WEBVTT 00:00:08.309 --> 00:00:11.269 Chapter 5. So we really went through quite a 00:00:11.269 --> 00:00:15.269 bit concerning how we as a church should care 00:00:15.269 --> 00:00:19.390 and to help manage and support the needs of the 00:00:19.390 --> 00:00:21.910 widow. And we clarified what the definition of 00:00:21.910 --> 00:00:25.449 a widow is. That's important. So as we finish, 00:00:25.489 --> 00:00:27.050 we're going to go through the last two verses 00:00:27.050 --> 00:00:30.390 of this chapter so we can really understand the 00:00:30.390 --> 00:00:33.070 rest of what God has to say. The rest of the 00:00:33.070 --> 00:00:37.009 chapter in verse 17 through 25 really deals with 00:00:37.009 --> 00:00:40.950 the main issue of the elder and the importance 00:00:40.950 --> 00:00:44.490 of the leadership of the elder. Now, first and 00:00:44.490 --> 00:00:46.570 foremost, there's some things I'm going to clarify 00:00:46.570 --> 00:00:49.990 in this chapter because I want you guys to make 00:00:49.990 --> 00:00:53.189 sure that you understand why Paul uses this term 00:00:53.189 --> 00:00:56.969 for some have already strayed after Satan, meaning 00:00:56.969 --> 00:00:58.869 adversary. So I'm going to clarify that and then 00:00:58.869 --> 00:01:00.659 we're going to move on, okay? So here we go. 00:01:00.939 --> 00:01:06.370 I'm going to start off in verse 8. It says, For 00:01:06.370 --> 00:01:09.890 his relatives, especially for members of his 00:01:09.890 --> 00:01:12.670 household, he has denied the faith and is worse 00:01:12.670 --> 00:01:15.790 than an unbeliever. Let a widow be enrolled if 00:01:15.790 --> 00:01:18.950 she is not less than 60 years of age, having 00:01:18.950 --> 00:01:22.069 been the wife of one husband and having a reputation 00:01:22.069 --> 00:01:26.469 for good works. If she has brought up children, 00:01:26.790 --> 00:01:29.989 has shown hospitality, has washed the feet of 00:01:29.989 --> 00:01:33.370 the saints, cared for the affliction or the afflicted, 00:01:33.390 --> 00:01:36.140 and has devoted herself to every good. work, 00:01:36.379 --> 00:01:40.420 but refuse to enroll younger widows for when 00:01:40.420 --> 00:01:43.739 their passions draw them away from Christ, they 00:01:43.739 --> 00:01:47.239 desire to marry and so incur condemnation for 00:01:47.239 --> 00:01:50.579 having abandoned their former faith. Beside that, 00:01:50.680 --> 00:01:53.640 they learn to be idlers going about from house 00:01:53.640 --> 00:01:57.359 to house and not only idlers, but also gossips 00:01:57.359 --> 00:02:00.659 and busybodies saying what they should not. So 00:02:00.659 --> 00:02:03.879 I would have younger widows marry, bear children, 00:02:04.120 --> 00:02:06.680 manage their households and give the adversary 00:02:06.680 --> 00:02:09.819 no occasion for slander, for some have already 00:02:09.819 --> 00:02:14.159 strayed after Satan. If any believing woman has 00:02:14.159 --> 00:02:17.439 relatives who are widows, let her care for them. 00:02:17.580 --> 00:02:21.139 Let the church not be burdened so that it may 00:02:21.139 --> 00:02:25.020 care for those who are truly widows. Let the 00:02:25.020 --> 00:02:28.419 elders who rule well be considered worthy of 00:02:28.419 --> 00:02:31.719 double honor, especially those who labor in preaching 00:02:31.719 --> 00:02:34.400 and teaching. For the scripture says, you shall 00:02:34.400 --> 00:02:37.060 not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain 00:02:37.060 --> 00:02:40.580 and the laborer deserves his wages. Do not