Paul's Epistles – I Timothy – Part 8:
Widows
Pastor Bruce A. Shields
House of Faith Church | www.PS127.org
| www.TruthDigest.org | Online Audio Files
SERMON INTRODUCTION
This letter from Paul to Timothy will be the next
“epistle” examine.
Immediately on his release from his first imprisonment
before he visited Spain (Romans 15:24; Philemon 22), Paul
more than likely visited Macedonia, Ephesus, etc. Not being able to stay long
at Ephesus, he left Timothy to take charge of the work.
This parting was a tough trial to Timothy (I
Timothy 1:3; II Timothy 1:4).
To encourage and instruct Timothy (who was sensitive
and timid, and not strong (II Timothy 5:23 frequently upset
stomach because of nerves), Paul wrote and forwarded this letter from Corinth.
PREVIOUSLY
Introduction of I Timothy
False Doctrine and the Law
The Lord’s Grace and Timothy’s Charge
Pray for All
Requirements for Elders and Deacons
Paul’s Reason for writing Timothy this letter
Truth Versus Apostasy
TODAY’S SERMON
Widows
SCRIPTURE REFERENCE
I Timothy 5:1-16 (65 AD)
Do not
rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your
father. Treat younger men as brothers, 2 older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute
purity.
3 Give proper recognition to those widows who are really
in need. 4 But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these
should learn first of all to put their religion into practice by caring for
their own family and so repaying their parents and grandparents, for this
is pleasing to God. 5 The widow who is really in need and left all
alone puts her hope in God and continues night and day to pray and to
ask God for help. 6 But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even
while she lives.7 Give the people these instructions, so that no
one may be open to blame.8 Anyone who does not provide for their relatives, and
especially for their own household, has denied the faith and is worse than
an unbeliever.
9 No widow may be put on the list of widows unless she
is over sixty, has been faithful to her husband, 10 and is well known for her good deeds, such as
bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the
Lord’s people, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds
of good deeds.
11 As for younger widows, do not put them on such a list.
For when their sensual desires overcome their dedication to Christ, they want
to marry. 12 Thus they bring judgment on themselves, because they
have broken their first pledge.13 Besides,
they get into the habit of being idle and going about from house to house. And
not only do they become idlers, but also busybodies who talk
nonsense, saying things they ought not to. 14 So I counsel younger widows to marry, to have
children, to manage their homes and to give the enemy no opportunity for
slander. 15 Some have in fact already turned away to follow Satan.
16 If any woman who is a believer has widows in her care,
she should continue to help them and not let the church be burdened with them,
so that the church can help those widows who are really in need.
The overall message of this
epistle to the church is;
“We are designed to accomplish” - I Timothy 4:12 “Don’t let anyone look down
on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in
speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity.”
I. TREAT BELIEVERS AS
FAMILY
a. Do not rebuke an older man
harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father
i. Rebuke
means to correct, but harshly means in a scolding way, in this use,
disrespectfully
ii. Exhort means to encourage or insist
iii. In other words, “Do not scold older men unkindly, but encourage them as
if he were your father.”
ILLUSTRATION:
There was an older man in
the church years ago who loved God, and did what he thought was best for
himself, his family and the church.
An issue arrived and
correction from the leadership of the church was in order.
I approached him with
respect, because he was older than me, and corrected him, encouraging him to
change his path.
Just because I approached
him correctly, does not guarantee the man will listen, however your chances are
much greater than a harsh, rude or disrespectful attack.
b. Treat younger men as
brothers
i. As
with treating older men as fathers, Paul’s instruction is for us to also treat
younger men as brothers
ii. In essence, we are their “big brothers”, their role model
iii. We, as older men, are to be the example to the younger men
c. Treat older women as
mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity
i. Treating
the older women as mothers is showing the same respect as treating the older
men as fathers
ii. This too gives the example of how we are family
iii. Treating younger women as sisters with absolute purity is a command to
help stop some of the problems that were plaguing the church at this time, and
now...sexual immorality
iv. The key here is purity
v. Remember
Paul’s instruction in I Timothy 4:12
“Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers
in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and
in purity.”
vi. If we behave in the manner described to us in I Timothy 4:12, we will be the example we should be to other
believers, as well as a light in this dark world to unbelievers.
II.
