 
not the case you can be whatever you want to be. That's just not 
reality. And we need to own that. So ladies, 
I don't think you should ever be embarrassed by the reality 
that you love your man, and you love your kids, and you serve 
in the home. That's what God's called you 
to. That's the Lord's Word. I'm not, you see this. I have 
you open to Titus 2. I'm not making this up. It's 
all right there. Paul said it. Under the inspiration 
of the Holy Spirit, all scripture given by inspiration of God. It is profitable for doctrine. 
It's profitable for reproof. It's profitable for correction 
and for instruction in righteousness that the man of God may be thoroughly 
furnished unto every good work. And this is something that has 
dignity. It is something that is blessed. 
It is something that God smiles upon. And then notice, she is 
to be good. Again, it's an overarching term. 
It describes her character. Probably kind is in view here. We see a parallel of the word, 
the word used at least conceptually in another context where it means 
kind. We see that with that Proverbs 
31 woman, the law of hesed or kindness or covenant love or 
mercy or grace is upon her. upon her lips, the kindness about 
her. You know, there's not, yeah, 
I'm making you waffles because I have to. No, you do it because 
you love them and you want to. Can we ever want to do what we 
have to do? Yes, we can want to do what we 
have to do. In God's world, that's perfectly 
acceptable. You can find joy in it, happiness. Blessing, privilege. And then 
notice, she is to be submissive to her husband. This is how Paul 
ends verse 5, or towards the end in terms of the virtues. 
Verse 5, to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to 
their own husbands. Obedient to their own husbands. 
That means subject oneself, be subjected or subordinated, obey. We see it in Ephesians 5. Verse 
21, there's the general principle that all of us need to submit 
to one another in godly fear, but it's teased out specifically 
for the family with reference to husbands and wives in chapter 
5, verses 22 to 24. Women are to be subject to their 
own husbands. We see that principle as well 
in the book of Colossians 3, verse 18. You see it in 1 Peter 
3. In fact, turn to 1 Peter 3. Perhaps 
we're not as well-versed in that particular passage. I tend to 
stick more with Paul than Peter. I think it's good for us to see 
Peter's emphasis here. Notice in 1 Peter 3, 1, wives, 
likewise, be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some 
do not obey the word, they without a word may be won by the conduct 
of their wives. When they observe your chaste 
conduct accompanied by fear, do not let your adornment be 
merely outward. Now I think the New King James 
accurately supplies words here. Do not let your adornment be 
merely outward. Merely is right. There is a sense, 
sisters, where it's okay to look good for your man, That's what 
your man wants, so look good for him. That's okay. But it 
shouldn't be merely. It shouldn't just be external. 
It shouldn't just be that. It's not just that the barn is 
painted beautifully and inside there's a bunch of dead animals. 
That's not what's good. A good paint job and a barn full 
of healthy, live, vibrant animals is to be desired. And then notice 
he says, do not let your adornment be merely outward, arranging 
the hair, wearing gold, or putting on, notice again, fine apparel. He doesn't mean or putting on 
apparel. Of course Peter wants you to put on apparel. The emphasis 
is on fine apparel, spending all your husband's resources 
on your fine apparel. Don't do that. That's not an 
expression of love. Now note the comparative here. 
arranging the hair, wearing gold, putting on fine apparel. Rather, 
here's the emphasis, here's the onus, here's the focus. Rather, 
let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible 
beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious 
in the sight of God. For in this manner, in former 
times, the holy women who trusted in God also adorned themselves, 
being submissive to their own husbands, as Sarah obeyed Abraham, 
calling him Lord, whose daughters you are if you do good and are 
not afraid with any terror. You see, she is to be submissive 
to her own husband. Now, husbands and wives share 
or have redemptive solidarity. That means that husbands and 
wives are both saved by the same blood, they're both saved by 
the same grace, they're both saved by the same Savior. And 
Peter highlights that in 1 Peter 3, 7. Notice, husbands, likewise, 
dwell with them with understanding. You're gonna need a lot of it, 
young man. Giving honor to the wife as to the weaker vessel 
and as, note what he says, being heirs together of the grace of 
life. So husbands aren't more saved 
than their wives. Husbands aren't higher up on 
the rung of dignity and prestige than their wives. Paul says the 
same thing in Galatians 3. You can turn there. Galatians 
chapter 3. Verse 26, for you are all sons 
of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for as many of you as 
were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither 
Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither 
male nor female, for you're all one in Christ Jesus. Paul's point 
is this, you have redemptive solidarity, but that redemptive 
solidarity doesn't destroy functional distinctiveness. Just because 
you got converted and you were a slave in the Roman Empire, 
you couldn't go to your master and say, I'm a free man now. 
