Sermon: Honor in the Household

He would take your Bibles this morning if you walked in with a Bible this morning would ask you to turn open to 1st. Timothy Chapter 5 if you didn't would encourage you to grab a Pew Bible there. And they're right in front of you and you can turn to page 992 in the Pew Bible 992. of the Pew Bible It's morning first. Timothy chapter 5. We open up God's word together this morning.

Timothy Chapter 5 and we're going to look at verses 1 through 8.

Let's pray before we open the word together this morning.

My Father in Heaven, even as we sung so we continue to pray and Hope. And believe that you will hold us fast. Prepare for those of us that are your children in this room this morning that as your word goes out. As you've promised. You would hold us fast by it. But so it's true deep in US.

And that we find that we are looking to you our father in Heaven.

Pray for those of us that are in this room who do not. No you as father that even by Your Word this morning. You would demonstrate. your goodness

that you would Proclaim.

your truthfulness and that we would all know that as we leave this place that we have encountered the Living God. Living God I give you praise your father in Heaven. Be with us. We pray christening. amen for Timothy chapter 5 verses 1 through 8. This is the holy inerrant sufficient word of God. Do not rebuke an older man, but encourage him as you would a father. younger men as brothers older women as mothers younger women as

sisters in all purity. honor widows were truly widows. But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness. to their own household and to make some return to their parents. Or this is pleasing the sight of God. She who is truly a widow left all alone? Set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day. But she who is self-indulgent. Is dead. even while she lives

command these things as well so that they may be without reproach. But if anyone does not provide for his relatives and especially for members of his household. Is denied the faith? And his worse than an unbeliever. the grass withers and the flower Fades word of God is forever. Thanks be to God. amen

We're family. Church's family

and God saved us. He not only saved us unto himself. He saved us to one another. He not only as Paul will say made us a new creation. He grafted us into a new family.

this is a good thought a good text, especially one day that in our culture. We celebrate Mother's Day as we're working our way through this book. I didn't plan it just happened this way, but God's Providence. It seems right and good. For many of you this morning, this is a wonderful morning. It's an exciting morning. You celebrate being a mother or a grandmother. For others of you, this is one of the hardest days in the entire calendar year.

because of someone you lost because of child you don't have because you didn't have a good mother growing up. In this passage reminds us that we are all family and that you're surrounded by fathers and mothers in this room. You're surrounded by sons and daughters in this room. You're surrounded by brothers and sisters in this room even as We brought some into Community membership this morning were family. two points this morning

the family's ethic and the family's care the family's ethic and the family's care. You notice the language of poles instruction here as he gives it. He he couches all of this and familial language regarding the older man. He says encourage him as you would a father. Younger men encouraged them as you would brothers older women encourage them as you would mothers younger women as you would encourage your sisters were family.

And there are ethics we are to abide by here within the household of God. Our relationships are to be governed. They're not to be governed by our passions. They're not to be governed by our individual Pursuits. They're not to be governed by our flesh. They're to be governed by the one that we are united to. Be governed by Christ. to Paul is laying out the family ethic here for you and I United Family We're no longer desperate group of individuals.

Who belong to one another? family

for 20 about 20 years now since my ordination I've journeyed to our denominations. National gathering it's called the general assembly it is. A month from right now so you could be praying for it. But all of these pastors and ruling Elders from throughout the country all descend upon a city thousands of them and this year. It's in Birmingham, Alabama. And there will we will all meet in this large hole and there will be speeches and then there will

be motions that are made and then substitute motions and then there will be amendments to the substitute motion and amendments to the amendment to The Substitute motion. That's a lot of fun.

