Anyone know what a position player is? In sports it’s simply a player that plays a specific position to fulfill specific needs on a team. Every position is at least slightly different than every other position. In baseball you have eight positions players. The catcher is the general of the field; they can see all and they call plays. First baseman has a small range of area to field, as their primary role is to field infield balls from other positions at their base. The second baseman’s play the area ranges from behind second base over to the out of bounds fence and from inner outfield to the inner infield. The Shortstop plays opposite of the second baseman covering his mirrored side. Third baseman is much like the first baseman, but usually with a stronger arm and willing to take a hard hit. Left and right field mirror each other in area to cover, while centerfield’s job is to cover half of left and right field as well. Each of these players are then to also bat in a specific position in the lineup as the manager sees fit for their ability. The pitcher, though sometimes he hits, is not necessarily considered a position player and their DH, or designated hitter, is also not considered a position player. This is similar in hockey where the goalie is not considered a position player.
Each of these positions carry with it specific needs to fulfill so that the whole team benefits.
And its this idea of fulling our positions to benefit the whole, that brings us back to our summer series as we walk through Paul’s letter to Titus, where we’ll be picking it back up in chapter 2 verse 1. And as we open up to Titus 2:1, let’s look back on the last two weeks.
In our first week, we talked about the purpose of Paul’s writing and how Paul is calling Titus to his role and purpose of raising up elders so that God’s grace and peace can be experienced by the local church. This is something all believers must learn. We all must learn our God given role and purpose in his Church. When we do, we give room for God’s grace and peace to happen, because we’re experiencing for ourselves that grace and peace.
Following that, last week we started to get into the nitty gritty of Titus’ call to raise up elders. We were given a list of qualifications of what an elder should be. In those qualifications there was the family side, the personal character side, and the protecting the flock side. In the family side, an elder was to lead his family in godliness. In the personal side, he needed a consistent godly character that was moving closer to Christ. Finally, in the protecting the flock side, an elder was to make sure that the believers God had given them to oversee, were being protected from people who would distort the core of the Gospel. When looking at all of these qualifications, though some people were called to the role of elder, each and every believer is to strive to meet these qualifications. That’s because an elder is supposed to be a maturing Christian, and that is God’s goal for all of us. That is made even clearer in the next chapter of Titus.
So let’s read together Titus chapter 2 verses 1-15.
1 But as for you, teach what accords with sound doctrine. 2 Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. 3 Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, 4 and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, 5 to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. 6 Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled. 7 Show yourself in all respects to be a model of good works, and in your teaching show integrity, dignity, 8 and sound speech that cannot be condemned, so that an opponent may be put to shame, having nothing evil to say about us. 9 Bondservants are to be submissive to their own masters in everything; they are to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, 10 not pilfering, but showing all good faith, so that in everything they may adorn the doctrine of God our Savior.
11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, 12 training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, 13 waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, 14 who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.
15 Declare these things; exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no one disregard you.
Paul writes to Titus about five groups of people: Older men, Older women, younger men, younger women and bondservants. Notice that though Paul’s intention is for Titus to raise up elders, good elders are not all a church needs. Each and every believer has their own role and purpose. It’s almost as if everyone should be striving for the qualities of godliness.
v. 1-10
Each one of these has their own focus and some overlap. Older men are to be sober-minded, meaning they should be in their right mind, meaning they shouldn’t be drunk. Why, because they should be dignified, and self-controlled. You can’t be either if you’re not sober. But older men should also be sound in their faith, meaning they should be rock solid in what they believer about God. But older men should also love people, meaning they are graceful with others. They also should be steadfast, meaning they are to endure the hard things of life.
Older women are to be similar. Reverent behavior is the same as being dignified and self-controlled. Not being a slave to wine is the same as being sober-minded, and if you are reverent in behavior, then you won’t be a slander. Instead, older women are to be teachers of what’s good, this is means by word an action they are showing what goodness or what nobleness and being honorable looks like. In addition, they are to train young women, which means they are to help young women realize their own need for self-control. In this case, how to love their husbands, how to deal with children, out to live a pure and self-controlled life, how to keep the home in order, how to be kind, and how to be submissive, which means to follow their husband in a godly way.
Young men are to be self-controlled, but here Paul tells Titus to be a model of what that means. Titus is to model good works, he is to teach integrity, dignity, and healthy speech.
Finally, Paul addresses bondservants who are also supposed to be self-controlled, they are to please their masters, and not argue or steal from them, but instead be good or pleasant in how they respond to their master.
All of these attributes that Paul is talking about, are attributes that all believers are called to. Paul had written to the Galatians, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control … (Galatians 5:22-23)” The things that Paul is telling Titus to communicate to others are the very things that God is calling all of us to do. How these fruit of the Spirit are carried out will depend on who we are, old or young, and what are roles we may have, leaders of households, house-keepers, bondservants. But no matter where we find ourselves, we should be striving for the work of God in us and through us, that we might produce the fruit that God has saved us to show.
v.11-15
And we can and should do this, because God gives us the grace to do so. It’s through Jesus’ work on the cross that we are called out of our uncontrolled lives. It’s because of Jesus’ sacrifice that we are called out of hatred, out of misery, out of turmoil, out of agitation, out of rudeness, out of evil, out of disobedience, and out of harshness. We are called to a greater work, a godly work that is achieved through Jesus and is empowered by the Holy Spirit. God is purifying us, and setting us aside from the world, to show us greater peace and grace, because he desires goodness to flow out of us.
So we must strive to submit to the Holy Spirit’s work, and take seriously the call to bear the fruit of the Spirit.
It does’t matter what position we are called to, God is calling each and everyone of us to display the goodness that flows from the person of God to the people of God. Though there are different positions for baseball players, they should all know how to throw the and catch the ball. They are to know the game and the situations they find themselves. If there’s a runner on first base, the infielders are thinking a double play, but the outfielders are thinking “catch the ball, and get it in because the runner might tag up.” Though they play different roles, they are striving to utilize their common skills in their role, for the betterment of the team. We are called to strive for the fruit of the Spirit and to fulfill our role and position in a God honoring way.
So my challenge for you this week, is to look at the group you most closely identify with and see what area God wants to work on you in. If you’re an older guy, are you sober-minded, are you dignified, are you self-controlled, are you sound in faith, are you loving, and enduring? Older women can it be said of you that you are reverent in your behavior, are you teaching goodness, have you ever tried to help a young woman in their life? Young women, if you have a husband or kids are you loving them? Are you self-controlled, working in purity and kindness? Young men, are you doing good works, are you showing integrity, and dignity and being self-controlled? We don’t have bondservants in our society, but if you have a job, are you self-controlled at work, are you seeking to please your boss, not arguing with them or stealing from them, are you known to be a pleasant person at your job?
God is calling all of us to not merely say we follow Jesus, but to produce the fruit of that following. We’re all going to stumble and falter, but that should drive us to a greater reliance on God and seeking his forgiveness and his empowerment. God desires that we would be a people who experience his grace and peace, so lets put ourselves into position to receive it. That God would be given the glory through our lives. Amen.
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