1 Timothy 5:1-16 "How To Treat One Another"

[Music] chapter five first Timothy we're going to be looking at verses 1 through 16 today and I've divided this study into two sections really we'll look at verses 1 & 2 together and then we're going to move into verse 3 and conclude up to verse 16 and so that's what we'll be looking at today first some of the chapter 1 verses rather chapter 5 verses 1 through 16 so let's begin reading together in 1st Timothy chapter 5 at first one will read verses one in and two and we'll get into our study first Timothy chapter 5 verses 1 & 2 do not rebuke an older man but exhort him as a father younger men has brothers older women as mothers younger women as sisters with all purity and so what we're going to be looking at today is how to treat one another and we're going to be seeing that here in chapter 5 a first Timothy now Paul has been addressing the fruit if you will the outcome of bad teaching as we've been going through first Timothy you've noted that there have been false teachers who have infiltrated the church and part of the fruit of the false teaching is there are now disputes or arguments that are taking place in chapter 1 Paul had said in verses 3 and 4 as I urged you when I went into Macedonia remain in Ephesus that you may charge some that they teach no other doctrine nor give heed to fables and endless genealogies which cause disputes rather than godly edification which is in faith so bad teaching has a tendency of dividing the church and genuine Bible teaching is intended to promote love and service to God as well as to other people that's why he had said in 1st Timothy 1 verse 5 the purpose of the commandment love from a pure heart from a good conscience and from sincere faith so instead of unity and instead of love there's no tension between members of the church when you read your Bible you'll discover that the church is described in various ways there are various metaphors used to reveal the church and one of the ways that the church is spoken of is it's spoken of as a body it's a body that's made up of many members in Romans 12 verses 4 and 5 it says just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function so it is with them with with Christ's body we are all parts of his one body and each of us has different work to do and since we are all one body in Christ we belong to each other and each of us needs all the others and so the church is described in Scripture as a body were called one body but within this one body there are various groups that are represented so Paul is addressing some of these groups and he's teaching us how to treat one another he's speaking to Timothy a young pastor and he's saying this is how you're to deal with the various segments of that body so it's going to speak to you to him concerning the treatment of the older men and the older women as well as the younger man and the younger women and then he's going to move in in verse 3 to start speaking specifically of how you treat widows and so that's what we're going to be looking at to get together today and for sympathy chapter 5 we're going to look at how to teach one another as it's broken down here in these few verses before us you see over time as a minister as a pastor Timothy is going to have to correct the faults of members so the question has to be how is he going to do that how do you handle people problems in church because you know that's what the church is isn't it it is made up of people and and people sometimes will bring in their problems or create problems and so the question has to be asked how are you going to deal with people problems in church and I've said this before but it bears repetition at this point I knew somebody who who said I love ministry it's the people I can't stand well the problem is is that's what ministry is isn't it it's ministering to people and so you'll always have problems in church so he's going to share concerning how you deal with these problems and he begins by speaking concerning the proper treatment of the church's older members so in essence he's simply instructing Timothy to show proper respect and he begins by saying Timothy show proper respect for the elderly when our church first began I was thirty years old we didn't have what you would call elderly people in church I think our average age when we began was in the 20s I was actually looked at as being the old person in the church because I was thirty soon to turn 31 don't my mom and my dad and a couple of others in our church were with us my mom and dad were in their 50s and so over the course of the first year or so we wanted to minister to the variety of age groups and all and so we began what we considered to be ministry to the old people and we called it the over 40's so think about that one for just a moment the over 40's because they and in reality were the older members of the church our church's average being in the 20s and all and me I was thirty thirty-one years old and all and again my parents were in their mid 50s when the church began and so right from the beginning we've had to determine how are we going to minister to those who are regarded as the elderly and all and so Paul is going to speak concerning that because as the church continues to grow it actually is going to add more who are of age and all and so he's saying listen to methey you're a young man and as a young man you need to know how to handle the problems that you're going to deal with concerning especially those who are older how do you deal with problems with people who are 20 30 years older than yourself and all and so he's going to speak concerning that right here as we begin by looking at how to treat the older members now in the Old Testament