Old Guy Strength

Old Guy Strength
Words of Faith 9-5-2023
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2023
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><

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

Titus was a young guy. Paul was an old guy. While we don't know exactly the age of Paul when he was writing this, we know it was near the end of his ministry. He definitely fit more into this group than any other. Paul probably knew that this would be Titus' most difficult assignment.
Paul knew a lot about these guys. He also knew that Christian life is not just about doctrine. It is about people, all different sorts of people, living in accord with sound doctrine. Christian living is about how we conduct ourselves within the frame of sound doctrine. So Paul addressed several different groups starting with the older men.
As men get older they usually have more experience and wisdom. Old guys have gained much and have a lot to offer. These days there is a sort of pride attached to being an "Old Guy." The fact that men would buy a T-shirt that says "Old Guys Rule" says a lot. Modern culture even talks about something called "old guy strength." Apparently, there is documentation of a type of physical strength that is observed in those who are over forty. It is a strength gained over time by a combination of experience, an understanding of leverage, the coordination of muscle groups, and increased mass.
There has always been Old-Guy strength, but Paul knew that there are some Old Guy weaknesses, too. As men get older they can also become more irritable, impatient, and opinionated. Paul raised some of these issues related to the Old Guys of the church. As men get older they also can begin to be arrogant. Because of their experience and wisdom, they may become a "know-it-all." This is annoying. Old Guys can often be heard bemoaning the failings of a younger generation or spouting harsh criticisms. After all, are not older men to be respected? These patterns and rituals of complaint are "Old Guy" weaknesses.
So what does Paul commend for teaching the "Old Guy Class" at church?
First, is to teach them to be temperate. The word literally means sober or not "given to much wine." This is important. And this can be a tough teaching if there is an age difference. I recall the time as a young pastor when I met privately with an older church leader to confront him with the fact that he had arrived at several meetings with bloodshot eyes and smelling of alcohol. Our relationship was never quite the same even after a gentle rebuke.
But the word here also means circumspect--watchful and discreet; cautious; prudent. The wisest older men I have known were often pretty quiet. They did not have to talk all the time but when they did, they could diffuse the strident arguments of younger men. Because of their years, they could put things in perspective. They were careful with their words often realizing that one must carefully wait to express a difficult truth.
Paul called on Titus to teach these older men to be "worthy of respect." One of the biggest complaints of every "older generation" seems to be that they are not properly respected by the younger generation. Paul's answer to this was to live a life worthy of respect. Respect should be offered to older generations but cannot be demanded. While younger generations should be taught to respect their elders, the elder must also behave in a manner that is worthy of respect.
Old Guys should be "self-controlled." The root of the word here actually means "safe." An Old Guy in the church should be the safest person for a young guy to go to with a problem. There should be no worries that a short temper is going to short-circuit the processes of family or church. Old Guys also need to watch out for the same issues that young guys struggle with. Self-control is vital.
The Old guy class at church will not be made up of perfect men. But it should be made up of men who love the Word of God and are seeking to grow in their love of Christ. They should be sound in faith, sound in love, and sound in endurance. The motto of the Old Guys class should be "finish well." Christian life is not about what you did in the past or the dramatic splash you made at the beginning. It is about enduring and finishing well.

Lord, help me to be a good "Old Guy" when I get there-- a man of sound doctrine, temperate, worthy of respect, self-controlled, and sound in faith, in love and in endurance. Strengthen the Old Guys of Your church so that they may be all these things through Your grace. Give the Old Guys strength in You. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2023
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
SUBSCRIPTIONS - To receive the Words of Faith devotion five days a week, send an e-mail message addressed to join-words-of-faith@hub.xc.org. To stop receiving Words of Faith, send an e-mail message addressed to unsubscribe-words-of-faith@hub.xc.org. The daily devotion and archive are posted at https://www.faithfellowshipweb.com/blog
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2023 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.