admit 00:02:40.580 --> 00:02:44.000 a charge against. an elder, except on the evidence 00:02:44.000 --> 00:02:47.039 of two or three witnesses. As for those who persist 00:02:47.039 --> 00:02:54.810 in sin, In the presence of God and of Christ 00:02:54.810 --> 00:02:58.610 Jesus and of the elect angels, I charge you to 00:02:58.610 --> 00:03:02.310 keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing 00:03:02.310 --> 00:03:05.810 from partiality. Do not be hasty in the laying 00:03:05.810 --> 00:03:08.689 on of hands, nor take part in the sins of others. 00:03:08.870 --> 00:03:12.449 Keep yourself pure. No longer drink only water. 00:03:13.039 --> 00:03:15.319 but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach 00:03:15.319 --> 00:03:19.500 and your frequent ailments. The sins of some 00:03:19.500 --> 00:03:22.819 people are conspicuous, going before them to 00:03:22.819 --> 00:03:26.219 judgment, but the sins of others appear later. 00:03:26.379 --> 00:03:30.000 So also good works are conspicuous, and even 00:03:30.000 --> 00:03:33.800 those who are not. cannot remain hidden. So you're 00:03:33.800 --> 00:03:37.599 like, why does Paul give Timothy this long verses 00:03:37.599 --> 00:03:41.879 1 through 16 discussion and explanation of the 00:03:41.879 --> 00:03:43.520 importance of caring for the widows? And then 00:03:43.520 --> 00:03:46.460 he turns around and says, concerning you, concerning 00:03:46.460 --> 00:03:48.740 elders, this is the way it should be. I can't 00:03:48.740 --> 00:03:51.139 help but think about what it says in James chapter 00:03:51.139 --> 00:03:53.949 1 verse 27. The religion that God considers pure 00:03:53.949 --> 00:03:55.789 and faultless exists to care for the orphans 00:03:55.789 --> 00:03:57.889 and widows in their distress and to keep oneself 00:03:57.889 --> 00:04:00.310 from being polluted by the world. What you see 00:04:00.310 --> 00:04:03.069 is the man who lives rightly, who's living a 00:04:03.069 --> 00:04:05.849 holy life, who's doing the work of God, don't 00:04:05.849 --> 00:04:08.789 hold him back from doing that. But you as an 00:04:08.789 --> 00:04:11.650 elder must live right. That's what this means. 00:04:11.889 --> 00:04:13.669 So I'm going to give you some clarity on some 00:04:13.669 --> 00:04:17.029 things here. First, let's go up to verse 15 to 00:04:17.029 --> 00:04:20.370 16 and we'll finish the widow. Continue from 00:04:20.370 --> 00:04:22.910 last week. Godly leaders manage the care of the 00:04:22.910 --> 00:04:26.470 widows and purpose to exhort them to cling to 00:04:26.470 --> 00:04:29.290 Christ. Father of the fatherless, protector of 00:04:29.290 --> 00:04:32.709 the widows is God in his holy habitation. We 00:04:32.709 --> 00:04:36.310 as the church and as elders have a responsibility 00:04:36.310 --> 00:04:41.240 to care and exhort those widows. To cling to 00:04:41.240 --> 00:04:44.660 Christ. Now, in verse 15, though, it says something 00:04:44.660 --> 00:04:47.819 quite interesting. For some have already strayed 00:04:47.819 --> 00:04:51.420 after Satan. Now, context means everything. I've 00:04:51.420 --> 00:04:55.079 talked quite a bit about this particular importance 00:04:55.079 --> 00:04:58.100 of hermeneutics and why we use scripture upon 00:04:58.100 --> 00:05:01.100 scripture and context upon context. And why would 00:05:01.100 --> 00:05:05.899 Paul, all of a sudden, in verse 14, say one thing 00:05:05.899 --> 00:05:08.759 concerning adversary and then turn around and 00:05:08.759 --> 00:05:12.350 use the term Satan? in verse 15. Very interesting. 