you have the Book of Leviticus the Book of the Leviticus commands various are rather gives various commands that Moses gave to the nation of Israel and in Leviticus chapter 19 Moses gave commands relating to holiness you see in the Old Testament book again of Leviticus 19 verse 2 that reads you shall be holy for I the Lord your God am holy so when you read right from the beginning in Leviticus 19 God tells you be holy for I am holy and this is a command that is repeated in the writings of the Apostle Peter be holy for I am holy so when you look in the big Leviticus in chapter 19 it begins to speak concerning a variety of things that pertain to what is called the fear of God and the chapter speaks of those things that reveal that a person has that the fear of God and so when you read Leviticus 19 it records commands such as honor your parents keep the Sabbath reject idols it speaks concerning the offering of sacrifices of providing for the poor of the land it gives commands related to not stealing not lying not making false oaths and there are various other regulations that you find in Leviticus chapter 19 but interestingly enough included in the commands is how to treat the elderly you see when the elderly I disrespected it's an obvious sign of a society's deterioration how we treat the most vulnerable amongst us reveals what kind of people we as the society are if you look at your society you can tell the kind of moral strength of it by the way it treats its most vulnerable members and so as a society we will be judged and how we treat those that are vulnerable so you look and you see how the society treats the the the unborn how the society treats the infant and you're going to see the value of that society you will also see that on the other end of the spectrum a society will be judged and how it treats the elderly because those are your bookmarks how do we as a society treat the unborn and unfortunately in many cases we don't treat them well do we because we still have around or close to 1 million abortions a year and so our society doesn't seem to value the unborn but then again if you don't value the unborn and you don't value the child then how are you going to treat the older because then infant and a very old person are very dependent and very vulnerable so how you treat the most vulnerable amongst us reveals what kind of people the society is how we treat our babies and how we treat the aged it reveals what we are as a people so with that said god included in his commands how elderly are to be treated and so in Leviticus 19 32 he said this he said you shall rise before the grey-headed and honor the presence of an old man and fear your God I am the Lord you were to rise now that doesn't mean we levitate you know we just kind float around he's saying you stand in respect rise before speaks of showing an outward evidence of respect so when you read concerning the commands as it pertains to the elderly in the society if there were people who were seated just outside will say or in a mall for that matter they were outside and those who were regarded as elderly in the society where to pass by do you know that the people the younger people were commanded by God to stand up picture yourself will say at one of the malls and you're seated there on one of the benches and you're drinking your your your your your coffee and all in their society if you were seated there drinking your coffee and an older person somebody over 60 were to walk by you were supposed to automatically stand up and show him respect if you were in your home or in the home of somebody and you're seated there on one of the couches and you're visiting and and an older person were to walk into the room you were commanded to stand up and show deference to them and you would just stand there new politely greet them you'd welcome him into the room and the older person had the responsibility of saying please be seated that was showing respect that's something of course that is lost today you know I go to New York to minister quite often and when I'm in New York I'll get on a subway and get on a subway or you get on a bus and an older person walks on do you think everybody stands up and shows respect no they make sure that their seats are you know they may even stretch their legs out a little bit go to an airport and there are people who put their bags on on the seats next to them so nobody sits next to them in the waiting room there's no respect are very little and that is something that shows the deterioration of a society that when somebody walks in we don't even show them the courtesy of standing and showing him the respect and yet you found out in you find that in the scripture the Bible spoke concerning this because it showed the society the value of those who were elderly and the bottom line is is by the way is that wasn't simple courtesy it wasn't just general respect it's actually done out of the fear of the Lord again Leviticus 1932 you shall rise before the gray-headed honor the presence of an older man fear your God I am the Lord so next time I walk in the elderly are respected why well one the Bible actually refers to God in the book of Daniel chapter 7 as the Ancient of Days it's regarding the God and the holiness and the reverence that you give to the one who has no beginning nor no end and so you show respect to those who are also elderly because in a way is respecting the God that you worship you respect them for the knowledge and experience that they have gained over a lifetime in proverbs 16 31 grey hair is a crown of splendor it is attained in the way of righteousness now some who are older and have lived without the Lord I don't look to them for wisdom but though I may not respect