|
Introduction In the book of Titus, the Apostle Paul is giving pastoral advice to Titus on how to regulate the affairs of the church. When dealing with Titus’ responsibilities as an elder over the congregation, Paul encourages him to teach “sound” doctrine (Tit. 2:1). The Greek word which is translated “sound” is literally the word “healthy”, i.e., true doctrine will prove to be spiritually, mentally and physically “healthy” to those who embrace it. The Truth of God leads to the fullness of life in every area of life. In order for Titus to be able to teach “healthy” doctrine in a consistent way, Paul outlines several discipleship programs which were organized around age or social status. For example, Paul sets up a discipleship program for the women in the church in which the older women instruct the younger women in biblical principles of living.
The New Life’s Women’s Discipleship Manual covers the curriculum suggested by Paul in this passage.
Paul also instructs Titus that the men in the church need to be instructed according to the particular trials and temptations which men face during the different phases of life. The men should be instructed according to their physical age and level of spiritual maturity.
This manual is the attempt of the men of New Life Bible Church to implement the discipleship program and curriculum set forth in Titus and elsewhere in Scripture. Our goal is threefold:
This “knowing”, “being” and “doing” encompasses all of life.
Under each heading there will be a development of those particular character qualities which God wants men to exhibit in each distinct sphere of life.
This manual is written with a certain kind of man in mind: The man who truly desires to be a better man, Christian, husband, father, employee or employer, and citizen is the kind of man for whom this manual will prove beneficial.
he man who has no desire to better himself will not find anything in this manual which will comfort or condone his sin before God. This manual is, thus, written for all those who sincerely desire to be godly and upright in all their ways.
TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction Chapter One…………………………………………………………………………… Personal Life Chapter Two………………………………………………………………………….. Family Life Chapter Three…………………………………………………………………………. Church Life Chapter Four………………………………………………………………………….. Occupational Life Chapter Five…………………………………………………………………………… Community Life Chapter Six…………………………………………………………………………….. National Life
Chapter One Personal Life
Have you ever wanted to be the kind of man that is admired and respected as representing what an “ideal man” should be? The “ideal man” set forth by the world is pictured as someone who has acquired a vast amount of personal wealth, lives a life of affluence and has the sexual lifestyle of a “playboy”.
The James Bond 007 lifestyle would be viewed by many as being the “best” possible life for a man. Thus, it is no surprise to find that a man’s manliness is measured by Hollywood in terms of the amount of money he has, the kind of car he drives and the beauty of the woman who is with him for the night.
This is in stark contrast to the way the Bible pictures the ideal man. Instead of focusing on material standards such as personal wealth, the Scriptures focus on character traits which are manifested by the way a man deals with life. For example, how a man treats his family is a better indication of his manliness than the amount of money he provides for his family.
According to the Scriptures, the Ideal Man was Jesus Christ and not James Bond. We are called to conform our personality and character to the way that Jesus dealt with people and things. God is in the process of conforming His people to the character of Christ by the action of His sovereign power over all things (Rom. 8:28).
In various sections of the Bible, men are directly instructed to mold their personality and character to reflect the fear of God and the Lordship of Christ in ALL of life. There is no aspect of a man’s life that is not addressed by Scripture.
The fact of sin should not negate the truth that the goal of every Christian should be TOTAL conformity to the will of God. While we will never be perfect or sinless in this life, yet our goal is to find, follow and finish God’s will for our lives. This over-arching goal is more important than anything else in life.
The task before us is to: 1. IDENTIFY those character traits which God wants men to manifest. 2. DEFINE these traits so we can understand what God expects of us as men. 3. ILLUSTRATE these traits by the lives of others so we have role models to follow. 4. IMPLEMENT these truths into our own lives.