He'd have cause to disagree. Just because you were converted 
in the first century didn't mean you could now identify as a female, 
because this idea of maleness and femaleness is obliterate. 
No! Redemptive solidarity does not 
mitigate against the reality that there are functional distinctions 
between husbands and wives, functional distinctions between men and 
women. And in God's world, He made men to lead in the home 
and in the church, and He made women to submit in the home. 
In terms of the church, there's specific rules, but it's not 
the same sort of submission that you find in the home. Brethren, 
this is God's world, and we need to play by God's rules, and we 
need to seek, by God's grace, to be obedient. Now look finally 
with me at the end of verse five, to underscore the gravity of 
her calling, the seriousness of her calling. After giving the particulars, 
After highlighting the specifics, verse 5, to be discreet, chaste, 
homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands. Notice that 
the word of God may not be blasphemed. Notice what Paul does not say. 
If you live this way, your kids will give you really good gifts 
on Mother's Day. If you live this way, your husband 
will take you out for good dinner. If you live this way, life is 
going to be peachy key. He doesn't argue that way. He's 
not arguing in a utilitarian manner. He's not saying, do this 
and then you'll get this. He says, do this because if you 
don't, the Word of God is blasphemed. What does that mean? It means 
there is a theological undergirding. There is a theological foundation. There is a theological reason 
for why men are supposed to do what they're supposed to do and 
for why women are supposed to do what women are supposed to 
do. When women do not do what they're supposed to do and at 
the same time profess faith in Jesus Christ, they cause reproach 
upon the name of God. It's like David. Remember when 
David sinned and Nathan reproved him? What does Nathan say to 
David? He says, by this deed you have 
given cause to the enemies of God to blaspheme. Because when 
the nations around Israel heard of David's escapades, they would 
say, well, what kind of representative of the God of Israel is he? He's 
supposed to be sitting on Yahweh's throne on earth, and yet he functions 
the way that the thugs around him do? He engages in adultery, 
he engages in murder, he engages in these sorts of operations 
to cover up his sin. That's disgusting. Well, it's 
the same thing, ladies, when you do not live consistently 
with your profession of faith. It's the same thing, men, when 
you and I do not live consistently with our profession of faith. 
Persons are inclined to say, well, what's so good about Christianity? 
They look like the rest of us. They look like everyone else. 
They're similar with the pagans and with the heathens. Again, 
George Knight makes the observation, Paul thus encourages godly conduct 
by saying that it keeps God's message from being evil spoken 
of. Therefore, for a wife to fail 
to be submissive to her husband or to be unloving or impure, 
etc., would allow non-Christians to say that Christianity makes 
people worse rather than better, and therefore that its message 
is not only useless but bad. There's that grand principle 
in Ephesians chapter 5 as well, in terms of husbands loving and 
wives submitting. What is that supposed to exemplify 
or display? Christ and His Church. So when 
a man treats his wife like garbage, the next door neighbor says, 
Christ must treat his church like garbage. Or when a woman 
doesn't submit to her own husband as unto the Lord, the next-door 
neighbor is going to say, well, that's the way the church functions 
with Christ. Unfortunately, they're right 
on that one most of the time, but it's unfortunate, but reality. You see, what we do, brethren, 
sends a message. In fact, look at our passage. 
Look at 2.10. Well, 2.9. Exhort bond servants 
to be obedient to their own masters, to be well-pleasing in all things, 
not answering back. Look at Paul. I mean, come on. 