them for the life that they have chosen to live I do respect them as a person and I do show respect for their age again that was just simple common courtesy for many of us in this room as you grew up I was taught to do that I was taught as a child that whenever people entered into the room who were my parents age or above that I was two standing show and respect and to this day to this day I still stand in the presence of a lady I still do you know and I have women from my church will walk in the very first thing I was trained to do and I think it's a proper thing to do is I will stand up for them and they get kind of weird I mean younger women today don't understand that the older women do but the younger women don't really understand now what are you doing you know I know no you know you have to stand up you know no I don't have to I choose to because I'm giving you the respect that you deserve that you that you should have that's how it works that's where we're supposed to do even as a society I have to be honest with you if our society were to return to some simple things like that we'd have a much more courteous Society I'm sure well that's the way it was raised that we were raised that's the way we do it so in the confines of the church there are times when correction is necessary because that will occur in relationship so the question here and that's what we're looking at is how are we to treat people when correction is needed and let's see what Paul has to say first notice first one how he begins he says do not rebuke an older man but exhort him as a father so he begins to speak concerning the older man and notice how he says he says do not rebuke an older man the word rebuke that word means to strike it means to actually beat upon it speaks of chastising with words it talks about scolding somebody dressing them down it's a way of speaking with disrespect and he's saying don't be disrespecting don't be scolding an older man you're not to treat them harshly in other words you're to exhort you're to encourage them you see as a young man it's easy for Timothy to be disrespectful even a bully so he's not to berate he's not to scold an older man why because it will harm him it will hurt that man so instead of scolding him he's to entreat him he's to encourage him the word exhort means to call aside it reveals respect you don't dress them down in front of people and when you speak to them and you have to bring a word of Correction to them you treat them with gentleness you treat them with kindness you treat them with the respect that you would show your own dad you see gentle encouragement is to be preferred because it reinforces the older man's dignity if an elderly man is to be corrected he said treat him with kindness treat him with love proverbs 15:1 says the soft answer turns away wrath but Grievous words stir up anger you see as we've been going through first Timothy in Chapter three Timothy had given that had been given instructions concerning the qualities of a pastor and Paul had said in 1st Timothy 3 verse 3 that they were not violent they were to be gentle and not quarrelsome so he's to be kind and gentle in in the way of speaking and correcting especially as he speaks to an older man you speak to them with respect now I as the son to my father I did not show disrespect to him I was taught not to I was taught to speak with courtesy to him and I as a matter of fact I don't know what you were raised like you know I had a bad up I had a bit not bad upbringing and I had a bad life I was rebellious against my parents instruction it wasn't their instruction that was bad it was me it was my heart that was bad and so I I was rebellious that's true but I was respectful for my father in my home we didn't even use the word yeah I couldn't say yeah to my father if I said yeah just yeah my dad would get upset at me my mom taught me you do not disrespect your father and that simple word that people even include in worship songs today there are songs there's singing to gotten to go yeah to me it's still great my nurse be honest with you because I didn't say yeah to my father I I did it one time I didn't say yeah to my father because my father with my I said yeah my dad said something I said yeah and my dad said what did you say and that was my dad and I'd say I'm sorry sir because I was taught to call my dad sir and show him respect and so how do you treat your father well you're supposed to treat them with respect and you're supposed to speak to them with encouragement especially I as a pastor am NOT to dress-down older men now that doesn't give them freedom by the way to continue in sin sit because they're old but Timothy Timothy is supposed to bring correction but he does so with gentleness he speaks to him with respect you see Timothy's sobriety and character is going to increase the possibility of this older man being corrected because if Timothy is living out what he's giving out well the scripture as well as his character working together will produce a chance for the older man to listen to the correction being brought by the younger man so he begins in verse 1 by saying do not rebuke an older man but exhort him as a father then secondly he speaks of how you deal with the younger man he said treat the younger man as brothers how do you correct a younger man treat him like a brother encourage him don't lord it over him don't treat him as a spiritual inferior don't bully him don't make demands on him to obey remember your own weakness don't cause him to stumble in his faith by acting like you don't love him treat him with respect and treat him like you would your own brother he speaks of older women he said the old women are treated as mothers the younger as