The Danger of Discontentment
1 Timothy 6:6-10
June 27, 2010

Last time we met,
Paul warned Timothy about those who disagree with sound doctrine.

– The doctrine that Jesus preached
– Namely, “the doctrine conforming to godliness”

Paul knew that there were some in Ephesus who would not like
The emphasis that Paul put on godliness above every other goal.

And so he wrote to warn Timothy of them ahead of time.

Paul revealed their true colors,
And that is that above all else they are CORRUPT.

(5b) “who suppose that godliness is a means of gain.”

They don’t value true godliness.
They don’t value personal holiness.
Their goal is not to be pleasing to God in all things.

They only use their “apparent” godliness
As a means of achieving worldly gain.

They are in it for a temporal payoff.
2 Peter 2:14-15 “having eyes full of adultery that never cease from sin, enticing unstable souls, having a heart trained in greed, accursed children; forsaking the right way, they have gone astray, having followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;”

Some do it for the money.
Some do it for the power.
Some do it for the sensual lusts of the flesh.

They masquerade as angels of light in order to manipulate people
Into giving them the things of the world they desire.

And Paul exposed them for what they really are in verses 3-5.
Conceited
Ignorant
Irrelevant
Divisive
Corrupt

And so after exposing them, Paul now turns to encourage Timothy.

And the encouragement he gives him is that
THERE IS TRUE BENEFIT FOUND IN BEING GODLY.

And that should not be a foreign concept.

Paul already introduced it to Timothy.
1 Timothy 4:7-8 “But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”

Now if I were to ask you when does godliness pay off?
Most would answer: IN ETERNITY.

And you would be correct.
Matthew 6:19-20 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal;”

But you are NOT TOTALLY CORRECT
According to Paul’s statement there,
Godliness also “holds promise for the present life.”

Let me give you a statement by Jesus.
Mark 10:28-31 “Peter began to say to Him, “Behold, we have left everything and followed You.” Jesus said, “Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel’s sake, but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life. “But many who are first will be last, and the last, first.”

This is on the heels of the Rich Young Ruler’s departure,
And Peter just wants to know if he made the right decision.

And so Jesus answers.
That Peter would “receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life.”

Now Jesus did temper it by reminding that persecutions are still part of following Him, but did you notice that Jesus also promised a temporal payoff?

He was telling Peter that I take care of My own, even in this life.

DOES IT SURPRISE YOU TO HEAR OF TREASURE IN THIS LIFE?

Many confuse Jesus’ call to forsake everything
As a command to be poor.

BUT JESUS DIDN’T COMMAND POVERTY.
HE COMMANDED YOU TO FORSAKE THIS WORLD FOR THE NEXT

Remember this statement in the Sermon on the Mount?
Matthew 6:31-33 “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.”

And the point is that great blessing is involved in serving Christ,
Even blessing in this life.

1 Timothy 6:17 “Instruct those who are rich in this present world not to be conceited or to fix their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.”

Psalms 84:11-12 “For the LORD God is a sun and shield; The LORD gives grace and glory; No good thing does He withhold from those who walk uprightly. O LORD of hosts, How blessed is the man who trusts in You!”

Now, don’t pervert what I am saying.
Many have, and the result is “The Prosperity Gospel”

The perversion of the prosperity gospel is that
Their goal is still the world, they are just trying to use God to get it.

They treat Christianity like an investment
And God like a Jeanie in a bottle.

I am saying that if your heart is truly on the things of God,
So much so that you forsake this world to follow Christ,
Then God will see to it that you are rewarded for it.

SO WE SEEK GODLINESS, NOT GAIN

And that then brings about this question.
• “How do I know for sure if I am seeking godliness or worldly gain?”

• How can I tell if I am a recipient of God’s blessing or if I have just been seeking the world?

That is precisely the question Paul answers for Timothy.
The answer is CONTENTMENT

(6) “But godliness actually is a means of great gain when accompanied by contentment.”

The person who is only seeking the world is never content.
The person who is being blessed by God is always content.

Contentment is the key.
It’s not about how much you have.
It’s about how content you are with what you have.

• Discontentment reveals a greedy heart.
• Contentment reveals a godly heart.

And tonight in the remainder of our text
Paul reveals for us the dangers of discontentment.
Paul reveals for us the dangers of greed.

By now you know that Greed is forbidden in Scripture.
Exodus 20:17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

But tonight I want to show you why it so dangerous.

#1 GREED ACQUIRES TREASURE YOU CAN’T KEEP
1 Timothy 6:7-8

How many times have we heard, “You can’t take it with you?”
That is why hearse’s don’t have trailer hitches.

[JOKE: “I put a check for the full amount”]

But the point is you cannot take your wealth with you.

“For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either.”

Remember this man?
Luke 12:13-21 “Someone in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” But He said to him, “Man, who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over you?” Then He said to them, “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.” And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive. “And he began reasoning to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. ‘And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry.”‘ “But God said to him, ‘ You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?’ “So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.”

The problem with this guy was not that he had a barn,
It was that his security was his wealth.

All of his treasure was here.
By seeking Grain and not God,
He had amassed a fortune he could not keep.

And this is true of all greed.
Psalms 39:6 “Surely every man walks about as a phantom; Surely they make an uproar for nothing; He amasses riches and does not know who will gather them.”

Psalms 49:10-12 “For he sees that even wise men die; The stupid and the senseless alike perish And leave their wealth to others. Their inner thought is that their houses are forever And their dwelling places to all generations; They have called their lands after their own names. But man in his pomp will not endure; He is like the beasts that perish.”

Psalms 49:16-20 “Do not be afraid when a man becomes rich, When the glory of his house is increased; For when he dies he will carry nothing away; His glory will not descend after him. Though while he lives he congratulates himself — And though men praise you when you do well for yourself — He shall go to the generation of his fathers; They will never see the light. Man in his pomp, yet without understanding, Is like the beasts that perish.”

THE POINT IS: Don’t seek gold, seek godliness.

(8) “If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.”

The maximum we should seek in this world is food and covering,
If you have that, then be content with it.

To want more than that can reveal a lack of contentment.

You seek the eternal treasure
And let God take care of the temporal one.

If all you do is seek this world,
You will end up with a fortune that you cannot keep.

Greed acquires treasure you can’t keep
#2 GREED BRINGS RUIN YOU CAN’T ESCAPE
1 Timothy 6:9

Notice who Paul is referring to here.
“But those who want to get rich”

He’s not talking about those who are rich,
But rather those who WANT to be.
This could actually be the poorest man alive.

(Greed is not limited to the rich)
The Greedy Rich – Hoard their wealth and seek more.
The Greedy Poor – Do they same, (only they also worry about their lack of it.)

THE ISSUES IS STILL GREED (Matthew 6)

And here Paul is addressing greed.
“those who WANT to get rich”

And here is their problem.
They “fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction.”

When Peter spoke of false prophets,
He compared them to a wild animal.
2 Peter 2:12 “But these, like unreasoning animals, born as creatures of instinct to be captured and killed, reviling where they have no knowledge, will in the destruction of those creatures also be destroyed,”

Think about it.
How do you trap a wild animal?
How do you catch a fish?
BAIT
You take something that the animal desperately wants
And use it to lure it into a place where it can be snared.

Then you kill it, and eat it, or skin it, or something.

NOW LISTEN
Animals can be trapped because they have no concept of eternity
An animal has no ability to reason
An animal is driving purely by a sensual lust to fulfill it’s desire

When a human being reverts to animal desire he is in great danger

When you desire wealth or the things of this world,
Then you have supplied Satan with the bait he has been looking for.

He will bring you into “temptation” and eventually “a snare”
And ultimately “into ruin and destruction”

James 1:14-15 “But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.”

Remember why Eve took Satan’s bait?
Genesis 3:6 “When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.”

That is why God tells you not to covet (be greedy).
It is not because God doesn’t want you to have things
(In fact He’ll give them to you)
It’s because greed opens you up to temptation.

TEMPTATION is the FIRST STEP down a road that leads to destruction

Greed brings ruin you can’t escape.
Let me tell you why Greed brings ruin you can’t escape.

1) Riches Fail

Luke 16:9 “And I say to you, make friends for yourselves by means of the wealth of unrighteousness, so that when it fails, they will receive you into the eternal dwellings.”

