Obligations of the Older

Introduction

Let me go on record saying I have always loved older people. I was very close to my grandparents, especially my Dad’s parents. I would go to their house and my grandmother and I would spend lots of time playing Scrabble. My brother and I would also spend time with my mother’s parents at their trailer close by Pates Ford Marina at Center Hill Lake. Whether it’s grandparents or elderly people you associate with at church, work, etc. there are qualities about them which endear us to them. One time there was a movie released with the title Grumpy Old Men. These are not the type of older people we enjoy being around.

I’ve had the privilege of being around several who are older in the church whom I became close to. Ocena Thurston took me under her wing at Harding University. I learned about senior adult ministry from Jim Putman who said you can’t move old folks like you move cattle; you have to move them slow and deliberate. I used to visit Mattyvee Lewis quite frequently after her husband died and pick up some groceries from Harris Foodland. I ate several cheeseburgers with Tim Anderson at the ByPass Deli as he served as a mentor for me in ministry. There is great value in being around those who are older, especially when we consider that one day we will be in their shoes.

Paul wrote a letter to his young preaching friend, Titus, who he referred to as “my true child in a common faith” (Tit. 1:4). Titus was preaching on the island of Crete, and he was responsible for appointing elders in every city per the instructions of Paul (Tit. 1:5). As he opens up the second chapter, Paul tells him “speak the things which are fitting for sound doctrine” (Tit. 2:1). As he elaborates on this, he gives Titus the responsibilities of older men and older women. Tonight we’ll look at what he relates to Titus in 2:2-4 as we notice the obligations of the older.

Older men are to be:

Temperate

This is also translated as sober or sober-minded. This is definitely pointing to the abstinence of alcohol, but it will be more encompassing than that. This is one of the requirements of an elder (1 Tim. 3:2). Tied with avoiding drunkenness, there will be an aspect of self-control in general. Several years ago while on a senior adult group trip, we stopped off at a Ryan’s to eat supper. While inside there was a family who had moved on to the dessert portion of their meal, and it floored all of us to see the amounts of ice cream mounded up on plates which they were consuming. One word came to mind: self-control. Older men need to show this in their lives.

Dignified

The idea here is being men of dignity or honorable character, but also reverent and holy. Paul uses the same word in Phil. 4:8 when he says “whatever is honorable.” This word is also a requirement for a deacon and his wife (1 Tim. 3:8,11). Webster’s Dictionary defines it not only as nobility of character, but also as “bearing, conduct, or speech indicative of self-respect or appreciation ofthe formality or gravity of an occasion or situation” (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/dignity?s=t).

Sensible

Also translated as prudent, it means of sound mind. Sometimes we talk about people having common sense. Older men are to exhibit this sensibility. It is required of an elder (1 Tim. 3:2). Wisdom comes with old age (Job 12:12). Older men are better equipped to be sensible than those who are younger.

Sound

The word translated as sound means healthy and well (http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/nas/hugiaino.html). Paul tells Titus that the older men are to be healthy or well “in  faith, in love, in perseverance” (2). While the physical health of older men eventually begins to fade, they should be sound in their spiritual health.

Older women are to be:

Reverent in their behavior

The Greek scholar A.T. Robertson says “like people engaged in sacred duties” (http://www.biblestudytools.com/commentaries/robertsons-word-pictures/titus/titus-2-3.html). The same idea is conveyed in 1 Tim. 2:10 where Paul says women are to be clothed with good works “as befits a women making a claim to godliness.” Older women who want to be godly will be reverent in their behavior.

Not malicious gossips

This word is used 37 times in the NT: 3 times it’s translated as malicious gossips; 34 times it’s translated as devil (http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/greek/nas/diabolos.html). The idea conveyed here is someone who slanders or falsely accuses. You’ve heard the song by Marty Robbins Devil Woman; as Paul is pointing this out to Titus he is basically saying a woman who is a malicious gossip is a devil woman; she’s doing the desires of the devil. Many people’s character have been slandered by malicious gossip. Gossip is of course hearsay; it's something that is not true about somebody else. You could be one of three types of people when it comes to gossip: you can start it, you can spread it, or you can stop it!  Men are guilty of this too, but it seems more prevalent with women. Older women should know better than to do this.

Not enslaved to much wine

It is a mistake for an older woman to point to this passage to say she can drink alcohol as long as she does not get drunk. Remember that even if wine in the first century was alcoholic in content, it would not even resemble the strong drinks of our day and age. Remember that older women are supposed to be setting good examples for the younger women, which is where Paul goes next in the text.

Teaching what is good to the young women

Somewhere we’ve gotten away from this. The older women are to be teaching the younger women. What happens in congregational settings many times? The older women either taught for many years and handed the reigns over to those who were younger or they never taught to begin with and they sat in on the auditorium class. Granted James says not everyone should be teachers (Jas. 3:1), but older women have much to offer to young women by teaching them. I would like to see more of our older women teaching the younger ones.

Conclusion

Every congregation of the Lord’s people is made up of older and younger. Where would we be here at North View without those who are older among our number? We wouldn’t be anywhere! I hope tonight that those men and women who are older will recognize the type of people the Lord wants them to be, and if you don’t meet these obligations, take action and fix it now. Those who are older have obligations placed on them from Scripture, and those of us who are younger can benefit from them greatly if we see this example.