We just don't do this, do we? Not answering back? It's in our 
DNA to answer back. That's why Paul tells us not 
to do it. Bond servants, the very thing 
they will be inclined not to do, be obedient to their own 
masters, be well-pleasing in all things, be the best slave, 
be the best bond servant, be the best guy in that man's employ. 
Not answering back, not pilfering, he's not paying you to steal 
from him, but showing all good fidelity. Now notice the purpose 
clause, that they may adorn, what? The doctrine of God our 
Savior in all things. So when a bondservant shows up 
to work, when a bondservant doesn't answer back, when a bondservant 
does everything that pleases the master, when the bondservant 
keeps his greedy little mitts to himself and not pilfers from 
his employer, he's adorning the doctrine of God our Savior. See, 
that's where I think we've missed it. We think that the only way 
to adorn the doctrine of God our Savior is to be a missionary 
to China. No, bondservants can do this. Wives can do this. The 
church corporately, when they participate in the supper, do 
what? They proclaim the Lord's death until He comes. There's 
other ways to adorn the doctrine than being a missionary in China 
or a pastor or preacher in a pulpit. in a bond servant situation, 
which I don't want to offend anybody with slavery, that's 
what they were able to do. Now, real quick, by way of just 
a glance, verses 11 to 14. This is the basis for the instructions. Live consistently the way Paul 
instructs you as old men, as old women, as younger women, 
as younger men, as Titus himself, and as bondservants because of 
verse 11. Here's the explanation. Here's 
the reason. Here's the rationale. Here's 
the why. Why are we supposed to do this, Paul? For the grace 
of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. Now, 
there's many ways that could be understood, but suffice to 
say at this particular juncture, it probably means all kinds of 
men. Older men, younger men, older women, younger women, kings, 
those who are in authority, all types of people, the grace of 
God has appeared to them. And what does that grace of God 
appear to them to do? First of all, it brings salvation. 
That grace that God makes appear to His elect brings salvation. Once we are in this state of 
salvation, once we have been called out of darkness into marvelous 
light, once we have by grace confessed faith in Jesus, what 
does grace teach us? It teaches us to deny ungodliness. It teaches us to deny worldly 
lusts. It teaches us that we should 
live soberly, we should live righteously, we should live godly 
in the present age. In other words, all the instructions 
given there in chapter 2, verses 1 to 10, appropriate for the 
particular persons in the church that make up the church. This 
is how you're supposed to function. This is the general framework 
with specific direction in verses 1 to 10 for appropriate groups. This is how you apply. This is 
how you shine as lights in a crooked and perverse generation. This 
is how you hold forth the word of truth. It's not just preaching 
on Sunday morning. It's living Monday through Saturday. It's the way that you function 
in the home. It's the way that you function 
in the workplace. It's the way that you function 
as an older man or as a younger man or as an older woman or a 
younger woman. All of this adorns the gospel, the doctrine of our 
God and Savior. And while we do this, we do it 
with this expectation. We do it with this orientation, 
Paul says. Notice in verse 13, looking for 
the blessed hope and glorious appearing of our great God and 
Savior, Jesus Christ. Something to ponder when you're 
making those waffles. It's something to ponder when 
you're pleasing your master in all things. It's something to 
ponder in your unglamorous work life when you're bored out of 
your mind, looking forward to the glorious appearing of our 
great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. And yes, it's a description of 
Jesus Christ as our great God and Savior. And the reason why 
these things are possible, the reason why these things are in 
our potential, is because of verse 14. zealous for good works, zealous 
to obey what verses 1 to 10 says. So if there's no zeal in our 
hearts to comply with the written Word of God, if we look at the 
law of God and say, oh, what a burden, what a hardship, what 
a grief, what a bummer, then it's questionable whether He 
gave Himself for us. Those who have received the redeeming 
work of the Lord Jesus Christ, those who have been saved by 
grace, I mean, we might bristle a little bit against being told, 
you know, this is your lot in life, but we come to it, and 
we embrace it, and we recognize it, and we thank God Almighty 
that Christ did give Himself for us, and we are to be His 
own special people, and we are to be zealous for good works. We're to be the kinds of people 
that do what God calls us to do. So ladies, be encouraged, 
be hopeful, be helped, and persevere. And men, please pray for your 
wives. I want to end with a couple of 
thoughts. First, the need for such women for the benefit of 
husbands. Say, well, my husband doesn't 
deserve that. Well, you married the wrong guy, but you need to 
fix it or stick with it. Actually, you didn't marry the 
wrong guy. God is sovereign. And in providence, you got who 
you got. You got who you got. You need to make the best of 
it. You know what's one of the difficulties in Scripture is that we need 
to obey God because God tells us to obey? You say, well, Butler, 
that's just obvious. Well, we oftentimes condition 
our obedience on the performance of others. Well, I would love 
her the way that Jesus loved the church if she made me waffles. I would love her the way that 
Jesus loved the church if she ironed my clothes. I would love 
her the way that Jesus loved the church if she changed the 
oil in my car. I'd really love her that. We 
are not to condition our obedience to God on what other people do. 