Psalms 52:5-7 “But God will break you down forever; He will snatch you up and tear you away from your tent, And uproot you from the land of the living. Selah. The righteous will see and fear, And will laugh at him, saying, “Behold, the man who would not make God his refuge, But trusted in the abundance of his riches And was strong in his evil desire.”

Psalms 73:18-20 “Surely You set them in slippery places; You cast them down to destruction. How they are destroyed in a moment! They are utterly swept away by sudden terrors! Like a dream when one awakes, O Lord, when aroused, You will despise their form.”

Proverbs 11:4 “Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, But righteousness delivers from death.”

If riches are your security, then destruction is unavoidable.

But even more than that.
2) Riches Corrupt

Let me give you one name: BALAAM
Numbers 31:16 “Behold, these caused the sons of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to trespass against the LORD in the matter of Peor, so the plague was among the congregation of the LORD.”

You remember Balaam was the one who took the monetary offer of Balak
In order to deceive God’s people.

Balaam ended up being killed by God’s people for hi sin.

Have we not all been sickened by the corruption on capital hill
With all the politicians taking bribes from lobbyists?

Riches corrupt a person.
If you want them, then Satan will offer them to you.

And know that when you accept his offer you are now in his snare,
And we all know what he wants for you.

John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy…”

This is the danger of greed.

Greed acquires treasure you can’t keep
Greed brings ruin you can’t escape
#3 GREED REPRODUCES A DESIRE YOU CAN’T CONTROL
1 Timothy 6:10

And this is seen clearest in the terminology Paul uses.
“For the love of money is a root”

Stop for a moment and think about “a root”.

It can’t be seen by the naked eye.
But just below the surface is a living growing organism
That is just waiting to pop through the soil and produce fruit.

And some roots are near impossible to fight.
Ever have a Johnson grass root in your soil?
Ever have nut grass below the soil?

It is a root that springs up that you cannot control.

Well greed is also a root.
And while it may seem harmless, it only seems that way
Until the fruit-bearing plant pops up.

And the plant is yet to be determined.
“For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil”

We don’t even know how greed will manifest itself in our lives,
But rest assured it will manifest itself and it will be evil.

Without giving any specifics
Paul lists some of the paths that greed has led people down.

“some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”

Think about those who “have wandered away from the faith”

Some have done it before they ever even accepted it.
Matthew 19:21-22 “Jesus said to him, “If you wish to be complete, go and sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow Me.” But when the young man heard this statement, he went away grieving; for he was one who owned much property.”

Others wander away after having followed for a time
2 Timothy 4:9-10 “Make every effort to come to me soon; for Demas, having loved this present world, has deserted me and gone to Thessalonica; Crescens has gone to Galatia, Titus to Dalmatia.”

Matthew 13:22 “And the one on whom seed was sown among the thorns, this is the man who hears the word, and the worry of the world and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.”
Greed can literally keep people away from the faith.
And it can even remove those who claim to be a part of it.

There are many who have “pierced themselves with many griefs.”

Read the book of Ecclesiastes and
Ask Solomon how his desire for wealth paid off for him.

Ecclesiastes 5:13-16 “There is a grievous evil which I have seen under the sun: riches being hoarded by their owner to his hurt. When those riches were lost through a bad investment and he had fathered a son, then there was nothing to support him. As he had come naked from his mother’s womb, so will he return as he came. He will take nothing from the fruit of his labor that he can carry in his hand. This also is a grievous evil — exactly as a man is born, thus will he die. So what is the advantage to him who toils for the wind?”

Or go ask Judas how those 30 pieces of silver paid off for him.

TURN TO: 2 KINGS 5:15-27

I hope you get the point.
It is not that things or money are bad,
But seeking them leads to all sorts of peril.

The way to make sure we manage our wealth in the right way
Is to not seek wealth, but rather to seek God.

HOW DO I KNOW WHICH I AM DOING?
CONTENTMENT
Am I content with what I have?

Now, it is my guess that in some ways
All of us struggle with greed, but see our need to leave it behind.
Let me show you how to make contentment a little easier for you.

Philippians 4:10-14 “But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now at last you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked opportunity. Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. Nevertheless, you have done well to share with me in my affliction.”

This was Paul thanking the Philippians for their support of his ministry.

And in that passage you probably noticed that famous 13th verse,
“I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.”

(Typically read by athletes after an accomplishment)

But when Paul wanted to give
The greatest example of God’s power in his life,
He referenced God’s ability to make him content.

Paul said if I can be content with what I have then I can do anything.
In other words, contentment is hard.

But it is the power of God in our lives that allows us to be content.

In short God fills the voids.
Psalms 22:5 “To You they cried out and were delivered; In You they trusted and were not disappointed.”

Here is the practical application

Instead of focusing on the things of the world
And opening yourself up to greed and ultimately temptation and destruction…

Focus yourself on God and on godliness.

And when you do that,
God will supply not only what you need, but abundantly more,
And also contentment with what you have.

That is why Paul continues on in this chapter to Timothy by saying:
1 Timothy 6:11-12 “But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.”

It’s all about a mindset, it’s all about what you seek.

So tonight, take the first step.
SEEK HOLINESS.
SEEK GODLINESS.

“Seek first His kingdom, and His righteousness,
And all these things will be added unto you.”

Be godly, don’t be greedy.
Greed is for those who are corrupt
And who don’t know anything about God.

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.”

For Those Who Disagree
1 Timothy 6:3-5
June 20, 2010

Tonight it becomes clear that Paul
Is beginning to wrap up his letter to Timothy.

And so it is helpful to remember the main point of this letter.

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.”

And simply by reading that verse, it is clear to us that
Paul’s main area of concern is THE CONDUCT OF THE CHURCH.

This is not a letter about how to act in church.
This is a letter about how the church should act.

And based on what we have studied
We can easily sum up that conduct with one word: GODLINESS

In chapter 2 we saw what godly men and women look like
In chapter 3 we saw what godly overseers and deacons look like
In chapter 4 we heard Paul push Timothy to preach, because it is through preaching the word that godliness is achieved.
In chapter 5 we saw what godly widows and elders look like.

It has been a clear theme throughout the book.

Paul has written this letter to Timothy,
Not only to tell him how important godliness is,
But also to give him a step by step blueprint for what it looks like.

And so godliness is the order of the day.

But you may remember, that when we studied the first chapter, we learned that Ephesus had a false teacher problem.

Ephesus had some there who might not think godliness is important.

And therefore Paul takes a moment here to educate Timothy
In regard to those who might disagree with this letter.

Paul exposes such people in verse 3.
(3) “If anyone advocates a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words, those of our Lord Jesus Christ, and with the doctrine conforming to godliness,”

And in that verse we realize the type of person we are dealing with.
It is a person who:
Teaches heresy – “advocates a different doctrine”
Scoffs at truth – “does not agree with sound words”
Disregards Jesus – “those of our Lord Jesus Christ”
Rejects Godliness – “and with the doctrine conforming to godliness”

In short this is the type of person who isn’t all that fired up
About what Paul had to say in this letter.

They’ve got their own plans for what the church should look like.
They’ve got their own ideas for what the church’s doctrine should be.
They’ve got their own ideas for what the church should value.

And none of those plans or ideas align with
What Paul had to say in this letter.

Now that may sound far-fetched to you that such people would exist,
But let me say that this warning is more relevant than you might think.

I remember being in seminary.
I was there in 2001 & 2002
Sum it all up in two books
Experiencing God
Purpose Driven Church

And I can just tell you that the focus of that book
Is how the church can grow numerically.
(They might not come out and say that, but trust me that is the focus)

• Develop a Mission / Vision Statement
• Survey the community to determine “felt needs”
• Structure your worship services to fit those needs (music important)

And although I was definitely knew to the ministry,
Something continually set wrong with me about all this,

And one day it finally hit me.
Most church guru’s today have a different plan for the church
Than Paul (or God) has for the church.

While most today are seeking ways to make the church more relevant,
Paul just wanted the church to be more godly.

While most today are seeking ways to make the church more influential,
Paul just wanted the church to be more godly.

While most today are seeking ways to make the church bigger,
Paul just wanted the church to be more godly.
Think about what we’ve studied so far in this letter.
Have you read anything here about numbers of people?
Have you read anything here about evangelistic strategies?
Have you read anything here about building gyms or conducting surveys or keeping your eye on Roman culture so as to be more relevant?
NOTHING

YET TODAY THAT IS ALL THE FOCUS IS ON

So although no one is explicitly saying so, it is obvious
That most church growth experts and denominational leaders of our day
Do not agree with what Paul has to say in this letter.