00:05:12.829 --> 00:05:15.850 Contextually, here's what it means. So I would 00:05:15.850 --> 00:05:18.389 have younger widows marry and bear children and 00:05:18.389 --> 00:05:20.449 manage their households and give the adversary 00:05:20.449 --> 00:05:24.029 no occasion to slander. See, the adversaries 00:05:24.029 --> 00:05:29.370 of God love to slander. Why? Why do they slander? 00:05:29.490 --> 00:05:34.040 Why specifically these women? who have lost their 00:05:34.040 --> 00:05:37.240 husband, who have no children, who are young 00:05:37.240 --> 00:05:40.500 widows and have lost the man they love. Why? 00:05:40.819 --> 00:05:44.660 Well, because in context, when you go up to verse 00:05:44.660 --> 00:05:48.579 11, he explains to you why they should marry 00:05:48.579 --> 00:05:51.199 and why they should bear children, why they should 00:05:51.199 --> 00:05:53.740 manage their own households and learn to manage 00:05:53.740 --> 00:05:56.639 a household. It's because if they don't, they 00:05:56.639 --> 00:05:58.420 become busybodies. Look what it says in verse 00:05:58.420 --> 00:06:02.319 11. But refuse to enroll younger widows. For 00:06:02.319 --> 00:06:05.019 when their passions draw them away from Christ, 00:06:05.259 --> 00:06:10.000 they desire to marry and so incur condemnation 00:06:10.000 --> 00:06:13.339 for having abandoned the former faith. Look what 00:06:13.339 --> 00:06:15.819 it says in 13. Besides that, they learn to be 00:06:15.819 --> 00:06:19.259 idlers, going about from house to house, and 00:06:19.259 --> 00:06:22.339 not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, 00:06:22.480 --> 00:06:25.759 and saying, what they should not say. In other 00:06:25.759 --> 00:06:28.040 words, the point is, when they're busy doing 00:06:28.040 --> 00:06:30.060 the thing they're not supposed to be doing, if 00:06:30.060 --> 00:06:32.439 they're really not clinging to Christ, if they're 00:06:32.439 --> 00:06:36.060 finding a reason not to live a life as honoring 00:06:36.060 --> 00:06:40.079 to Christ and to unite with a godly man, they're 00:06:40.079 --> 00:06:42.600 just quick to marry anybody, they end up becoming 00:06:42.600 --> 00:06:46.500 gossips and busybodies, and so the adversaries 00:06:46.500 --> 00:06:50.660 have an occasion to slander them. You see, they'll 00:06:50.660 --> 00:06:53.139 say, see this girl, she goes to this church. 00:06:53.600 --> 00:06:56.360 And if this is what this church really teaches, 00:06:56.480 --> 00:06:59.560 is it a good church? That's the idea here. They're 00:06:59.560 --> 00:07:02.019 not living above reproach. And so they bring 00:07:02.019 --> 00:07:05.100 shame on the name of Christ. Now, when we see 00:07:05.100 --> 00:07:08.620 this and we understand in verse 15, for some 00:07:08.620 --> 00:07:13.899 have already strayed into adversary or after 00:07:13.899 --> 00:07:17.279 the adversary. Because the word satanas means 00:07:17.279 --> 00:07:20.720 adversary. So if he says, don't give the adversary 00:07:20.720 --> 00:07:23.259 an occasion. And then he turns around, but some 00:07:23.259 --> 00:07:25.500 of these women already have. That's what it means. 00:07:25.779 --> 00:07:28.319 Literally what it means. But we think because 00:07:28.319 --> 00:07:31.439 the word Satan's there and it's capital S, that 00:07:31.439 --> 00:07:34.339 it doesn't mean adversary. When in reality, the 00:07:34.339 --> 00:07:39.259 Greek is clear, satanas means adversary. So contextually, 00:07:39.339 --> 00:07:43.540 we know that women who do not honor God with 00:07:43.540 --> 00:07:45.620 their bodies, that are busy doing things they 00:07:45.620 --> 00:07:47.759 shouldn't do, that they've lost their husband 00:07:47.759 --> 00:07:50.079 and are finding a reason to live lasciviously. 