This manual requires the active participation of the reader in all four steps. The time, effort and thought you put into this program will determine to a large degree what you will receive from this program. “Be not deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will receive. For the one who sows to his own flesh shall from the flesh reap corruption. But the one who sows to the Spirit, shall from the Spirit reap eternal life.” (Gal. 6:7, 8). I. The Old Testament A. The “Passage of Full Mention: is the entire book of Proverbs. Read through the book B. We can also learn from the way that God dealt with men in O.T. history. What He For example, what lessons can we learn from Joshua’s life? What did God say to him when Joshua was called to take Moses’ place? Ans. (Josh. 1:6‑9) II. The New Testament A. There are general passages in the N.T. which speak of the character traits that God These traits should be identified, defined, illustrated and implemented. B. The “Passage of Full Mention” is Titus 2:2, 6. Identify, define, illustrate and implement C. There are passages which address different age groups. They need to be identified, 1. Young men: I Tim. 4:12; Tit. 2:6-8; I Pet. 5:5. 2. Adult men: Tit. 2:1-2. D. There are passages, which address men in terms of their level of spiritual maturity. Identify, define, illustrate and implement the traits which are assigned to each group. 1. Spiritual “Babies” still weak and unstable: I Tim. 3:6; I John 2:12-13; Eph. 4:14. 2. Spiritual “Teenagers” beginning to develop strength and stability: I John 2:13-14. 3. Spiritual “Fathers” who are strong and stable in holiness of life and doctrine: I E. Study the lives of such N.T. heroes as the Apostle Paul and discover what good Chapter Two Family Life
As the head of the family, God calls you to do certain tasks and to develop certain character traits. In order to be the kind of husband and father that you ought to be, you must identify, define, illustrate and implement the duties, roles and responsibilities for which you will be held accountable on the Day of Judgment. I. The Old Testament A. “Passage of Full Mention”: Proverbs
Identify and develop those passages which describe a “good” and “wise” father and husband. B. Related passages: sample passages 1. Deut. 6:1-9 2. Joshua 24:15 3. Exo. 20:12 4. I Sam. 3:12-14 5. Psa. 103:13, 14 II. The New Testament A. “Passage of Full Mention”: Eph. 5:25-6:4. B. Related passages: 1. A man’s relationship to his wife: Col. 3:19; I Pet. 3:7-12. 2. A man’s relationship to his children: Col.3:21. Chapter Three Church Life
The church, as well as the home, is to look to male leadership. This is why a woman cannot biblically be an elder over the entire congregation. To pit the headship of the home against the headship of the church would cause untold damage to the peace and unity of the people of God. We need godly men to be the heads of the home and of the church. I. Men need to attend church faithfully and to aspire to leadership in the church: Heb. 10:24-25; 5:12-14; I. Tim. 3:1. II. Certain character traits must be manifested in the life of a man before he can be chosen to be a deacon: Acts 6:3-5; I Tim. 3:8-13. Develop these traits. III. Certain character traits are necessary before a man can be made an elder in the church: I Tim. 3:1-7; Tit. 1:6-11. Develop these traits. Chapter Four Occupational Life
The way we view and do our work and how we treat other people in the work situation is of great concern to God. He wants men to manifest certain character traits while at work. I. “Passage of Full Mention”: Philemon Identify and illustrate the traits of the slave and his master and how they are to treat each II. Employees or workers are addressed: A. Eph. 6:5-8 B. Col. 3:22-25 C. I Tim. 6:1-2 D. Tit. 2:9-10 E. I Pet. 2:18-25 III. Employers or management are addressed: A. Eph. 6:9 B. Col. 4:1 C. I Tim. 6:17-19
Chapter Five Community Life
As men, we live in the larger context of a community. Our city, town, village or neighborhood is our community. God’s Word instructs us how to live in this community. I. The importance of a good reputation cannot be overemphasized: Acts 6:3; I Tim. 3:7; II Cor. 8:20-21; I Pet. 2:12, 15, etc. Define, illustrate and implement “good reputation”. II. It is the doing of good works that brings a good reputation: Eph. 2:8-10; Gal. 6:10; Tit. 3:8, 14. Develop these passages and any related ones on the subject of good works.
We are all citizens of a nation as well as members in a family, church and community. The Bible tells us what our attitude should be toward human government and those who are over us politically. Such issues as taxes, war, laws which violate God’s Law, etc., must be decided by Scripture alone. I. “Passage of Full Mention”: Rom. 12:1-8 II. Related Passages to develop: A. I Tim. 2:1-2 B. Tit. 3:1-2 C. I Pet. 2:13-17 |