You need to swallow that pill. Same with the ladies. You know, 
I'd submit to my husband if I'd submit to my husband when? I'd 
submit to my... No, you need to submit to your 
own husbands as unto the Lord. You need to love your wives as 
Jesus Christ loved the church, not conditioned upon their obedience 
to the law of God. Again, I think that's in our 
minds. Well, if they this, then all that. No, you have to this 
because God has called you to it. So the need for such women, 
the benefit of husbands, the benefit of children, they're 
your kids. They're not the state's kids. 
Hopefully they never will be. They're not the church's kids. 
They're your kids. And your orientation is to be 
toward them. Kids demand a lot of attention. 
Kids demand a lot of work. And when you had those kids, 
you signed up for that. You can't get three years in 
and say, well, I'm not quite happy with this arrangement. 
I want to send it back. No, you can't do that. You need 
to be this kind of woman because your husband needs that kind 
of woman, and your kids need that kind of woman. Secondly, 
I want to encourage the ladies in our congregation. You may 
think this has been short on encouragement. First of all, 
you must realize that your task is difficult, oftentimes thankless, 
and mostly underappreciated by just about everyone. It's a tough 
job, and you're not probably getting accolades. I mean, you 
think of Mother's Day, for instance. Again, it's the Lord's Day, mothers. 
On Father's Day, it's going to be the Lord's Day, fathers. Every 
Sunday is His day. Do you think about that? One 
day out of the year, you're going to do something nice for your 
parent, your mother? Shame on you. Every day should 
be Mother's Day. Every day, you should esteem 
that one who actually has kept you alive, that one upon whom 
you depend, that one who feeds you, that one who cares for you, 
that one who loves you. If it's one day out of the year 
that you say, well, thanks, Mom. Oh, man, shame on you. Be thankful 
for your mother. For the ladies, you must persevere 
in your calling and realize that the calling you have under God 
is a full-time multifaceted calling that is of the utmost importance. 
It is of the utmost importance. Think of the most important thing 
that a person can do. Again, president, prime minister. 
I mean, you could feasibly ruin an entire country. That's bad. 
But mothers can ruin human beings. in a way that not everybody can. Fathers can do that as well. 
Have we rightly embraced the reality of what is involved in 
bearing children? It's a huge responsibility. There's 
no greater thing. What do you do for a living? 
I raise humans. Wow. I make those little things 
that go on the end of shoelaces. I was thinking about it. Somebody 
makes those. I had to put tape on mine. The 
plastic fell off. I'm sure it's a machine now. 
But at some point, somebody made those things. Raising humans 
is far more important than that. Raising humans is as important 
as anything. So ladies, embrace it. As well, 
you must guard against laziness. I say this as a brother in Christ. 
