Clarifying Widow Ministry – Part 1
1 Timothy 5:3-8
May 9, 2010
As you know Paul is writing one of the most important “How To” letters
That the church could ever study.
“I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.”
That makes this letter the “How To” church manual.
That is why it is utterly amazing to me how many books are written today
About church growth, church strategy, and church ministry;
That do not get their information from this book.
It seems that church growth experts would rather read
The biography of Sam Walton and the advertising strategy of McDonalds
Than study the priceless information in this book.
Now it is true, if you are looking to please the world,
Then you had better learn what the world desires.
But if you are looking to please God,
Then you had better learn what He desires.
And the blessing to us is that God was very specific
In outlining exactly what He desires the church to be.
And tonight we tackle a very important
And yet sometimes confusing issue.
That issue is “Widow Ministry”
And by that term I want you to realize that it is a two-sided coin.
On one hand it means = How the church ministers to widows.
On the other hand it means = How the widows minister to the church.
Both concepts are in view here as Paul pens this section of the letter.
Tonight, while both are seen, the primary focus
Is on how the church ministers to widows.
If you have ever read your bible all the way through, then there is no possible way that you could have missed the special place that widow’s have in the heart of God.
• Rather it was the widow that God sent Elijah to live with…
• Or the widow that Elisha multiplied the oil for…
• Or the widow whom Jesus gave back her son…
• Or the widow Jesus recognized for giving all she had…
It becomes obvious that widows are in view
Throughout the pages of Scripture.
One reason is because widows (along with orphans)
Were the extreme picture of helplessness,
And a person’s compassion was easily judged
By how they cared for those who could offer no help in return.
Since that is precisely what we are like to God,
The sincerity of our religion is measured
By whether or not we follow His example and do the same for others.
James 1:27 “Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.”
And so we are called upon to show support
To those who cannot help us in return.
Luke 14:12-14 “And He also went on to say to the one who had invited Him, “When you give a luncheon or a dinner, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, otherwise they may also invite you in return and that will be your repayment. “But when you give a reception, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, since they do not have the means to repay you; for you will be repaid at the resurrection of the righteous.”
And that is why the benevolent commands of God
Throughout Scripture routinely deal with ministry to widows.
Exodus 22:22-24 “You shall not afflict any widow or orphan. “If you afflict him at all, and if he does cry out to Me, I will surely hear his cry; and My anger will be kindled, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.”
Deuteronomy 27:19 “Cursed is he who distorts the justice due an alien, orphan, and widow.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’”
Isaiah 1:17 “Learn to do good; Seek justice, Reprove the ruthless, Defend the orphan, Plead for the widow.”
I think you get the picture about how important widows are to God.
When Jesus was on the cross, He only spoke directly to four people.
1) The thief on the cross (salvation)
2) God the Father (asking for forgiveness, why did You forsake)
3) Mary and John
John 19:26-27 “When Jesus then saw His mother, and the disciple whom He loved standing nearby, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” From that hour the disciple took her into his own household.”
• Jesus spoke to ask forgiveness for sinners
• Jesus spoke to give assurance to a repentant sinner
• Jesus spoke to assure the provision of a widow
Is there any doubt that God is concerned to care for the helpless?
And so tonight we study the first part of this text
Which deals with the intended ministry of the church to widows.
There are 5 points we will see in our text tonight.
#1 AN EXHORTATION
1 Timothy 5:3
And really, this is the whole point of the message.
Everything included in verses 4-16 is really there to just clarify this verse.
The remaining verses either tell you how to honor,
Or who is a widow indeed.
But the summation of the church’s ministry is found here.
“Honor widows who are widows indeed;”
The Greek word here for “widow”
“bereft” or “robbed” or “left alone”
And so while it is a perfect word to describe a woman who has lost her husband due to death, it is not limited to that.
John MacArthur wrote:
“The word does not speak of how a woman was left alone, it merely describes the situation. It is broad enough to encompass those who lost their husbands through death, desertion, divorce, or imprisonment. It could even encompass those cases where a polygamist came to Christ and sent away his extra wives.”
(pg. 196)
And that really opens the door.