A number of years ago. I was one of the first years maybe my second or third year. I brought a few ruling Elders with me that hadn't been to General Assembly before. and they listened as men got up to do their speeches on the floor of the assembly and and more often than not it's the same salutation that men offer on the floor of the assembly before they speak. They say the same thing at the very beginning. and one of the ruling Elders was sitting next to

me and after he listened to two or three men go to the microphone he Leaned into my ear and he asked me a question. The salutation that is offered over and over. by men that rise up at the microphone is they will say fathers and brothers fathers and brothers that really Nutter leaned over to me after he'd heard this three or more times and he said how many of these pastors used to be Roman Catholics? the No, it's this is this is good. This

is right. Calling older men in the face. fathers It's good and right that we would call younger men in the faith Brothers. the sign of respect weren't simply speaking to Pastors in those moments. Paul says do not rebuke an older man, but encourage him as you would a father. That's the family's ethic because that's our relationship treat younger men as brothers younger women as sisters older women as mothers the younger or to approach and speak and

think and they are to act towards their fathers and mothers in the Faith with humility. That's the family ethic. And the older have a responsibility to the younger they are to consider the younger men as brothers and the younger women as sisters, they stoop down in humility and treat them as siblings in the faith. Now notice that what he says of younger sisters, they'll say you're to treat them with purity. That is you don't make sexual advances here.

That would be incestuous he is saying To violate them and not be respectful towards them.

You shall respect and love and care for family. This is not a nice societal convention pose saying this is godliness. The family ethic is one of love and one of humility and one of respect. There's not to be an Arab superiority in the family of God that oozes from the older and even as there is not to be a disrespectful Zeal that Force forth from the the younger family respects and it loves and it cares.

Do we have a family mindset?

You have a family mindset. Do I have a family mindset? We have to ask that.

Is that the ethic that governs our interactions with one another? It is to be in the family of God.

family solicits love family requires forgiveness family demands from you and I that we seek to live with one another and understanding way. family requires that we belong suffering The demands of us there I say that we be patient with one another. This is what family does it has an ethic. It leads Paul to our second point the family's care. He says and verse 3 honor widows. Family Care honor widows. Why does the emphasize widows

here? Well, there are two reasons one is instructive and the other is resemblance one is instructed. The other is resemblance. Honor widows it's instructive. The instruction is needed why because widows in the ancient world were often forgot about they were often pushed to the side. A woman was always identify by a relationship to her father or to her husband. And so a married woman once she was lost. She lost her husband once he

passed away. She often lost her social standing. She no longer had a place in many ways in society. She lost all the Care that was afforded to her. She lost all of her protection. She lost in many cases all of her provision. Because there were no government entities that surrounded those that had need to help them there were no non-profit organizations that helped those that were needy. A widow was often forsaken. and often forgotten

suppose instructing that is not to be the case and the family of God. Why because we love and we care and we respect.

A widow in the family of God is never ever alone. to surrounded by fathers and mothers to surrounded by brothers and sisters

She's not alone. Honor them says Paul.

He also gives this command because of what we are to resemble. Our Father in Heaven, the psalmist says in Psalm 68 is a defender of widows and Deuteronomy 10 were told that he defends the case of the Widow and the orphan we could go from Old Testament to New Testament and see over and over again that God demonstrates his care for the Widow. He raises the Widow zeroth son and the Old Testament he raises the child of the Widow of

Maine in the New Testament throughout the scriptures over and over again, we see that he has care for the Widow. And children are to look like their father. what they see modeled in their father what they see evidence in their father is to be seen in them. Weird embody what is true of our father and our father cares for the Widow?

There's to be a family resemblance. We see this modeled in our elder brother Christ. He will praise the Widow who gives more at the temple from what she does not have than the Pharisee that gives from what he has he will use her as the example in the parable of the unjust judge. It is the Widow that he highlights. He will do this over and over and his teaching again to bring this marginalized person in society this person that is

suffering that is often forgotten and pushed to the sides of community. He's bringing her right to the center of the community. And he does this over and over with marginalized people.

in fact think what our Lord and savior does is that examples this by not following

simply the words of the law, but the very Spirit of the Lord.

And I think we're to do the same here. We might expand it to the single mother in our day. Single mom would have been almost Unthinkable imposed day. But in our day we have a lot of single mothers. but some mothers that have been abandoned by husbands and fathers that don't really care epidemic. Seems like this would extend to them. along with others Jesus showed compassion over and over to those that were most often burden and marginalized he went out of his way

to touch the leper. He healed the bleeding woman unclean woman. He forgave the adulterous woman. He ministered to the Canaanite woman. He commended the Samaritan were to look like our father. Were to be loving and caring and compassionate he is a defender of widows so honor them says Paul.