sisters with all purity how do you treat an older woman you wanna you don't ignore their sin but you do love them and you do respect them but you take into consideration the tenderness of their hearts somebody said no son who had proper feelings would rebuke his own mother with severity this is more difficult when it is correcting a woman than it is with men by the way because when you bring correction to it woman it requires tenderness humility but it also requires a certain firmness and it can be difficult it can be difficult again I was 30 years old when this church began and there were times that I had to bring correction and I actually had to bring correction to my own mom and that can be tough that can be tough I can still remember my mom my mom was very opinionated some of you might have known her she had a mind of her own and and she she could be kind of tough and I still remember having to bring correction to my mom you know going to her house and sitting across the table from her and she she was in need of correction and I'm seated across from my mom and having a conversation and she's getting a little red-faced a little pretty upset and then asking me who do you think you are that was my mom and I still remember when mama said that who do you think you are I said I Know Who I am I'm the pastor and I know who you are you need to listen and I have to be honest with you it's not easy correcting your mom but I've taught pastors that pastors conferences and I've said listen if you can correct your mom you can correct anyone that's a fact there's no doubt about that if you can correct your mama you can correct anyone that's the truth how do you do it you treat them as with love and sincerity with gentleness and kindness but you're also firm this is what scripture says and I've discovered something listen carefully if you love the Lord and you love his word you can receive correction but when you're in rebellion and you're gonna have your own way nobody can come nobody can contradict you nobody can correct you why because you're in the flesh and you're gonna do what the flesh says but when your heart is right with the Lord and you want to do the things that you sing about in church where you actually want to serve Him where you actually want to worship Him you actually want your life transformed when the Word of God is rightly divided and presented with humility and you can exercise faith in obedience God will transform your life how do you correct an older woman gently the way you do a mama how do you correct a younger woman now I want you to notice how he puts this this is interesting how he how he says this also he says you correct the younger women as sisters with all purity now that's interesting with all purity you see when you correct a sister and this is from a male perspective you you treat her as a sister and you do so with the purity what does that mean well that means that you use the proper language that means that you show respect for her as a woman that means that you're aware of her vulnerability it means that you don't bully her it means that you don't intimidate her it means that you don't demean her and it's something that a pastor needs to be aware of because this is something that you may not be really it may never struck you but correction sometimes can be a doorway into seduction it can also be a doorway into sexual desire because as you're bringing a word of Correction to the younger woman she may begin to confess things to you that can cause you to stumble or be fantasizing he says you need to be aware of the neck fact that there are times when a woman is going through things that a man can be stumbled buying so regard her in the proper way look at her as your sister treat her with purity don't get caught up with the things that she's saying because that can lead you in a path you don't want to go be very careful whenever I have as a young man to this day I had time with somebody that I need to help to correct or listen to and direct I'm a real aware of that this is my sister in second Timothy chapter 2 verse 22 Paul says flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness faith love and peace along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart so again these are directives to a pastor how do you deal with an older man how do you deal with a younger man how do you deal with an older woman how do you deal with a younger woman and then he gives those directives Timothy these are the things that you do because in a church there's going to be problems and the problems need to be solved you can't be just a allowing them to fester it'll create division the bad teaching that's entering into the Church of emphasis is already producing discord deal with it and this is how you do it and now he moves into another practical area and find that in verse three following he starts Caen speaking concerning how to deal with the widows in the church beginning at verse three honor widows who are really widows but if any widow has children or grandchildren let them first learn to show piety at home and to repay their parents for this is good and acceptable before God now she who is really a widow and left alone trusts in God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day but she who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives and these things command that they may be blameless but if anyone does not provide for his own and especially for those of his household he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever so verses three through eight deal with what you call widows in distress notice how he begins in verse three how Paul says honor widows who are really widows that word honour give proper recognition