And when I came to that realization in seminary
I raised my hand and asked my professor,
“Why is it that when everyone here wants to talk about church growth they all tell us to survey our community and get a mission/vision statement? Why is it that no one tells us to read the book of 1 Timothy and see what your preachers ought to be or what your deacons ought to be or how to handle money, etc?”

The professor looked at me and said,
“Well do you not think that Timothy knew his community?”

At that moment I knew I was finished with seminary.

And I just tell you all of that because I want you to realize that
The type of people Paul is addressing are still out there today.

We still see those who aren’t concerned about God’s doctrines
But instead preach their own.
We still see those who don’t care about what the Bible says,
But are more interested in what is trendy.

We still see those who do not agree
That God’s main goal for the church is that she be pure and holy.

If you don’t believe me,
This week call a church and ask the pastor his take on 1 Timothy 2 and women preachers.

The overwhelming answer you will receive is this:
“That was a situational problem that occurred at Ephesus,
But Paul’s teaching no longer applies today.”

I know you’ll hear it because I’ve heard it so many times.

Well apparently Paul knew it was coming because he warns Timothy about them before he even has a chance to hear their first argument.
And what Paul does here is tell Timothy
What these people are really all about.

Paul gives five attributes of the person who doesn’t agree that
The church’s main calling is to be holy.

If anyone doesn’t agree with that:
#1 HE IS CONCEITED
1 Timothy 6:4a

“he is conceited”

“conceited” translated TUPHOO
Meaning “to wrap in smoke”

(TUPHOS = smoke)

Today we would say they are
“Puffed Up” or “Blowing Smoke” or “Full of Hot Air”

It is a person who writes checks that he can’t cash.
He speaks confidently but has no clue what he’s talking about.

Paul was referring to these same people in chapter 1:
1 Timothy 1:7 “wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions.”

Frankly they remind me of Satan.
Genesis 3:2-5 “The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.'” The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

It is certainly true of false prophets
2 Peter 2:18-19 “For speaking out arrogant words of vanity they entice by fleshly desires, by sensuality, those who barely escape from the ones who live in error, promising them freedom while they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by what a man is overcome, by this he is enslaved.”

Remember all the Old Testament false prophets
Who assured the people that Babylon would not take over?
They were talking, but they had no clue what they were talking about.

And that is what Paul says about anyone who teaches anything other than
“the doctrine conforming to godliness”

They are full of hot air.

They apparently just like to hear themselves talk,
But their talk is not worth anything.
He is conceited.
#2 HE IS IGNORANT
1 Timothy 6:4

“and understands nothing”

This obviously relates closely to the first point.
Except where as the first point emphasizes their desire to talk,
This emphasizes the worthlessness of what they say.

And the point is clear.
Anyone who doesn’t agree that godliness is God’s desire
Obviously doesn’t understand the message of Scripture.

Let me show you why.

We studied earlier in Matthew why Jesus came:
Matthew 1:21 “She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

His Sermon on the Mount
Matthew 5:48 “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Of course the disciples picked up on it, for when Peter wrote his epistle:
1 Peter 1:14-16 “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the former lusts which were yours in your ignorance, but like the Holy One who called you, be holy yourselves also in all your behavior; because it is written, “YOU SHALL BE HOLY, FOR I AM HOLY.”

And beyond them, this is what Paul has said over and over.
Colossians 3:5-11 “Therefore consider the members of your earthly body as dead to immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed, which amounts to idolatry. For it is because of these things that the wrath of God will come upon the sons of disobedience, and in them you also once walked, when you were living in them. But now you also, put them all aside: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive speech from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, since you laid aside the old self with its evil practices, and have put on the new self who is being renewed to a true knowledge according to the image of the One who created him — a renewal in which there is no distinction between Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and freeman, but Christ is all, and in all.”

Ephesians 4:22-24 “that, in reference to your former manner of life, you lay aside the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth.”

Romans 6:1-4 “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it? Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.”

Romans 6:12-14 “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”

Romans 8:1-4 “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death. For what the Law could not do, weak as it was through the flesh, God did: sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and as an offering for sin, He condemned sin in the flesh, so that the requirement of the Law might be fulfilled in us, who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”

Romans 8:29 “For those whom He foreknew, He also predestined to become conformed to the image of His Son, so that He would be the firstborn among many brethren;”

If that were not enough,
Listen to what Paul says that Jesus wants from His church.

Ephesians 5:25-27 “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing; but that she would be holy and blameless.”

Is there really any doubt about what God is looking for from His church?
There shouldn’t be.

And so all this multitude of teachers proves
When they emphasize everything other than godliness
Is that they are ignorant.

That is what Paul says about anyone who advocates a different doctrine.

He is Conceited, He is Ignorant
#3 HE IS IRRELEVANT
1 Timothy 6:4

“but he has a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words”

“morbid” translates NOSEO
“to be sick”

They are demented. They are deranged.

Have you have ever talked to someone like this, who talked about things you didn’t want to hear about?

To which you reply, “You’re sick”

That is what Paul says these men are doing.
They are putting in your mind things that don’t matter.

They have a sick interest in non-essential things.

I had a deacon at one church go on with me for about 30 minutes about the family relation of Herod to Herodias.

Carrie had a Sunday School teacher once talk about whether or not Adam had a belly-button.
WHO CARES?

This is what the Pharisees and Sadducees routinely did to Jesus.
They tried to trap Him with a controversial question or a dispute about words.

TURN TO: Matthew 9:10-17

TURN TO: Matthew 19:1-9

TURN TO: Matthew 22:23-46

I mean, it’s no wonder Jesus was always put out with these people.
They were always focused on the non-essentials.

They had “a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words”

This by the way Paul explicitly told Timothy to stay away from.
1 Timothy 1:3-7 “As I urged you upon my departure for Macedonia, remain on at Ephesus so that you may instruct certain men not to teach strange doctrines, nor to pay attention to myths and endless genealogies, which give rise to mere speculation rather than furthering the administration of God which is by faith. But the goal of our instruction is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and a sincere faith. For some men, straying from these things, have turned aside to fruitless discussion, wanting to be teachers of the Law, even though they do not understand either what they are saying or the matters about which they make confident assertions.”

1 Timothy 4:7-8 “But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come.”

1 Timothy 6:20-21 “O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, avoiding worldly and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called “knowledge” — which some have professed and thus gone astray from the faith. Grace be with you.”

2 Timothy 2:14-19 “Remind them of these things, and solemnly charge them in the presence of God not to wrangle about words, which is useless and leads to the ruin of the hearers. Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth. But avoid worldly and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness, and their talk will spread like gangrene. Among them are Hymenaeus and Philetus, men who have gone astray from the truth saying that the resurrection has already taken place, and they upset the faith of some. Nevertheless, the firm foundation of God stands, having this seal, “The Lord knows those who are His,” and, “Everyone who names the name of the Lord is to abstain from wickedness.”

And the reason Paul was so adamant about these things
Is because they are irrelevant.

That is actually ironic
Since the main thrust of churches today is to be relevant

By focusing on being relevant to the world,
They actually become irrelevant
Because they don’t make a difference in people’s lives.

THEY DON’T HELP THE CHURCH BE WHAT GOD WANTS HER TO BE
And if they don’t accomplish that, why bother?

Are Conceited, Are Ignorant, Are Irrelevant
#4 HE IS DIVISIVE
1 Timothy 4-5

“out of which arise envy, strife, abusive language, evil suspicions, and constant friction between men of depraved mine and deprived of the truth,”

Aside from ending that phrase by revealing that these men also are
“men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth”

Paul reveals perhaps one of the most alarming attributes of these men.
AND THAT IS THAT THEY CAUSE DIVISION.

Some might say, “Who cares if they talk about nothing, what does it hurt?”
IT HURTS THE UNITY OF THE BODY

WHY?
Because only the truth unifies.

John 17:16-21 “They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. “Sanctify them in the truth; Your word is truth. “As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. “For their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they themselves also may be sanctified in truth. “I do not ask on behalf of these alone, but for those also who believe in Me through their word; that they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me.”