We surround and we help one another where there is need. What we do. That's what family does. That's why he takes the Widow and puts her in the very center of the community here. family member has need So we minister to it. Listen there shall be a day when None Shall die again when our flesh will never fail again when no one will have lost when no one will suffer hurt and no one will suffer pain and no one will be left to

themselves. That day hasn't arrived yet. And so where we find it within the family of God, we rush to it. And we seek to meet it. This is our family ethic.

We lived in North Carolina. Church, I was pastoring there. I saw this I thought it was just the ideal picture of this within the church. When someone would die in the church. the church would not ask no one in the church would ask? Everyone would literally just leave their house and they would go over to that person's house and they would bring food. And they would just fill the house with people with food. Seems like the ideal picture to me.

I know every introvert in this room is saying that does not feel like the ideal picture to me. ideally If we were all extroverts, it seems pretty ideal. the whole family gathering together because there's been laws. And there's just that Ministry of presence with one another. Where you're just with each other and you're grieving with one another and you're seeking to meet one another's needs because there has been loss in our midst. They tackled it

together.

It's honor. Oppose referring to often requires more than simple sympathy it requires of the church that it provides financially. And it provides materially for the Widow. for those suffering in our midst But I want you to notice the qualifications that Paul puts in our passage. He says this he says honor widows who are truly widows. Now clearly a widow is someone a woman who has lost her husband or husband has died that clearly is

what defines a widow but what Paul is saying is that she is not necessarily truly a widow in the church and that she needs the care of the church financially materially just because her husband died. he gives qualifications here He says honor widows who are truly widows and then he gives two qualifications. The first is family of origin. There's a qualification. Let's look at her family of origin in Christ. We have a spiritual family. He's provided the

spiritual Family Force, but we all so have a family of origin. The family that we grew up in our parents our siblings our children and our grandchildren and he says if the Widow has children or grandchildren and her family of origin than these family members are to provide for the care of this Widow and financial and in material needs first. They have that responsibility. It's god-given.

Poe underscores out by saying that this is godliness godliness to provide for your relatives

Listen Our Father in Heaven has provided a wonderful Safety Net in the church. We all have it. There is no one ever in this room that belongs to this church that should ever be in need ever. Because we're the safety net. And so we run to helping one another. You see that in Acts 2 or the church gathers together and we have that wonderful phrase where it says that they had all things in common so that there was not one among them

that had need there was no need among them. And so it's to be here. There's not to be need Among Us. But that doesn't mean that we are to jump at every single knee. There has to be wisdom in when we jump. And It's tricky because our hearts get pulled and we want to show that care and that love and that honor and so we need to see a need and we want to jump to this individual Christians our diacon and tested wrestle with this over and over again. They feel those

pull strings on the heart and they want to jump to meet the need.

opposed saying don't always jump. sometimes have to have wisdom to know not to over the years I've had various conversations with people regarding different things in their life and in the church and I've said to them. Don't fill the gap. I've said that the wives that are looking for their husbands to lead. I've said that to parents that are looking for their children to take responsibility. Don't fill the gap. Because you see if you feel the Gap then they'll never take responsibility for.

That's what Paul is saying here. The Church Must Be careful not to fill the Gap too quickly we show love and we shall care and we show respect that is our Mo but a widow or anyone must be truly in need if there are children if there are grandchildren let them first step up to their God given familial responsibility. Too often, especially in our day. We need to hear this too often. Family is not stepping up.

And that has never to be the case in the household of God.

compassion love care but wise compassion love cares the cold Church Paul gives closing strong words in verse 8 when he's speaking about this he says but if anyone does not provide for his relatives and especially for members of his household, he is denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. How many need to hear this today?

Notice here that Paul puts the emphasis upon the man. He uses the masculine pronoun here. He he's saying to the husband or the father or the sons or the grandsons that it is your responsibility to provide for your family. Not that this means that the wife can't contribute But ultimately the responsibility and the duty falls upon them. He is to provide That's your god-given responsibility men and your family to provide.

Can't be shirt. And if he does not provide for his family Paul says he's worse than an unbeliever. How can that possibly be the case? How can he be worse than an unbeliever? Because Paul's point in the history of humanity. It has been the rule of thumb that even unbelieving men provide for their families. How could those men in the church not do?

