Turn Off the Podcast

Titus 2:2-6

Older men are to be sober-minded, dignified, self-controlled, sound in faith, in love, and in steadfastness. Older women likewise are to be reverent in behavior, not slanderers or slaves to much wine. They are to teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled. Likewise, urge the younger men to be self-controlled.

The age of technology has made it far too easy to mistake discipleship for listening to two folks yap about obscure things for an hour and call it a podcast, or watching celebrity pastors offer their “hot takes” in short format videos, or burying their faces in books and audiobooks to sit under the wisdom of dead people (because dead people can’t confront you or correct you). Discipleship has become more of a church program and less of a church ethos. It then begs the question, what would a church that practices discipleship according to the scriptures look like? Enter Titus 2.

After becoming members of Redemption City five years ago, I quickly was humbled by how dwarfed I was in the pursuit of righteousness by the men of RCC. So I sent Justin Opperman a text that looked a little something like this: “Hey, I’ve been watching how you live your life, how you treat your wife, how great your kids are, and I’m wondering if you’d be willing to meet with me once a month to teach me to how to be like you.” His reply was something like “Let’s do it.” So for the next sixteen months, once a month, we met at Benedict’s for an early morning breakfast and Bible study. We didn’t follow a program, we didn’t read through a book on marriage or masculinity, we just ate breakfast, talked about how life was going, and discussed a chapter of Corinthians.

I can’t express to you all how much my sanctification was accelerated by that season. But hopefully you can think of a season in your life that was similar. If not, perhaps that season should start now. Paul’s letter to Titus makes it clear that the responsibility of the church is to train up generations upon generations of faithful men and women from the inside. Sometimes this looks like a monthly breakfast. But sometimes it just looks like taking a walk or going fishing, sharing meals together, lingering after the worship service, or participating in one of the many Bible studies that takes place throughout the week. If you are younger, do not be afraid to approach someone older than you and ask for their wisdom. Chances are, they’ll be honored to learn how much you look up to them. Go to them with questions about what kind of spouse you should be seeking, what to do about a marital dispute, or how to manage your fussy toddler. And when they talk, just shut up and listen. If you are older, do not withhold your wisdom from them. Seek out the young, the new members, the recently converted, and take them under your wing. Share your life story with them. Tell them the story of how you fell in love with your spouse, and share the sweetness of long and joyful marriages with them. Show them that although the body may wither, a faithful soul remains steadfast to the end.

The church has largely outsourced discipleship to YouTube theologians, podcast bros, and reading the Puritans. All have their place. But nothing comes close to the sanctification offered to us like drinking directly from the fountain of our local body. Take out your earbuds, put down the book, shut down the screen, connect with someone outside of your age bracket this week, and be sanctified as you participate in the great exchange of faithfulness from one generation to the next.

Brian, and the elders