It is amazing to me how many people read the end of that passage
Without reading the first of it.
They want unity, but they don’t want sanctification.
And you can’t have one without the other.
I wish the church would open her eyes.
We hear more about unity right now than ever before
And the church is more divided than ever before.

It is because people constantly try to unify around the wrong thing.
They want unity around love & tolerance, but it is truth that unifies.

And until the church determines to find out what God thinks
And unify around that she will never unify.

The men who deny godliness do a tremendous disservice to the church
Because they cause men to focus on other things than godliness
And the result is division.

Jude 16-19 “These are grumblers, finding fault, following after their own lusts; they speak arrogantly, flattering people for the sake of gaining an advantage. But you, beloved, ought to remember the words that were spoken beforehand by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ, that they were saying to you, ” In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts.” These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, devoid of the Spirit.”

That is why Timothy was charged to silence these men in the first chapter.

Every teacher in the church must have singularity of purpose.
They must be focused on shaping the church
Into what God wants the church to be, and that is a godly body.

When they do that unity is achieved.
Otherwise it only brings divisions.

He is arrogant, he is Ignorant, he is Irrelevant, he is Divisive
#5 HE IS CORRUPT
1 Timothy 6:4

“who suppose that godliness is a means of gain.”

This statement actually answers a great question for us.

If these men aren’t concerned about God’s truth…
If these men aren’t concerned about what God wants…
If these men aren’t concerned about true doctrine…
THEN WHY DO THEY STAY IN THE CHURCH?

They “suppose that godliness is a means of gain.”

They think that the church is a way for them
To get worldly fame or money or something else.

THEY ARE CORRUPT
WHY DID JUDAS STICK AROUND JESUS?
John 12:4-6 “But Judas Iscariot, one of His disciples, who was intending to betray Him, said, “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and given to poor people?” Now he said this, not because he was concerned about the poor, but because he was a thief, and as he had the money box, he used to pilfer what was put into it.”

WHY DID THE PHARISEES SEEM TO CLING TO GOD?
Luke 16:14-15 “Now the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, were listening to all these things and were scoffing at Him. And He said to them, “You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men, but God knows your hearts; for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God.”

And this is so obvious in our day too.
Godliness is not important to most people.
In fact a godless world vehemently rejects it.

But false teachers have learned that sensuality sells.

So they talk about anything but repentance from sin and godliness
Because it is not beneficial to their cause.

And they go out and survey the community
To find out what the community wants the church to be,
Instead of focusing on what God wants the church to be.

It is all done for faulty motives.

And Paul issues that warning here.

God wants His church to be godly.
And anyone who denies that.
Is Conceited
Is Ignorant
Is Irrelevant
Is Divisive
Is Corrupt

That’s all there is to it.

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.”

Protecting God’s Reputation
1 Timothy 6:1-2
June 6, 2010

I have to tell you from the start that I find tonight’s topic to be one that is extremely important to our Christian walk in the day in which we live.

And I don’t know about you, but after so many sermons on pastor qualifications I am ready for something that convicts more people than just myself.

You notice from our opening reading of the text that we are talking about slaves and how they relate to their masters.

There are a couple of things you need to know just to be in the right frame of mind before we study the text.

1) RETHINK SLAVERY

Whenever we hear the word “slavery” we automatically go to the civil war and think about the social abuses that occurred there.

That is not the same thing as the slavery here.

In Bible days slavery was not nearly as negative a word as it is today.
Mostly because slaves were not the worst off in a society.

Slaves had their meals and housing provided as well as a small salary and because of the benefits involved most slaves did better for themselves than regular day laborers.

They were also protected from murder and other things we commonly associate with the slavery that occurred in America.

2) SLAVERY IDENTIFIES CLOSER WITH “WORK” THAN SLAVERY

You would really do better to think of a man and a job today than of civil war slavery.

While some attributes of it definitely resembled slavery (buying and selling, born into it, etc.) it really had more of a feel of a job than a social injustice.

That means that we can easily make a parallel involving you and your job when studying this type of text.

And so I want you to know that from the outset we can all identify a little with what Paul has to say, even though you are not a slave, nor do you own one.

WHAT WE ARE LEARNING HERE IS ABOUT THE ROLE OF A SLAVE AND A MASTER.

Taken for us, we learn about
How a Christian handles himself in the workplace.

But even as we learn the specifics of that role,
It is also apparent from our text that Paul is using this topic
As a way to express an even bigger concept.

You will notice how Paul ends this section.

(2) “Teach and preach these principles.”

What Paul has in mind here for Timothy goes well beyond just simple instructions for slaves.

What Paul ultimately has in mind here is that Timothy continually instills these principles into every area of Christian life.

And the principles are easy to understand.

IT IS THE NEED FOR EVERY BELIEVER TO LEARN
TO ENDURE AND SACRIFICE FOR THE SAKE OF SOMEONE ELSE.

The picture of a slave is a welcomed mascot for every believer.
(It is what most Bible writers referred to themselves as)

Romans 1:1 “Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,”

James 1:1 “James, a bond-servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ…”

2 Peter 1:1 “Simon Peter, a bond-servant and apostle of Jesus Christ…”

Jude 1 “Jude, a bond-servant of Jesus Christ…”

DOULOS is the Greek word used.
It refers to one who is a slave by preference and willingly submissive to their master.

Exodus 21:1-6 “Now these are the ordinances which you are to set before them: “If you buy a Hebrew slave, he shall serve for six years; but on the seventh he shall go out as a free man without payment. “If he comes alone, he shall go out alone; if he is the husband of a wife, then his wife shall go out with him. “If his master gives him a wife, and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall belong to her master, and he shall go out alone. “But if the slave plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife and my children; I will not go out as a free man,’ then his master shall bring him to God, then he shall bring him to the door or the doorpost. And his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him permanently.”

And so we understand that the “slave” is a perfect picture
Of what the Christian has determined to be.

That then means that the truths we learn here are applicable to all areas of Christian life and not just meant for slaves in their single role.

What Paul outlines for us here are two scenarios, and in them how a believer is expected to live.

#1 SERVING THE SINNER
1 Timothy 6:1

It is obvious here that Paul is referring to
All who serve as a slave in any capacity.

As I said, we could easily apply this to everyone who has a job.
We could take it even further I suppose and say to everyone who is under anyone else’s authority.

That means it could be workers to their employers…
It could be students to their teachers…
Etc.

Our world runs on people understanding their roles and fulfilling them well.

And Paul is addressing that here as he refers to slaves.

We also notice that based on the fact that Paul deals with having a believing master in verse 2, verse 1 must be him addressing slaves with unbelieving masters.

So now we are dealing with anyone who is
Under the authority of a person who is not a believer.

They may be moral, but not a believer.
They may be a tyrant because they are not a believer.

And here Paul tells any and all how they should respond to such a one.

“All who are under the yoke as slaves are to regard their own masters as worthy of all honor.”

And there you have the command.

“regard” them as worthy of “all honor”
Not some honor, but all honor.

It is also beneficial to note that the Greek word for “regard”
Is more of a MENTAL term than it is an EMOTIONAL one.

In other words, honor may not be what you feel, but it is what you determine you need to give.

You may not like them, you may not respect them, you may not honor them naturally, but you push back those feelings and do it anyway because you know it be the right thing to do.

“regard their own masters as worthy of all honor.”

And so that is clear.

If you have a boss (like him or her or not) you must show them all honor.
Have a teacher (like him or her or not) you must show them all honor.

WHY?
“so that the name of God and our doctrine will not be spoken against.”

AND THIS IS HUGE

You may not realize that in the way you live your life
You actually carry around with you the reputation of Jesus.

For those who claim Christianity, who go to church, who wear Christian T-shirts, who put a fish on their car.

You now carry with you the reputation of Jesus.

You must understand the world is looking to shoot a hole in you,
Not because they hate you,
But because they long to scar the reputation of Jesus.

And if you claim Christianity and then live your life as an unruly, unsubmissive, complainer, you will only scar the reputation of Jesus.

“So is that the kind of stuff they teach you there at your church?”
“Is that the kind of stuff Jesus wants you to do.”

And in one moment of selfishness
You put a scar on the back of Jesus
That 20 years of holy living will not be able to erase.