We are dealing with a woman who has been
Completely and totally left alone with none to care for her.
Our society today says that such women
Must learn to pull their own weight.
Scripture says that is not the case at all.
When God created man, he then created the woman to be his help-mate.
But the understanding was always
That she would be provided for by the man.
She was never intended to have to earn her own way.
Her worth is demonstrated through her service to others
Not by how much money she is able to earn or contribute.
And so when a woman is truly left alone,
God intended that the church would step in and take up the slack.
The need is obvious.
All over the world we see the danger that is posed to women left alone.
How many have been forced to enter the sex market as prostitutes and such simply because no one is there to provide for their needs?
That is why the church is commanded to “Honor widows”
“Honor” translates TIMAO
“show respect for” or “care for” or “support”
It certainly speaks of the way we treat them,
But it also encompasses financial support.
That means that of all the things on the church budget,
The church must not overlook financial assistance to widows.
The church is to “Honor widows”
But even then Paul begins to narrow the field.
“who are widows indeed;”
And so we quickly learn that it is NOT a blanket command to fund anyone
Who claims to be a widow and put them on the church payroll.
They must be true widows.
In other words, to follow the meaning of the word,
They must be truly left alone.
And that is what Paul elaborates on next.
An Exhortation
#2 AN EXEMPTION
1 Timothy 5:4
Of course we all notice that word “but” to begin this verse.
Paul is about to distinguish for us what a “widow indeed” really is.
“but if any widow has children or grandchildren, they must first learn to practice piety in regard to their own family and to make some return to their parents, for this is acceptable in the sight of God.”
In order to clarify Paul reminds us here
Of the importance of family in this step.
A woman may indeed lose her husband to death,
But if she still has children, then she is not all alone.
It doesn’t mean we withhold sympathy, nor does it reveal
A withholding of occasional benevolent help.
But the church is not to take on the continual burden
Of financially supporting widows if her family is still alive and present.
Her “children or grandchildren” must step up to the plate.
Exodus 20:12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the LORD your God gives you.”
“this is acceptable in the sight of God.”
In fact, this is one area
In which Jesus especially confronted the Pharisees.
Matthew 15:1-6 “Then some Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, “Why do Your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat bread.” And He answered and said to them, “Why do you yourselves transgress the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? “For God said, ‘HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER,’ and, ‘HE WHO SPEAKS EVIL OF FATHER OR MOTHER IS TO BE PUT TO DEATH.’ “But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever I have that would help you has been given to God,” he is not to honor his father or his mother.’ And by this you invalidated the word of God for the sake of your tradition.”
(Explain)
You can see that God was infuriated by such a religion
That would spout a love for God,
But did not honor the commands of God to take care of their parents.
Matthew 23:14 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense you make long prayers; therefore you will receive greater condemnation.”
This angered God.
And so before a church steps in
To bear the financial burden of provision for a widow,
The responsibility must first fall to the immediate family.
In fact, even other women were accountable before the church.
1 Timothy 5:16 “If any woman who is a believer has dependent widows, she must assist them and the church must not be burdened, so that it may assist those who are widows indeed.”
And so while the church is commanded to take care of widows,
They are EXEMPTED from honoring those widows
Who have present family who are able to do it.
Then Paul clarifies it even further:
An Expectation; An Exemption
#3 AN EXAMINATION
1 Timothy 5:5-6
In order to determine if a widow was “a widow indeed”
We first examined her family situation.
But there is more at stake than just determining if she is truly alone.
There is another area which must be evaluated
And that is her SPIRITUAL DEVOTION.
“Now she is a widow indeed and who has been left alone, has fixed her hope on God and continues in entreaties and prayers night and day.”
Here we learn that she is not “a widow indeed” if she is not godly.
The church is looking to support those who are alone,
But instead of running to you, they run to God.
Matthew 6:25-33 “For this reason I say to you, do not be worried about your life, as to what you will eat or what you will drink; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? “Look at the birds of the air, that they do not sow, nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not worth much more than they? “And who of you by being worried can add a single hour to his life? “And why are you worried about clothing? Observe how the lilies of the field grow; they do not toil nor do they spin, yet I say to you that not even Solomon in all his glory clothed himself like one of these. “But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which is alive today and tomorrow is thrown into the furnace, will He not much more clothe you? You of little faith! “Do not worry then, saying, ‘What will we eat?’ or ‘What will we drink?’ or ‘What will we wear for clothing?’ “For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”
A true widow must understand this principle.