to or proper value if they're in financial need he's saying they are worthy of financial help so look after the widows who are really genuinely in need of help when you look in the old as well as your New Testament you're going to see that God emphasizes the care for widows in both old and New Testaments in Exodus 22 verses 22 and 23 he says do not take advantage of a widow or an orphan if you do and they cry out to me I will certainly hear their cry in the New Testament book of James 1 verse 27 it says religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world and so in the old as well as the new widows were had special commands that were given to the people as it pertained to and their well-being what's interesting when you read your Bible the first real problem the church has to deal with is found in the book of Acts chapter 6 and in Acts chapter 6 the first problem that the church had to deal with was related to the widows in chapter 6 verse 1 it says in those days when the number of disciples was increasing the Grecian Jews among them complained about the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food so widows were to be cared for but how is this to take place here's her question is it the church's responsibility to care for all widows without reservation well obviously this was a problem severe enough for Paul to take time to address what do you do to care for widows well notice verse 4 if any widow has children or grandchildren let them first learn to show piety at home and to repay their parents for this is good and acceptable before God first he says determine if they have believing children or grandchildren not just children children or grandchildren children are to care for their parents the church should not be unnecessarily burdened to do so it is the religious duty to care for the ones who brought them up and so that's why he says let them first learn to show piety at home and notice with me how it says this and to repay their parents to repay their parents faith is revealed at home it's not charity but justice that compels the care of parents and their to repay as he says they are obligated to help them in their time of need that's a foreign thought again to a lot of people who or thinking you know now that I'm out of the house I have no responsibilities or obligations to these people any longer I'm on my own why should I worry about them they have social security and if they didn't put any money aside that's their fault not mine why should I owe them well Paul says there to repay their parents and somebody said they are to repay their parents for all the sorrow pain trouble care and expenses they have been in bearing and bringing them forth into the world in taking care of them in their infancy in bringing them up in giving them an education in providing food and clothing for them and in settling them in the world to neglect neglect them in old age when incapable of providing for themselves would be complete ingratitude we never really thought about the trouble we were to our parents we thought we were always the joy their heart and yet that's not true from the time that that we were born you know and all the trouble that we caused you know the crying over this and being upset over that and the demands that were made for all their lives and we thought that there was just their pleasure to buy us that bike or give us that party or to get clothing for us put the shoes on our feet they should do that they're our parents well the Bible doesn't teach that that's interesting isn't it it says repay your parents why because you were trouble to them you know just the other day just the other was a yesterday just the other day my son David has a son named David we call him baby David so we got my son little David and my grandson we call him baby David baby David and so baby David is a busy baby David that baby is a busy baby David he's busy wheezes he gets to be tired I'm sitting you're watching him and I want to take a nap I mean he is one busy baby and he really is he's into everything and and and he's three years old now and so my David recently if it wasn't yesterday it's he's done more than once he has said to me that I just want to say something what what do you want to say son I want to say I'm sorry I'm sorry well you know I normally say something similar to this I'll usually say well you know what God answers prayers and I had prayed that he'd give you a son just like you were to me and he does answer prayers my son you know but he's seen this now you know the kids do see it in their own children they don't realize that all the all the attention they brought all the pain that they caused all the things they demanded they didn't realize that because they thought it was their divine right to do that and and and listen carefully your parents you know I don't know what kind of parents that we had and certainly not saying everyone was perfect and all who was raised by perfect parents besides my kids none of them know now who was raised with perfect parents I mean we all sinned inward thought or deed and there's not a perfect person we do our best and we found our parents I should be given the same kind of charity that we give ourselves don't you think and and so bottom line is is we do give back to them for they did do good unto us at least the best that they could under normal circumstances is that the world's responsibility to take care of my mom is that the world's responsibility to take care of what belongs to somebody else no no it's not at all the I have that obligation and that's what he's saying if any widow has children or grandchildren let them first learn to show piety at home and to repay their parents why well this is good and