People are looking to blaspheme God and you cannot give them that opportunity

Yet sadly many do.
Romans 2:17-24 “But if you bear the name “Jew” and rely upon the Law and boast in God, and know His will and approve the things that are essential, being instructed out of the Law, and are confident that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, a corrector of the foolish, a teacher of the immature, having in the Law the embodiment of knowledge and of the truth, you, therefore, who teach another, do you not teach yourself? You who preach that one shall not steal, do you steal? You who say that one should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the Law, through your breaking the Law, do you dishonor God? For “THE NAME OF GOD IS BLASPHEMED AMONG THE GENTILES BECAUSE OF YOU,” just as it is written.”

And you get the picture.

That is why Paul said that slaves have to make a conscious effort
To honor their masters.

Peter understood this as well as he actually wrote to those who had bad masters.
1 Peter 2:18-20 “Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are unreasonable. For this finds favor, if for the sake of conscience toward God a person bears up under sorrows when suffering unjustly. For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.”
DID YOU CATCH PETER’S POINT?
It’s not about you, it’s about God.
It’s not about you, it’s about God.
It’s not about you, it’s about God.

Our chief concern is what others will think about our God
When we are finished.

Paul told Titus the same truth, only with a positive spin.
Titus 2:9-10 “Urge bondslaves to be subject to their own masters in everything, to be well-pleasing, not argumentative, not pilfering, but showing all good faith so that they will adorn the doctrine of God our Savior in every respect.”

Paul told Titus that if slaves would do it right,
They might actually convert their masters.

It is the clear point that you have to learn that
Everything you do reflects upon your God
And you must be more concerned about God’s reputation
Than your own personal comfort.

And no occupation better illustrates this than the occupation of slave.

1 Corinthians 7:21-24 “Were you called while a slave? Do not worry about it; but if you are able also to become free, rather do that. For he who was called in the Lord while a slave, is the Lord’s freedman; likewise he who was called while free, is Christ’s slave. You were bought with a price; do not become slaves of men. Brethren, each one is to remain with God in that condition in which he was called.”

Hear Paul asking you for contentment?
He wants you to have such a love for Christ that you would be willing to do anything and remain anywhere if it made your Lord happy.

DO YOU HAVE SUCH A WILLINGNESS?

Ephesians 6:5-8 “Slaves, be obedient to those who are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in the sincerity of your heart, as to Christ; not by way of eyeservice, as men-pleasers, but as slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart. With good will render service, as to the Lord, and not to men, knowing that whatever good thing each one does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether slave or free.”

Again in:
Colossians 3:22-25 “Slaves, in all things obey those who are your masters on earth, not with external service, as those who merely please men, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, do your work heartily, as for the Lord rather than for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the reward of the inheritance. It is the Lord Christ whom you serve. For he who does wrong will receive the consequences of the wrong which he has done, and that without partiality”

Those passages obviously parallel each other
And in them we see what Paul is saying.
In your service you are serving God, honor Him by how you serve.
In your service God will reward you, sacrifice now for eternity.

It was the call to FOCUS

This concept is everywhere.

Look in the sermon on the mount.
Matthew 5:38-42 “You have heard that it was said, ‘AN EYE FOR AN EYE, AND A TOOTH FOR A TOOTH.’ “But I say to you, do not resist an evil person; but whoever slaps you on your right cheek, turn the other to him also. “If anyone wants to sue you and take your shirt, let him have your coat also. “Whoever forces you to go one mile, go with him two. “Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.”

I just find this so applicable today,
Because we must realize that the way we live
In the little areas of our lives have such a lasting effect
On what people think of Jesus.

I remember a friend of mine in college who one weekend went to the bar.
“Oh, look it’s the guy who wears all the Jesus shirts”

She may not remember him, but no doubt she has used that against Christians and churches for many years to come.

We just have to remember the consequences of the way we live our lives.

Martin Luther said:
“To call popes, bishops, priests, monks, and nuns, the religious class, but princes, lords, artisans, and farm-workers the secular class, is a specious device…For all Christians whatsoever really and truly belong to the religious class, and there is no difference among them except in so far as they do their different work…Every one of them in his occupation or handicraft ought to be useful to his fellows, and serve them in such a way that the various trades are all directed to the best advantage of the community, and promote the well-being of body and soul, just all the organs of the body serve each other.”
(MacArthur, 1 Timothy, pg. 228)

He was reiterating what Paul was saying.

If you are a Christian, there is not trivial service.

Even in serving as a slave you are serving God and leaving a lasting impression about him on others.

Even in serving as a student you are serving God and leaving a lasting impression about Him on others.

Even in serving in the lowliest occupation you are serving God and leaving a lasting impression about Him on others.

TAKE THAT RESPONSIBILITY SERIOUSLY.

Live your lives in a way that brings glory to God.

Matthew 5:14-16 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

We really can’t stress it enough.

In this world, the lost are watching, be careful how you live!

Serving the Sinner
#2 SERVING THE SAINT
1 Timothy 6:2

Here Paul addresses the same concept, but to a different beneficiary.

“Those who have believers as their masters”

Now we are dealing with those who are in good jobs or good situations.

But the temptation is to take advantage of their good circumstances.
And for lack of a better term, “To use them”.

Paul adamantly says NO.
“must not be disrespectful to them because they are brethren.”

You don’t get to treat them like they are your equals.
According to God’s sovereign design, they are your authority.

Praise God that He has been so merciful as to allow you to have Christians as your authority, and that does not mean you get to disrespect them.

Furthermore:
You “must serve them all the more, because those who partake of the benefit are believers and beloved.”

Not only do you not get to slack off, but you ought to try even harder because you get the opportunity to bless a brother or sister in Christ.

Have a Christian boss, work harder to make his job easier, and to make it look to his superior like he is doing a good job.

I thought about coaches.
EVER WATCH A COACHES KID WHEN ON THEIR DAD’S TEAM?

They work twice as hard because they realize that my play affects my dad’s job, and they want to be a blessing.

That is the same mentality to the work place when you are employed by a believer.
I want to do everything I can to make their day a blessing so I work twice as hard for them.

And this is Christian mentality.
2 Corinthians 4:7-14 “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves; we are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying about in the body the dying of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body. For we who live are constantly being delivered over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death works in us, but life in you. But having the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, ” I BELIEVED, THEREFORE I SPOKE,” we also believe, therefore we also speak, knowing that He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and will present us with you.”

2 Corinthians 12:15 “I will most gladly spend and be expended for your souls. If I love you more, am I to be loved less?”

Philippians 2:17 “But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all.”

Colossians 1:24 “Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions.”

1 Thessalonians 2:8 “Having so fond an affection for you, we were well-pleased to impart to you not only the gospel of God but also our own lives, because you had become very dear to us.”

We are talking about self-sacrifice
For the sake of benefiting God’s people.

IS THAT NOT WHAT CHRIST DID ON THE CROSS?

I mean, it is a mindset issue.
I have to come to the point that I realize that everything I do affects God and God’s people, and so everything I do must be done well.

Let go of your selfish mindset and take the reputation of God seriously.

And Paul concludes by saying:

“Teach and preach these principles.”

In other words, these are principles that apply to all of life
And they must be learned.

In these two verses Paul is basically asking us to do two things.

1) SACRIFICE SELF FOR GOD’S GLORY
2) SACRIFICE SELF FOR OUR BROTHER’S BENEFIT

What we have there is the two most important commandments.
Matthew 22:37-39 “And He said to him, “‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ “This is the great and foremost commandment. “The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’”

In short it’s just a call to put your money where your mouth is.

If you are going to claim Christianity then live Christianity.
If you are going to claim God’s glory then live for God’s glory.
If you are going to claim brotherly love, then love your brother.

It is desperately needed in the church, it is desperately needed in the world.
IT IS VITAL

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.”

The Church’s Responsibility to its Elders
1 Timothy 5:17-25
May 30, 2010

One passage of Scripture that gives a lot of perspective to me
In my daily routine as a pastor is:

1 Peter 5:1-4 “Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.”

And while I find that entire passage extremely valuable,
There is one phrase that continually gives me perspective as to my role.

“shepherd the flock of God among you”

1) The flock is not mine, it is God’s “the flock of God”
2) The entire flock is not here, only a portion of it “flock of God among you”
3) God has turned the care of His flock over to me
4) God intends for me to do for it what He would do if He were here “shepherd”

That phrase really helps me put things into perspective.