This is one of it seems to me one of the greatest tragedies of our day. the lack of work ethic among young men may it never be so in the church. here to provide

We're filled with the helper. The spirit of God. We are united to Christ who came not to be served but to serve we are children of this compassionate Heavenly Father We Love by providing.

was the thought come across my mind. I was in a years and years and years ago. I was ministering in a in a neighborhood a Section 8 housing complex and was leading Bible studies there and

sharing the Faith with different families and there was a man that I was discipling in one of those families and he came to me one day and He said Jason. He said I had a really interesting exchange the morning in my house. he said one little boys was in my house and I was getting ready to go to work that morning and I was straightening my tie in front of the mirror, and he That this little four year old boy looked up at him and he said to this man he said, what are you doing?

And he said I'm getting ready to go to work. He said the little boy said to him. Men don't work.

It's a credible judgment upon our society a little boy would get to a place where he would say something like that.

to provide

godliness Paul is pointed out as often shown by what we give for the sake of others. It gives the opportunity to demonstrate godliness.

Years ago when Lee and I were in seminary I was doing full-time Seminary working full-time an insurance company. She was working as a nanny for a family and we were barely scraping by there were literally weeks where I was writing out checks for utility bill and for telephone bill and I knew that as I made out that check that there was not the money in the checking account and I was just hoping that there would be money that

I would somehow come into within the next four or five days as it went in the mail in the check didn't bounce. And it was a night that we were having dinner with the family that Leo was nanning for they were two top-level surgeons. He was not he was a cardiologist surgeon. She was an oncologist and they they had plenty of resources. And we were sitting at dinner and after dinner the woman came up to me and she said Jason she said, how are you and Leah

doing? And I said we're doing well.

And she took a step closer and she said Jason. How are you doing? I said well we're fine. And she literally took me by the lapels and she stuck her face in front of my face. And she said Jason, how are you doing?

I said been tight lately We're just struggling to pay our bills. And she literally took me by the pillows and she shook me. Woman that was half my size. And she said don't you ever answer me like that again? You are stealing the ability for me to store Treasures in Heaven. understood and I Was a Fool In My Pride she understood.

One of the ways that you and I demonstrate godliness is by what we give.

The other reason that the church must not jump in is that these children and grandchildren are making a return upon all that they receive from their parents. or grandparents isn't an amazing that in God's Providence when we were in our greatest need that it was our parents who cared for us. And now often the reverse is happening when they are in their greatest need we are caring for them and we get to return to them a fold of what they gave to

us over the years. And there are so many of you doing this in this congregation right now. caring for aging parents caring for aging grandparents and it is not easy.

It is not easy. I've often thought though over these last number of years watching a number of you who are modeling godliness.

and modeling a return but I do think maybe in this day in this culture that we live in where we distance ourselves from the old and the infirm that and we have a generation unlike has ever happened in modern human history where we have such an old generation that is aging and not dying but they're in firm and losing their cognitive abilities and losing their physical abilities. And now we're spending 10 15 20 years taking care of them.

That this may be one of the great Evangelistic. efforts of the church can demonstrate is that we care for? We care for ours. we return we have a different ethic. We love we honor those who are older though. Their bodies are falling apart. We show compassion now that doesn't necessarily mean that they have to stay in our house with us. It's rather we seek to do what is best for them materially and financially and emotionally and

spiritually and mentally as we provide for them. I think it's one of the great apologetics that we will have for our faith going forward and so many of you are doing this so well right now and it is so not easy.

I want you to hear this encouragement from pose pin what he says to you this morning verse 4. This is pleasing in the sight of God. your laboring your giving is not lost on God. And not only is it not lost on God. You are pleasing.

Pleasing him.