acceptable before God you remember that God gave us a command honor thy father and thy mother and that command is actually being fulfilled in our care for our parents Jesus gave the example of that perhaps you remember how that when Jesus was on the cross his mother was there as well as his his cousin John and Jesus looking at Mary said woman behold your son and then he looked at John and he said Behold your mother well what was he doing when Jesus was on the cross he was providing for his mother because Jesus's brothers were not believers his sisters were not believers at that time and he was not going to entrust the care of his mother into the hands of one who didn't have a relationship with God so he looked at his cousin John and he said Behold your mother take care of her what was Jesus doing honor thy father and thy mother he was honoring his mother by providing for her because he would no longer be physically with her Jesus himself models this for us and so this is the fulfillment of the command to honor your father and your mother and he goes on in verse five and he says now she who is really a widow and left alone trust in God and continues in supplications in prayers night and day so a believing Widow with no children had no place else to go but to god she's completely alone she puts her trust in God because she has no earthly help she understands what Jesus meant when he said give us this day our daily bread so she seeks God for her needs night and day and her faith is growing because God is revealing himself through these things but though she is somebody that that falls in line to be cared for there are others who do not qualify notice verse 6 she who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives and these things command that they may be blameless oh so it says she who lives in pleasure but it says she who lives in pleasure that word pleasure speaks of being pleasure oriented it speaks of self-indulgence living in luxury she may attend church services but she's not living for the Lord that's what's being spoken of here and he's saying this woman receives no support because she's not interested she may be physically alive but she in reality is spiritually dead we'll see that in just a moment he'll develop that and he says again in verse seven command these things this will safeguard the woman's reputation as well as the witness of the church and verse eight if anyone doesn't provide for his own and especially for those of his household he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever when it says does not provide for his own the word own speaks of his circle of responsibility in providing for your circle of responsibility faith is actually revealed the world sees that the church cares for those who are its members and that's what we're called to do so he says if a person is a genuine believer they will care for his relative in need and providing materially for family it's always going to be the mark of a believer providing food housing clothing is something that is natural for us to do believers are to provide spiritually for their families it's not enough for us to simply give our children food by the way that's a great thing to do and of course we should but we don't give our children or a family just food the reason that this church came into being and I'll say it quickly I've said this so many times in different ways the reason that this church came into existence this church physically part of it was simply caring for one of my relatives when I resigned my ministry from the church that I had been an assistant pastor in church that I was ordained in I was ordained into pastoral ministry in 1979 and in 1981 this church came into existence in 1981 I resigned my position as the sistine pastor the senior pastor at that time had said to me you're not a pastor what you are is a counselor and I knew that I wasn't called to counsel in that church I was not called to be an elder in the church alone I was called the pastor and so I resigned my position I had a meeting there were people that were attending a Bible study with me and they asked me where are you going to be on Sunday and I said my sister-in-law Patti has asked me to teach her a study on Sunday I said so I'm gonna be at her house teaching her on Sunday morning a Bible study this church began not because I had a burden for all kinds of people this church began because my sister-in-law needed a home study my sister-in-law wanted a Bible study my sister-in-law didn't have a church that she was going to attend so she wanted to know where was I going to be I had brought her to faith in Christ through my ministry she was the first person who ever answered an invitation that I gave and as she came forward to give her heart to the Lord she didn't even come forward in a public service I was in the back after the service when Patti came walking back there with her roommate Felicia and Patti walks up to me she said nobody answered your invitation and I said that's right she says well I feel sorry for you I better get saved and that's how and that's how she got saved she says I feel sorry for you I better get saved and so that's how she got saved and so I had a brother's love for this sister my sister and that's how this church began you always give to your family you always minister to them they're a priority that's how my Bible studies began in the first place by teaching my mom and teaching my dad by sharing with family my brother gets saved he needs a Bible study I'm driving from Norwalk coming to Ontario that's how I discovered this area is by coming here I mean let's face it you know for me I came from LA County San Bernardino County wound and I would never and and I and she know