And that passage should give you perspective as well.
It should help you see how tremendously valuable
The church is to the Lord.

She is not only His flock
She is also His bride
She is also His body

Keeping that perspective will help you understand
The significance of the passage we are studying tonight.

In 1 Timothy 5:17-25,
Paul is outlining the church’s responsibility to its elders.

We have already seen (in some sense) the elder’s responsibility to the church.
We talked about (The Eight-Point Preacher)

1 Timothy 4:11-16 “Prescribe and teach these things. Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe. Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching. Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery. Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all. Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.”
He Preaches Truth He is Spiritually Mature
He Focuses on Essentials He Submits to the Spirit
He Works hard and Improves He Evaluates Himself
He Doesn’t Quit He Realizes What is at Stake

We could potentially add a ninth by saying that he is GENTLE
1 Timothy 5:1-2 “Do not sharply rebuke an older man, but rather appeal to him as a father, to the younger men as brothers, the older women as mothers, and the younger women as sisters, in all purity.”

That is the elder’s responsibility to the church.

Tonight the emphasis is reversed
And it is the church’s responsibility to the elder.

The weight of this passage falls on the congregation.

And in order to do this accurately you must also adopt the view that the flock of God is more important than any one man.

4 Points
#1 THE EXHORTATION
1 Timothy 5:17-20

Here Paul gets right to the point
In regard to what he expects from the church in regard to its elders.

1) WHEN TO HONOR (17-18)

“The elders who rule well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.”

“elders” translates PRESBUTEROS

PRESBUS = “old man”
Here we are referring to an official office in that regard.

I have told you before that this is the same as the overseer.
We say that because the terms are used interchangeably.

Acts 20:17 “From Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called to him the elders of the church.”

Acts 20:28 “Be on guard for yourselves and for all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.”

It is obvious that the “elders” were the “overseers”

Paul is not just dealing with all of the old men,
But rather that he is dealing with the ordained leadership of the church
And it was an office of men who literally ruled the church.

There is no hint of business meeting, or majority rule in Scripture,
The rule of the church was assigned to the elders who ruled the church.

“The elders who rule well”

“rule” = PROISTEMI

“to put before, to set over, to rule”

It is the same word translated “manages” in 1 Timothy 3.

1 Timothy 3:4 “He must be one who manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity”

1 Timothy 3:12 “Deacons must be husbands of only one wife, and good managers of their children and their own households.”

They have the same duty to the church that a father has to his children.
He is to manage, or rule over the church.

This was never a one man job in the New Testament.
This was an office held by several men, ordained to rule the church.

And Scripture says that ALL OF THEM are to be honored.
1 Thessalonians 5:12-14 “But we request of you, brethren, that you appreciate those who diligently labor among you, and have charge over you in the Lord and give you instruction, and that you esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Live in peace with one another. We urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with everyone.”

1 Corinthians 16:15-16 “Now I urge you, brethren (you know the household of Stephanas, that they were the first fruits of Achaia, and that they have devoted themselves for ministry to the saints), that you also be in subjection to such men and to everyone who helps in the work and labors.”

Hebrews 13:17 “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they keep watch over your souls as those who will give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with grief, for this would be unprofitable for you.”

It is clear, that in following God’s designed order,
The church is to honor and obey those who rule over them.

In our text tonight Paul carries it a step further.

“The elders who rule well are to be considered of worthy of double honor,”

While all elders are to be honored, those who do their job well
Are to be considered worthy of more.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO “RULE WELL”?

Paul seems to answer that question next.
“especially those who work hard at preaching and teaching.”

It may never be universally accepted in the church again,
But time and time again we are reminded that the main priority of the elder or overseer is a commitment to the ministry of God’s word.

WHY?
Because the preaching and teaching role
Carries with it the most extreme consequences.

1 Timothy 4:16 “Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things, for as you do this you will ensure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you.”

To put it plainly, salvation lies in the balance.

God wants those who work hard in regard to the salvation of the flock
To be found worthy of double honor.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO HONOR?
Certainly recognition is implied, but even beyond that, Paul explains it.

(18) “For the Scripture says, “YOU SHALL NOT MUZZLE THE OX WHILE HE IS THRESHING.” And “The laborer is worthy of his wages.”

I don’t know what you immediately think of when you hear the word “honor”, but it is obvious what Paul had in mind.

Paul was referring to their payment.

If you have several oxen, but one outperforms all the rest,
Don’t you make sure that that ox is the best taken care of?

You are aware that in Paul’s day finances were not always stable.

And at times Paul even had to suspend his ministry to earn a living.
Acts 18:1-5 “After these things he left Athens and went to Corinth. And he found a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, having recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had commanded all the Jews to leave Rome. He came to them, and because he was of the same trade, he stayed with them and they were working, for by trade they were tent-makers. And he was reasoning in the synagogue every Sabbath and trying to persuade Jews and Greeks. But when Silas and Timothy came down from Macedonia, Paul began devoting himself completely to the word, solemnly testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ.”

It is clear that the finances allowed Paul to focus himself
More on preaching than on tent making.

And that illustrates our point well.

If you have a man among you who really works hard at preaching Then by all means make sure he is able to do that.

When to Honor
2) WHEN TO PROTECT (19)

It is also no surprise to us that when Satan attacks the church of God,
he would just as soon start at the top as anywhere.

And so we know that the preacher or elder
Will always take his fair share of criticism.

Matthew 10:24-25 “A disciple is not above his teacher, nor a slave above his master. “It is enough for the disciple that he become like his teacher, and the slave like his master. If they have called the head of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign the members of his household!”

The exhortation of Paul is that the church
Protect her elders from such slander.

“Do not receive an accusation against an elder”

This doesn’t mean hear it, investigate it, and prove it wrong.
This means ignore it.
DON’T EVEN LISTEN TO IT

Proverbs 26:20 “For lack of wood the fire goes out, And where there is no whisperer, contention quiets down.”

Proverbs 20:19 “He who goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets, Therefore do not associate with a gossip.”

Paul is asking the church to extend the same courtesy
That they would give Jesus to their leaders.
Don’t listen to it, and don’t believe it.

UNLESS
“except on the basis of two or three witnesses.”

Now, if that many come up with the same accusation,
The church is forced to deal with it.

It doesn’t mean they are guilty,
But because it is a rumor with some momentum
The church is required to at least investigate it.

They will either prove it true or prove it false,
But it is already so out there, that they must deal with it.
But Paul wants the elder protected, after all,
They carry to a large degree the reputation of the church.

It is definitely in the church’s best interest to prove their elder’s innocent,
And not entertain slander against them.

When to Honor When to Protect
3) WHEN TO REBUKE (20)

“Those who continue in sin, rebuke in the presence of all, so that the rest will be fearful of sinning.”

Now this is interesting.

You are probably familiar with our Lord’s admonition
In regard to church discipline.

Matthew 18:15-17 “If your brother sins, go and show him his fault in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. “But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that BY THE MOUTH OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES EVERY FACT MAY BE CONFIRMED. “If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector.”

There the order is obvious.
But it is also obvious that that order is modified in regard to an elder.

By the time the accusation has reached two or three witnesses,
It is already common knowledge.
And the point is that the church cannot deal with it in private.

The rest of the congregation and the community
Must know where the church stands on such immorality.

And if it is proven that this man is continuing in sin,
No private meeting will suffice.
“rebuke in the presence of all”

And the result is obvious.
“so that the rest will be fearful of sinning.”

Romans 8:28 “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.”

This is one of those unique incidents
Where God wins the day even through difficult circumstances.

If the church will do as God says,
The church will not be embarrassed by their sinning elder,
But will instead reaffirm their commitment to holiness.
When to Honor your elders When to Protect your elders When to Rebuke your elders

That is the exhortation
#2 THE EXPECTATION
1 Timothy 5:21

I hope you notice the charge.
And not only that, but a solemn charge (a serious charge)

“in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of His chosen angels”

In other words, Paul wants the church to realize that this situation
IS BIGGER THAN JUST THEIR LOCAL CONGREGATION.

It may very well be that an elder be one who works hard at preaching and teaching but because the church doesn’t want to, they ignore Paul’s command.

It could be that an elder be guilty of sin, but because he is so popular that the church decides to overlook it and keep him anyway.

Paul is here reminding the body that they do not have such an option.