To care for widows and I would argue others as well. But it's limited. It's limited by family of origin and secondly Paul says she must be a woman of Faith verse 5. She has set her hope on God and continues and supplications and prayers night and day he goes on to say that she must not be one who is self-indulgent. That is part of what truly makes a widow that is a widow who is supported by the church as both to have a deficit and she's

also to have enough fluence. She's to have a deficit in the material realm and she's set to having a fluence in the spiritual realm. She must be a woman of God to receive the help of God's people. That's the requirement. But there's such no fluence look like we'll notice. Her Faith and Hope is found in God verse 5. That is she knows she knows God as father and she knows that her father sent his son into this world to live and to

die for her that the Son of God gave all for her. That she is United to him in faith. And so she now lives for him. That's what she lives for. She knows that God did not spare his only son so that he will not spare anything for her. So her hope is not ultimately in the church. Her hope is not ultimately in government programs her. Hope is ultimately in God. She knows him to be a provider of all of her needs. Her hope is in God.

But notice that this hope in God, it's not a dead end Road. Rather her. Hope informs her living. She verse 5 continues in apa and supplications and prayers night and day. It echoes. Well what we see Anna do in Luke 2 at the temple where she is offering prayer night and day as a widow in many ways. I think she is exalted as kind of here's the standard for widowhood of what you see in in Anna there in the temple. That this is what she does. She prays

widows are some of the best intercessors for God's people why because they face the reality of death. They've seen what it looks like the need to be completely dependent upon God and they know what actually matters.

So they're often the best prayers.

They know he is worthy of all of their labors until they're dying day. And so we says the Widow continues and supplications prayer night and day here is godliness. Do you see what Paul was pointing out in this passage? He is saying that she has need but she also is providing for the needs of others in the family. how my prayer

there's a lot of encouragement here for older members of our congregation.

sat with over the years a lot of different older people who have been infirm or

feel like they're wasting away and feel like it's all kind of pointless. Why is it that God still has me here as often the question.

You like there are very little use. For the kingdom, they don't have strength to teach. They have trouble. Going outside of their home to meet people to evangelize. They don't even have the bodily strength to stand in the back and to Usher. Many can't even leave their home. All this and more and it comes to pile up and they say what is the point of all this seems so pointless. I have nothing to give.

Some of described it to me over the years as a kind of living death. the living death what doesn't God just take me home?

And Paul's mine. What is pointless? And what is a living death is a life. That's spent oneself. He says she who is self indulgent as dead even while she lives that is there are able-bodied Christians with plenty of vigor and plenty of Health who are a living death and they don't realize it.

And many dear Saints who have no Vigor and they have no health and yet they are the ones who are truly living.

I've reminded older Saints through the years that as long as they are here they are here because God has worked for them still to do. There's still work for you to do. That's why you're here.

You're still here with purpose. Now, I don't know all of those purposes. I don't know all of those reasons, but I know one. And that's to pray. Be praying. That's the work.

Is wondering thinking about the sermon if every infirm Saint every Old Saint every single Saint every Widow in the family of God. If every one of them spent concerted time in prayer for the rest of the family. For their brothers and sisters in Christ for Covenant children that have gone astray for those that are steeped in sin for marriages that are falling apart for their pastors for their Elders for their deacons for

moms to be Godly and faithful in the home for husbands and fathers to present their bodies as a living sacrifice for Revival for reformation. If every single infirm Old Saint Widow was praying this diligently and praying like this regularly, and continually, I wonder what the effect would be in the church.

As long as you're on Earth. if ministered to do for the sake of Christ and for the glory of his kingdom not over

Finish your race. Well

Just asking some of our MRN guys when they were leaving this morning. They had finals this past week and as promise and stand in the same question. Did you finish well?

You want to finish well?

The church needs the Widow praying even more than the Widow needs the church pain.

She has more to give her family than the church family has to give to her. It's just often hard to recognize and reconcile.

But old age singleness poverty and material things is no barrier to being rich and generous and spiritual things and that is for for more important because it is far far more lasting. for a family we live together and we seek to serve one another as long as we are able. As long as we have breath.

You see yourselves as family.

fathers mothers brothers sisters you operate with that ethic? And serve in that way. We are to the household of God. Let's pray.

Father in heaven

Thankful that you have brought us into family.

That you've made us Sons and Daughters of yours.

and though we pray that we Would respect and honor and love. and comfort courage one another family We would strengthen one another.

instruct one another help one another challenge one another family all with our eyes set upon you our father in Heaven. And we chase after our older brother looking more and more like him. You pray this in the strong name of Christ? amen