THE WIDOWS FAMILY SHOULD TAKE CARE OF HER
a. Identify those widows who
are truly in need
i. Give proper recognition to those widows who are
really in need.
ii. HOWEVER if a
widow has children or grandchildren, these should learn first of all to put
their religion into practice by caring for their own family and so repaying
their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God.
iii. If a widow has
children or grandchildren, they should take care of her as repayment for her
caring for them when they were children and in need.
iv. A widow with a
family is not considered a widow in need
b. The widow really in need ;
i. ... and left all alone puts her hope in
God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help. (She remains faithful to God)
ii. HOWEVER, the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while
she lives.
1. Meaning she has abandoned her spiritual life, and has returned to a
life trying to fulfill the desires of her flesh.
iii. Galatians 5:13-21 (FLESH) “You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But
do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another
humbly in love. 14 For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command:
“Love your neighbor as yourself.” 15 If you bite and devour each other, watch
out or you will be destroyed by each other.
16 So I say, walk
by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17
For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is
contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are
not to do whatever you want. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are
not under the law.
19 The acts of the flesh are obvious:
sexual immorality (homosexuality, adultery,
fornication - unmarried sex), impurity and debauchery (wickedness,
depravity, corruption, dishonesty); 20 idolatry and witchcraft (controlling
or manipulating people to do your will); hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of
rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies,
and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.
iv. Galatians 5:22-26 (SPIRIT) “But the fruit of the Spirit (produced by having the Spirit of God through
keeping your faith) is love, joy,
peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness and
self-control. Against such things there is no law.24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified
the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 Since we live
by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not
become conceited, provoking and envying each other.”
5 The widow who
is really in need and left all alone puts her hope in God and
continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help (She keeps in step with the Spirit). 6 But the widow who lives
for pleasure is dead even while she lives.
7 Give the people these instructions, so that no one may
be open to blame.
c. Anyone NOT providing for their relatives,
i. especially their
own household, has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever
ii. Denying the faith - If one is truly saved, they will do what the
scriptures instruct, and that is to care for your family
iii. Paul makes the point - If you don’t take care of your family, you
are worse than the unbeliever, because event hey care for their own.
iv. This is a continual tension point for believers. We are supposed to
show the world the love of Christ, and yet, many times we see non-believers
acting more generous, helping more causes, being kinder to their families, and
in a few cases in scripture, they were actually holding themselves to HIGHER
MORAL CONDUCT!
1. I Corinthians 5 Paul condemns incest in the church
2. I Corinthians
6:9-10 “...do you not know that wrongdoers will not inherit
the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor homosexuals 10 nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor
slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”
3. We see in I Corinthians
that even the Pagans were looking down on what was happening inside the church.
v. WE
as believers, MUST hold ourselves to the standard of the Word, and not the
world.
vi. Let us be greater examples to the world on morality than the faithless
pagans
III.
YOUNG WIDOWS
a. To qualify as a widow
really in need
i. VS 9-10 “No widow may
be put on the list of widows unless she is over sixty, has been faithful to her
husband, 10 and is well
known for her good deeds, such as
bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of the
Lord’s people, helping those in trouble and devoting herself to all kinds
of good deeds.”
b. Younger widows should
remarry
i. As for younger widows, do not put them on such a
list. For when their sensual desires overcome their dedication to Christ, they
want to marry.
ii. they get into the habit of
being idle and going about from house to house. And not only do they become
idlers, but also busybodies who
talk nonsense, saying things
they ought not to. 14 So I counsel
younger widows to marry, to have children, to manage their homes and to
give the enemy no opportunity for slander. 15 Some have in
fact already turned away to follow Satan.
c. If you have a widow in your
care, continue to help them
i. VS 16 “If any woman who is a believer has widows in her care, she
should continue to help them and not let the church be burdened with them, so
that the church can help those widows who are really in need.”
CONCLUSION
– do not neglect your family or
mistreat your church family
So Paul’s
instruction to Timothy about the operation of the church, and how members are
to behave consist of treating other believers in the church as family members,
and the opposite sex in all purity.
Paul gives the
definition of a true widow in need, and the instruction that a family needs to
take care of its own, so the church is not financially burdened by taking care
of people who have family that could take care of them.
Next Paul will talk about the Elders and
Slaves
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