I say this as one susceptible to laziness. I say this as one 
that realizes that laziness will not produce Titus 2 type women. Proverbs 31.27, she watches over 
the ways of her household and does not eat what? the bread 
of idleness. Your children need your instruction, 
your example, your discipline, and your love. And then finally, 
the blessing upon such women. This is from the sermon recently 
on the book of Proverbs from her husband. Her husband also, 
and he praises her, many daughters have done well, but you excel 
them all. Brethren, if you are not doing this occasionally with 
your wives, you need to do this with your wives. You need to 
encourage them You know what it's like all week to work, and 
it's unglamorous, and perhaps you feel a bit unthankful in 
your life, and you haven't gotten a raise. It would be nice if 
your boss said, you know, I really appreciate what you're doing. 
Don't say, well, I don't get that, so why should she? Again, 
nabal, don't live that way. Encourage her. Many daughters 
have done well, and you excel them all. Praise Almighty God 
when you think about it, that He actually gave you somebody 
who cares for you in the way that they do. It really is an 
amazing thing, isn't it? That one person saddles up with 
another person and they ride off together in this world and 
seek by the grace of God to bring glory to Him. It is a beautiful 
and a wonderful thing. As well, her children rise up 
and call her blessed. Proverbs 31, 28a. And from her 
community and let her own works praise her in the gates. Well, 
if you had been here yesterday morning, you would have heard 
that there's a distinction between law and gospel. I preached law 
this morning. This was a lot of law. Ladies, 
you are not saved by being this. You are saved in order to be 
this. You're not going to be this perfectly. That's just my observation. And that, nevertheless, will 
not disqualify you from heaven. I want to show you one more thing 
in 1 Timothy chapter 2, a passage that I think is misunderstood 
at times. I'm not sure this is absolutely 
positively correct, but I think this is Paul's point. After dealing 
with men praying in the church, with women adorning themselves 
modestly in the church, with the prohibition against women 
teaching or exercising authority in the church, notice in verse 
15, nevertheless, She will be saved and childbearing if they 
continue in faith, love, and holiness with self-control. Almost 
sounds like a works righteousness, doesn't it? Almost sounds like, 
ladies, have babies and be faithful, and you'll make it to heaven. 
There's a difference between the she and the they. Look at 
verse 15. Nevertheless, she will be saved 
in the childbearing, if they continue in faith, love, and 
holiness with self-control. I think Eve is the woman of verse 
15, she. I think Eve is the she will be 
saved in the childbearing. the seed of the woman, Genesis 
3.15, the conquering, skull-crushing seed of the woman that would 
do damage to the devil, that would bring destruction to the 
devil. She, Eve, will be saved in that childbearing if they, 
Christian women, who have participated in that childbearing, not actually 
having the baby, but believing in the baby that was had, they 
then continue in faith, love, and holiness with self-control. 
In other words, you're saved by grace through faith, not by 
the way that you function in the home. Doesn't mean you aren't 
to function in the home in a particular way, but remember the gospel. After a heavy dose of law, we 
always ought to be encouraged with the balm of Gilead. Your 
salvation is reliant upon God Almighty, who sent His Son, the 
Lord Jesus, who lived, who died, and who was raised again the 
third day, so that we could have forgiveness. so that we could 
receive a righteousness, so that we could go to heaven. So ladies, 
the greatest encouragement I can give to you is the reality that 
Christ was crucified, Christ is risen, and that Christ has 
saved you. Now, you by grace are to continue 
in faith, love, and holiness with self-control. And if there 
are some here who haven't believed on Christ, believe on Christ. 
Eve was promised to be the mother of all living. The woman would 
bear a seed, and that seed would crush the devil himself. And 
that seed is the Lord Jesus Christ, and whoever believes on Him will 
have everlasting life. Well, let us close in a word 
of prayer. Father, thank You for Your Word. 
Thank You for Your graciousness. Thank You for the fact that You 
save us and that You equip us by the Spirit and with the Word 
to live in a way that brings glory to You. We all confess 
that we all fall short in so many ways, and we all confess 
our need, our dependence upon the Lord Jesus Christ. So again, 
please wash us in that precious blood, refresh us with a view 
of Christ and the gospel, and cause us to reflect upon these 
things and to live in a manner that is consistent with the gospel. 
And we ask that you would go with us now, bless families here, 
bless individuals, bless us, and help us to sanctify the day 
and to come tonight to be encouraged at the worship of the living 
God. And we pray through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.