I mean she knows the home of the fly why would I come to Chino there's nothing to do here other than leave you know and so that was kind of I saw it right I mean I'm a lay and so for the end you know and so God brought me here through the needs of people and it's always been family it's always been a sister or a brother or my mama more debt my dad that's what you do you provide for your household you give studies to your mom you you share with your pop you you you minister to your brother you share with your sisters you you you give them the Word of God and that's all he's saying and it's very basic if you don't provide for your own especially for those of your household you're denying the faith you're worse than an unbeliever we care more about the unsaved unbelievers unsaved people who aren't related to us is what he's saying you need to take care of your family pray for them even if you've shared from them they reject just keep them in prayer and say God in Jesus name touch my brother touch my sister Lord save my mom speak to my dad speak your grandma do you pray for them God has a way of answering those prayers to see and that's what it's all about you you care for them in Galatians 6 verse 10 as we have therefore opportunity let us do good unto all men especially unto those who are of the household of faith he goes on in verse 9 now and he begins to give some regulations in verses 9 and 10 he says do not let a widow under sixty years of age or sixty years old be taken in to the number and not unless she's been the wife of one man while we well reported for good works and if she's brought up children she's lodged strangers if she's washed the Saints feet if she has relieved the afflicted if she's diligently followed every good work and so he begins to speak concerning break bringing a widow into the number when it says don't allow to be taken into the number the the term the number is actually speaking of a list don't put him on the list is what he's saying only certain widows are to be cared for so what qualifies her well he says she's the wife of one man which speaks of her being a faithful woman in verse 10 she's well reported for good works she's known for her good or her kind deeds to those who are in need she's brought up children which speaks to she loves children including orphans she's lodged strangers she's hospitable she has a welcoming a loving heart she's washed the Saints feet she's a servant she's known for devoted love she has relieved the afflicted she's merciful and compassionate and she has diligently followed every good work she's not just trying to get immediate help and does she gets busy for a while she is constantly busy and she's shown her Christian character so I'm saying these are the things just because somebody says Oh help me you're obligated to do that he's saying that's not true at all listen in this church over the years we've been going for a while now there are numbers of people who have over the years said you need to help me and why do we need to help you me I asked because I have a need and that means what that means you got a big building you must be rich and I'm not so you owe me and there's this attitude we've had we've dealt with that many many times many times you can't imagine especially during the holidays we have people who pulled up with with campers with they'll say I need gas money I need food I need clothing and and they come to us as we're supposed to be taking care of them in all and so he says no you don't do that he said they need to have a good report they need to be part of that church they need to be known for their service they need to be known for people who have who were faithful wives who love their children who are hospitable to people servants these are the ones that you help not just people who wander in and say you need to help me because I have a need he even goes so far in verse 11 noticing says to refuse the younger widows for when they have begun to grow wanton against Christ they desire to marry having condemnation because they have kind of stopped their first faith he says refuse him why because they'll grow restless see what happens is they would they would become widows and they would say I just want to be sold out for God and I want to serve him and so they would be put on the list of people who would receive a stipend but because they were younger they would begin to be restless and they would say I don't I don't want to be single all the rest of my life and as a result of that they'll say you know what I'm giving up on my vow to God but the church has been supporting them all this time and now they just take off and do whatever if they want whatever they want they don't want to exclusively serve the Lord they break away they're not faithful to their original promise to serve the Lord they begin to seek marriage now he's not saying that younger widows should never marry by the way in first Corinthians 739 Paul said to the Corinthians wife is bound by law as long as her husband lives but if her husband dies she's at liberty to be married to whom she wishes only in the Lord what he is saying is they made a pledge to serve only Christ and they broke that pledge they lose their initial fervor to serve the Lord they're placing other things above him and the desire they have her marriage replaces the ministry they pledged themselves to serve in in verse 13 he gives us a second reason this is interesting too he says besides they learn to be idle wandering about from house to house and not only idle but also gossips and busybody saying things which they ought not on Facebook they become idle see they're being cared for so they go to visit people and they're there to minister is what it is and