And that is why when she is alone, she doesn’t panic
For she knows God will provide her.
But the point is that this woman is strong in faith in God.
God is her provider and she knows it.
And to evidence by her dependence on God
We see a devoted service to God.
“and continues in entreaties and prayers night and day.”
This is a woman with that patient faith of Sarah.
She is devoted to knowing and serving God.
Luke 2:36-37 “And there was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years and had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four. She never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers.”
That is what we are talking about here.
She must be devoted God, and she must hope in God.
“But she who gives herself to wanton pleasure is dead even while she lives.”
That woman may be alive, but due to her love of sin,
She is obviously spiritually dead.
A woman like that does not need to be supported,
She needs to be disciplined.
If this seems harsh, listen to the words of Jesus.
Luke 4:23-26 “And He said to them, “No doubt you will quote this proverb to Me, ‘Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we heard was done at Capernaum, do here in your hometown as well.'” And He said, “Truly I say to you, no prophet is welcome in his hometown. “But I say to you in truth, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up for three years and six months, when a great famine came over all the land; and yet Elijah was sent to none of them, but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.”
WHY DID GOD ABANDON ALL THE WIDOWS IN ISRAEL?
Because there weren’t any Godly widows in Israel to help.
The church is not called upon to support
Any and everyone who has lost their husband.
Only those who are truly alone, and those who hope in God
And who are devoted to Him.
An Expectation; An Exemption; An Examination
#4 AN EXHORTATION
1 Timothy 5:7
Here again we see something that Timothy
Was specifically supposed to preach on.
“so that they may be above reproach”
WHO?
The church for one.
• They had to learn to sacrifice and support those widows who truly needed their support.
• They had to learn to imitate the heart of God and give of themselves to those who could not return it.
• They had to learn that supporting their widows was more important that funding the uniforms for their softball team.
Those with widows in their families for another.
• Anyone in the church who had widows in their family needed to learn to be obedient to God and honor their father and mother.
• If they were overlooking this command, they needed to repent.
• They needed to learn that supporting their momma was more important that purchasing that bass boat.
Finally – the widows.
• They needed to learn that in order to get support they had to be worthy of support.
• The death of their husband did not automatically entitle them. They needed to trust in God and seek His face before they were worthy of support.
And so Paul wanted this preached.
“so that they (all of them) may be above reproach.”
Paul didn’t want to have to reproach the church…
Paul didn’t want to have to reproach the families…
Paul didn’t want to have to reproach the widows…
All three needed to understand what was expected of them
And do it correctly.
An Expectation; An Exemption; An Examination; An Exhortation
#5 AN EXPLANATION
1 Timothy 5:8
And to close this first section of the text
Paul explains why the arrangement is the way it is.
Why it is families first and the church second.
“But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
It is a basic human principle that you care for those in your family.
Even a pagan knows that you provide for your family.
A lost man knows to provide for his kids.
A lost kid knows to honor his parents.
This is basic knowledge even for those who are lost.
But for those who are saved it is more than basic knowledge, It is biblical command.
God commands the honoring of father and mother.
God commands the honoring of our family members.
God commands the financial help of those in need.
Therefore anyone who has family in need,
But who chooses to push that burden off on someone else
Is not only forsaking the faith, but are “worse than an unbeliever.”
In other words, in that area even a lost person
Is more acceptable to God than they are.
And that is saying something since “those in the flesh cannot please God.”
This is a strong warning from Paul on this issue.
And it makes it extremely clear to us.
• If our church has widows that are truly alone, and are truly Godly.
• Then they must be added to the church budget.
• If your family has widows that need help, you must step in and support them so that the church is not burdened.
• If you are a widow, you must learn to trust God and let Him provide however He chooses to do so.
This is God’s intention for the church in regard to widow ministry.
1 Timothy 3:14-15 “I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you before long; but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.”