This is God’s flock.
God gets to decide.

Make your decisions as though God were sitting in the room
Watching what you decide.

And here is Paul’s charge.
“to maintain these principles without bias, doing nothing in a spirit of partiality.”

First you and I have to remember that God requires
That we never exercise partiality in our lives.

James 2:1-4 “My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,” have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives?”

God hates unjust scales and partiality is certainly that.

And because God hates partiality,
It is only obvious that it is also forbidden in this situation.

“maintain these principles without bias”

Romans 2:9-11 “There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God.”

I don’t care how much you like the preacher,
You have to rebuke him when he sins, because this is bigger than you.

YOU MUST HONOR THOSE WHO RULE WELL
AND REBUKE THOSE WHO CONTINUE IN SIN

The Exhortation The Expectation
#3 THE EXAMINATION
1 Timothy 5:22

While the first two have dealt with men already in office,
This deals with selecting those to serve.

These men are to be tested and examined
(that is why Paul gave the qualifications in ch. 3)

In regard to Timothy Paul said:
1 Timothy 4:14 “Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed on you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery.”

It was the group of elders who recognized Timothy’s gift to preach
And who laid their hands on him.

They were setting him apart for the ministry.
They were pledging to support him and to protect him.

And this is what the church continues to do in selecting it’s leaders.

No man ascends to the position by his own ambition.
The gifting of God must be evident in his life
And he must be set apart to do it.

This is a protective measure for the church,
Where the church discerns those who claim to be called.

And here Paul gives a strong warning.
“Do not lay hands upon anyone too hastily and thereby share responsibility for the sins of others; keep yourself free from sin.”

Because the church is to remain free from sin,
She must guard herself even here.

If you set a person apart for ministry…
If you ordain them… If you endorse them…
If you recommend them…
Then you are also responsible for the job they do.

The church is “giving their word” in a sense that
They have thoroughly examined this man and find him suitable to lead.

When I was called to preach, my home church ordained me.
(Explain process)

This shocked me because I had previously been ordained as a deacon
By another church and they didn’t ask me a thing.

That is foolish.
Would you recommend a carpet cleaner who tore up your carpets?
Would you recommend a mechanic who ruined your car?

Then why would you recommend a preacher
Who can destroy the soul of another?

These men must be examined.

The Exhortation, The Expectation, The Examination
#4 THE EXPLANATION
1 Timothy 5:24-25

Now, I know we skipped verse 23.

That seems to be a personal note from Paul to Timothy to help him.
(Explain)
But it obviously doesn’t follow the flow, in fact Paul returns to the flow in verses 24-25.

And in these two verses
Paul reveals two truths in regard to examining an elder.

1) SOME DEEDS ARE EVIDENT
(24) “The sins of some are quite evident, going before them to judgment”
(25) “Likewise also, deeds that are good are quite evident,”

The point is that if you will just open your eyes
You will quickly be able to see whether or not a certain elder is worthy

There are many things that can be discerned
Just by opening your eyes and looking at them.

Some deeds are evident
2) SOME DEEDS ARE EXTRACTED
(24b) “for others their sins follow after.”
(25b) “and those which are otherwise cannot be concealed.”

The indication here is that there are some deeds that are hidden,
But if the church will be committed to examination,
Those will become evident as well.

If the church would simply try a little,
They would be able to see which elders
Are worthy of double honor and which are worthy of rebuke.

This is a discipline she must develop for the consequences are severe

For just as the faithful preacher will ensure salvation
Tolerating a bad one can have the reverse effect.

Isaiah 5:13 “Therefore My people go into exile for their lack of knowledge; And their honorable men are famished, And their multitude is parched with thirst.”

Isaiah 9:13-17 “Yet the people do not turn back to Him who struck them, Nor do they seek the LORD of hosts. So the LORD cuts off head and tail from Israel, Both palm branch and bulrush in a single day. The head is the elder and honorable man, And the prophet who teaches falsehood is the tail. For those who guide this people are leading them astray; And those who are guided by them are brought to confusion. Therefore the Lord does not take pleasure in their young men, Nor does He have pity on their orphans or their widows; For every one of them is godless and an evildoer, And every mouth is speaking foolishness. In spite of all this, His anger does not turn away And His hand is still stretched out.”

Hosea 4:6 “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being My priest. Since you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.”

Jeremiah 10:21 “For the shepherds have become stupid And have not sought the LORD; Therefore they have not prospered, And all their flock is scattered.”

Ezekiel 34:5-6 “They were scattered for lack of a shepherd, and they became food for every beast of the field and were scattered. “My flock wandered through all the mountains and on every high hill; My flock was scattered over all the surface of the earth, and there was no one to search or seek for them.”‘”

I think you get the point.

The church must see the big picture, look beyond the man,
And do what is necessary for the benefit of the flock;
“God’s flock”.

And when the church takes such action,
The flock will be well cared for and will thrive spiritually.

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.”

Clarifying Widow Ministry – Part 2
1 Timothy 5:9-16
May 23, 2010

It has been a couple of weeks since we last visited this letter of 1 Timothy.

But as you know, this letter serves as a tremendous blueprint
For the function and ministries of the church.

“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.”

On one hand, we certainly understand that the church is God’s instrument on this earth for carrying out His desire.

Matthew 5:13-16 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

And so the church must be what God intends to be effective.
And so we study this book.

This is why there have been so many commands related to
The accuracy of teachers, the importance of faithful preaching,
The high calling of prayer, etc.

And so one reason for this letter is to help us be effective.

But on the other hand we also understand that God’s church
Is under heavy scrutiny from the world and that
She must be constantly aware of their desire to see her fall and fail.

Matthew 10:16 “Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves; so be shrewd as serpents and innocent as doves.”

Another purpose of this letter is to help the church know the best way to operate so as not to kill her witness in a world filled with skepticism.

We have seen this several times already.
1 Timothy 2:9-10 “Likewise, I want women to adorn themselves with proper clothing, modestly and discreetly, not with braided hair and gold or pearls or costly garments, but rather by means of good works, as is proper for women making a claim to godliness.”

1 Timothy 3:7 “And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.”

1 Timothy 3:10 “These men must also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons if they are beyond reproach.”
And we see it in the text we are studying tonight.
1 Timothy 5:14 “Therefore, I want younger widows to get married, bear children, keep house, and give the enemy no occasion for reproach;”

The reality is that the church has any number of enemies
Who would like nothing better than to be able to find a chink in her armor.
If they can find a carnal preacher…
If they can find a wicked deacon…
If they can find a provocative woman…

They don’t care, any and all will suffice as ammunition
To try and bring the church down.

And so 1 Timothy proves to be a valuable letter,
Both in regard to how best to go in the offensive,
And how to protect ourselves from the attacks of the enemy.

Tonight we deal with a passage that deals with both.

Last time we met we talked about the first part of the widow ministry,
And that ministry was how the church should minister to widows.

And the easiest explanation is found in verse 3:
1 Timothy 5:3 “Honor widows who are widows indeed;”

For those women who are truly left alone,
The church should care for them.
(No husband, no children, no other family)

In fact in our text tonight Paul concludes
By giving another person who must help before the church does.

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.”

But if that woman is truly alone and has no help,
God does not expect her to now have to fend for herself.

Then the church must step in and financially support such women.

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.”

But this second section deals with
The ministry of the widow to the church.

And while these two ministries may have certainly overlapped,
They are not necessarily comprised of the same groups of women.

For example,
Church may help younger widows – but they cannot serve.
Church may not help widows with money – but they certainly can serve.

These are different ministries, but they are listed together
Because they both involve widows.

THESE WIDOWS SERVE THE CHURCH

John MacArthur wrote:
“Their duties surely included helping with the baptism of women, visiting the sick, visiting prisoners, teaching and discipling younger women, helping younger women rear and nurture their children, and providing hospitality for visitors and strangers. They may have also assisted in placing orphans into proper Christian homes. That was a very important ministry in the Roman world, since the orphaned or abandoned children wound up as slaves, and often as prostitutes or gladiators. With their own husbands gone and their children grown, those widows had the time to pursue such essential matters.”
(pg. 206-207)

Furthermore simply by reading the text
We can deduce some of what they did.

(Vs. 10) she can be used “if she has brought up children”
And this of course can be seen as a responsibility if she is to help the younger women raise their kids or even be a protector to the orphans.