while they're there ministry and all they're hearing things and seeing things because that's real life so they may go in to speak to somebody and minister to them and they hear the problems and situations that they're going through and instead of taking it to the Lord in prayer he says what they're doing is they're taking those things and they're going to other homes and saying we need to keep sister Sarah in prayer because she's going through this this this and that and they're gossiping he said they're busy bodies they're beginning to meddle in people's lives and they ought not to be involved in this at all they have an income that provides a leisure time but it's being missed used they go about sharing things with others God hates gossip and meddling by the way we know that in proverbs 20 verse 19 a gossip betrays a confidence avoid a man who talks too much my mom used to say this to me let me give it to you it's not a proverb we'll say it's from the book of Bonny chapter 1 verse 5 mama said this to me and it's it's true then it's true now she said David just remember one thing anything people say to you about somebody else it's what they're saying about you to somebody else never forget that she's right if somebody comes and speaks to you and says all ba bla bla bla bla don't think that you're being some special person that they're sharing their confidence with you're just one of the ears that they like to speak to and you listen to them and you hear what they're saying and your eyes are changed towards somebody else because of the things they're saying to you and before you know what there's division in your relationships because this person's been seeding putting seeds of discourse and discord in you to the point where you just don't look these people in the same way I had a lady approached me when I was a beautiful long before I was pastor I was I was 23 years old at the time and I was in pastoring this church yet and she walked up to me and she was dumping on me and and I looked and I pointed at my ears and I said you see this she goes yeah I said these aren't trash cans these aren't trash cans I said don't be dumping your trash in my ears I said I don't need it I really don't you know so that's just a fact you went out and told everybody about my trashcan ears and a notion but that's a fact I mean gossip destructive isn't it it destroys it destroys sowing seeds of discord listen read proverbs 6 we're going to be looking at proverbs by the way you'll get there if you come with us on Wednesday if not please read it on your own anyway but in chapter 6 it says these six things they I hate saith the Lord a these seven and one of the things that he hates is he who sews discord amongst their brethren do you know God hates that he who sews discord are amongst those things I hate that's a powerful statement for God to say it really is and yet the church calls it prayer chains we have to be very careful that what goes into our ears remains in our heart so we can take it to our Lord on our knees that's how it works and he's saying here don't be bringing them in they have leisure time they go from place to place they really want to get married they're forsaking their first pledge to serve Christ they're hearing things and scattering these things and it's causing discord in the church he says be aware of that he says in verse 15 for some have already turned aside after Satan if any believing man or woman has widows let them relieve them and do not let the church be burdened that it may relieve those who are really widows interestingly notice how he says in verse 15 for some have already turned aside these women are unnamed but Paul and Timothy know who they are their lives have become a stain on the gospel so by rejecting their service to the Lord they spiral downward instead of remaining faithful and they be giving in to the temper he said they should have children they should manage a home it's a good thing to do instead they've walked away from the Lord and some undoubtedly are following those false teachers and they're spreading their false doctrine others were more than likely marrying unbelievers and walking away from the Lord completely so in verse 16 finally he says if any believing man or woman has widows let him relieve them is the responsibility of the family to care for their mother or the grandmother and as for the church care for the widows but make sure that they are in need and in doing so you're obeying God and you receive his blessing in profit rather in Deuteronomy 27 19 it said cursed is the one who distorts the justice to an alien an orphan and a widow in proverbs 19 17 Hugh has a has pity on the poor lends to the Lord and he will pay back what He has given take care of the widow's but make sure that their widows indeed that there are genuine widows just because somebody comes and stretches out their hand and says give me you have doesn't mean that you should they need to be given a thorough vetting if you will do they have these good works are they really in need or are they just right now just kind of anxious and just making a vow that they're not going to keep so Timothy if you're going to take care of the church you need to learn to command these things that they may be blameless

Channel: Calvary Chapel Chino Valley

Views: 3,922

Rating: 4.7837839 out of 5

Keywords: Calvary Chapel, Calvary Chapel Chino Valley, CCCV, Pastor David Rosales, A Sure Foundation, Bible, cccv, Church, Teaching, Worship, God, Christians, Bible Study, Jesus, A Jesus People Community, Truth, Gods Word, David Rosales, Pastor David, Ministries, Bible Studies, Gospel, Holy Spirit, End Times

Id: YXebxCkTpVE

Length: 51min 40sec (3100 seconds)

Published: Tue Dec 05 2017