(Vs. 13) “as they go house to house”
And that certainly implies a sort of service and compassion ministry that was involved in caring for the sick and elderly.

And so now we are dealing with a new responsibility.
This is the responsibility of older widows to the church.

This was a serious ministry of service.
And here Paul sets out to reveal the qualifications and guidelines
For such a ministry.

There are two main points tonight although we will definitely expound on each.
#1 WHO TO RECEIVE
1 Timothy 5:9-10

Here it is obvious that Paul is explaining which widows
Are qualified to be recognized servants of the church.

Not every widow was qualified.

Just as overseers and deacons had to fit certain criteria
Before they could be recognized servants,
The widow also fell into this line.

And here Paul gives 8 requirements she must fulfill.
(5 times using the word “if”)

1) AGE
“A widow is to be put on the list if she is not less than sixty years old”

Apparently this is the one requirement that Paul was concerned
About receiving the most backslash about.
For he will later explain why he said this in more detail.

AT 60
• Her children would be grown
• The retirement age of Greek culture

2) CHASTITY
“having been the wife of one man”

Not necessarily divorce.
“one-man woman”

Her age, Her chastity
3) HER REPUTATION
“having a reputation for good works”

When talking about deacons we read:
1 Timothy 3:10 “These men must also first be tested; then let them serve as deacons if they are beyond reproach.”

And the idea was that if they weren’t servants before they became deacons what makes you think they would become servants afterward?

The same is true of the widow.
If she didn’t do “good works” before being put on the list what makes you think she would do “good works” after being put on the list?

There is also the implication of how the world perceives her.
Of overseers Paul wrote:
1 Timothy 3:7 “And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.”

And Paul’s point was that if an overseer was too easy of a target for the world to attack, it was pointless to make him an overseer.

The same is true of the widow.

4) HER EXPERIENCE
“if she has brought up children”

Titus 2:3-5 “Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.”

Obviously you cannot learn motherhood by reading a book.
And one of this woman’s primary roles was instructing
And aiding the younger women as they raised their children.

She taught younger women
She helped orphans
SHE HAD TO KNOW WHAT SHE WAS DOING

Her age, Her chastity, Her reputation, Her experience
5) HER HOSPITALITY
“if she has shown hospitality to strangers”

In the days of the early church, motels were scarce
And those that were available were both expensive and dangerous.

Believers who traveled depended upon the hospitality of other believers.

6) HER HUMILITY
“if she has washed the saints’ feet”

It was ordinarily the slaves who washed the dirt and mud
Off of the feet of those entered.

And so Paul may not have been speaking in a literal sense her.
But certainly he has in mind her humble attitude.

She is not an uppity woman who is above certain tasks.

7) HER COMPASSION
“if she has assisted those in distress”

And of course all of these things deal with her lifestyle
BEFORE she became a widow.

When those in the church were in distress she went to meet their needs.
Today it is seen in “cooked meals” – “cleaned houses” – “baby-sitting kids” – etc.

She is a woman who put the needs of others above her own all her life,
And that is what now suits her to be an official servant of the church.

8) HER DEVOTION
“if she has devoted herself to every good work.”

And of course this sort of encompasses all the previous requirements.
She has to be one who was not just a flash in the pan.

She can’t remember a time 30 years ago when she did it,
She can remember a time last week when she did.

This is here lifestyle, not a one-time event.
She is devoted.

“sixty years old”
“wife of one man”
“reputation for good works”
“brought up children”
“shown hospitality”
“washed the saints’ feet”
“assisted those in distress”
“devoted herself to every good work”

Receive such women on the list as widows to serve the church.

Who to receive
#2 WHO TO REFUSE
1 Timothy 5:11-15

Here you see the strong language of Paul in this verse.
“But refuse to put younger widows on the list”

It implies that they may want to be on the list.
It implies that others may want them there.

But Paul is calling Timothy to stand tough and “refuse” to do so.

NOT BECAUSE THEY AREN’T GOOD WOMEN,
BUT BECAUSE THEY ARE TOO YOUNG,
AND THEIR AGE MAKES THEM SUSCEPTABLE TO TEMPTATION.

“for when they feel sensual desires in disregard of Christ, they want to get married, thus incurring condemnation, because they have set aside their previous pledge.”

The phrase “sensual desires in disregard of Christ”
Is one word in the Greek.
KATA – STRE – NI – A – O

It is only used here in the New Testament,
But in Greek literature it is used to refer to an ox trying to escape from it’s yoke.

And Paul here says that if a younger woman takes the vow
To remain a widow and serve the church,
Then she is at tremendous risk of this temptation.

For what happens when her grief passes and she finds that she would like to remarry and have children?

It places her in a very difficult situation.

For if she follows her natural desire to “get married” she will incur “condemnation, because [she] has set aside [her] previous pledge.”

Ecclesiastes 5:4-5 “When you make a vow to God, do not be late in paying it; for He takes no delight in fools. Pay what you vow! It is better that you should not vow than that you should vow and not pay.”

And that is the application here.

I know that today you may think you will never love again, and never desire a husband again, and that may even be true of some women.

But it is not true for the majority of women
And they are setting themselves up for too great a temptation
By taking the vow at such a young age.

But that is not the only reason Paul refuses them.
(13) “At the same time they also learn to be idle, as they go from house to house; and not merely idle, but also gossips and busybodies, talking about things not proper to mention.”

Paul also saw the danger of a lack of maturity.

Someone once said:
“Too much time with not enough to do is dangerous for anyone except those too old to get into trouble.”

And that seems to be Paul’s motive here as well.

Simply put there is not enough to do in the widow ministry
To keep a younger woman as busy as she needs to stay.

And because that is the case Paul gives a command.

(14-15) “Therefore, I want younger widows to get married, bear children, keep house, and give the enemy no occasion for reproach; for some have already turned aside to follow Satan.”

Once again God reveals His truest intention for the woman.
We could go back to Genesis and see why she was created.
“as a helpmate suitable for him”

We could read 1 Corinthians and read:
“Man was not created for the woman’s sake, but woman for the man’s sake”

And even here we read that God has an intention for younger women.
– Not college
– Not a career
MARRIAGE

And this is so true that even if a woman loses her husband at a young age God desires for her to “get married” again.

It may seem anti-feminist to read that,
And it certainly flies in the face of modern thinking,
But when the Potter took a lump of the clay
This was what He decided He wanted to do with it.

And Paul even gets more specific than that.

“get married, bear children, keep house”

And yet it is amazing how society has brain-washed our women
Into thinking that if this is all they do then they are wasting their lives.

How many times have we said that all we desire is to be in the middle of the will of God?

How many times do we say, “I just want what God wants for me.”

I mean listen to Jesus:
John 6:38 “For I have come down from heaven, not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.”

John 8:29 “And He who sent Me is with Me; He has not left Me alone, for I always do the things that are pleasing to Him.”

That is our goal as well.

And God’s will for younger women is that they “get married, bear children,” and “keep house”.

And then, according to our text tonight,
Once you have done that well for your lifetime,
And reach the age of 60
Then you start teaching and helping the younger women do the exact same thing.

Titus 2:3-5 “Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored.”

This concept may not be popular,
But it is certainly not too difficult to understand.

And Paul’s reasoning in this is simple
“give the enemy no occasion for reproach; for some have already turned aside to follow Satan.”

And the occasion Paul is referring to
Is a church whose women have stepped outside of their role.

• They have either become unsubmissive to their husbands
• Or failed to raise their children,
• Or failed to keep house,
• Or been lured away into gossip and idleness.

And Satan sees those women as a tremendous opportunity
To attack the church’s reputation .

2 Timothy 3:1-6 “But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses,”

And the regrettable fact is that:
“some have already turned aside to follow Satan.”

In other words they have forsaken their God-ordained roles
Or perverted the role they are fulfilling.

If you aren’t doing it God’s way, then whose way are you doing it?

But you understand Paul’s point.

There is a group of saintly servants we call widows.
They are a tremendous asset to the church,
And when they fulfill their calling, they are also a glory to God.

And the intention of Paul
Is not merely to outline the service of older widows,

But also to encourage younger women to live their lives
In a way so as to some way be qualified for this special service.

Women who are considered worthy to serve,
Didn’t become worthy overnight.

They did it the right way all their lives,
And then they became eligible.

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.”