00:07:50.730 --> 00:07:53.529 They bring slander upon the name of Christ and 00:07:53.529 --> 00:07:55.550 upon his church. How many of you guys have heard 00:07:55.550 --> 00:07:59.350 the term, hey, why don't you go to church? I 00:07:59.350 --> 00:08:01.870 got church hurt. It's the one thing I hate the 00:08:01.870 --> 00:08:04.709 most about this modern day of what we would call 00:08:04.709 --> 00:08:07.990 American church is this definition of church 00:08:07.990 --> 00:08:12.569 hurt. They probably receive more hurt from their 00:08:12.569 --> 00:08:15.029 personal family than they've ever received from 00:08:15.029 --> 00:08:18.170 a church. But it's the excuse. They got to blame 00:08:18.170 --> 00:08:20.779 somebody. If they can't blame the devil, They 00:08:20.779 --> 00:08:24.600 blame the church instead of blaming themselves. 00:08:25.660 --> 00:08:30.319 And so verse 16, if any believing woman has relatives 00:08:30.319 --> 00:08:34.539 who are widows, let her care for them. Why? If 00:08:34.539 --> 00:08:37.179 there's a woman who believes in Christ, who is 00:08:37.179 --> 00:08:40.559 in the church, who is capable, who has the ability 00:08:40.559 --> 00:08:44.399 to care, feed, support, train, walk alongside 00:08:44.399 --> 00:08:47.179 these women, they should. This is one of the 00:08:47.179 --> 00:08:50.460 important reasons why we are Continually striving 00:08:50.460 --> 00:08:55.320 for women in ministry. Man cannot effectively 00:08:55.320 --> 00:09:00.200 support women in women things. We're ineffective. 00:09:00.460 --> 00:09:03.940 If we were effective, God would have no need 00:09:03.940 --> 00:09:08.279 to give us a helper who is fit for us. He needed 00:09:08.279 --> 00:09:11.720 a helper. That is one of the amazing gifts of 00:09:11.720 --> 00:09:15.159 the woman to the man. We don't live life alone. 00:09:15.500 --> 00:09:18.419 We don't live life in a vacuum. We live together. 00:09:19.070 --> 00:09:22.889 And she finds her purpose in fulfilling who she 00:09:22.889 --> 00:09:27.169 is, the nurturer, the life giver. That is a woman, 00:09:27.350 --> 00:09:31.070 the life giver. So women, if we know we have 00:09:31.070 --> 00:09:34.769 women who need support as part of the body of 00:09:34.769 --> 00:09:37.950 Christ, come alongside them and help them, which 00:09:37.950 --> 00:09:41.149 we are doing. I can tell you that. Let the church 00:09:41.149 --> 00:09:44.470 not be burdened so that it may care for those 00:09:44.470 --> 00:09:47.990 who are truly widows. In other words, widows 00:09:47.990 --> 00:09:51.860 who cannot. They have no children. They're gone. 00:09:52.100 --> 00:09:56.120 They have no husband. They're gone. She is left 00:09:56.120 --> 00:10:00.220 alone after giving her entire life to good works 00:10:00.220 --> 00:10:04.059 and to care and to washing of feet. This woman, 00:10:04.200 --> 00:10:07.100 truly barren, truly without care and support, 00:10:07.320 --> 00:10:11.100 like a city with no inhabitants. Now we can move 00:10:11.100 --> 00:10:13.740 on to the next part of this chapter. So I hope 00:10:13.740 --> 00:10:15.820 you guys have a clear understanding of the importance 00:10:15.820 --> 00:10:19.019 of what we must do as a church for the widow. 00:10:19.100 --> 00:10:21.279 What you do for the least of these, you do for 00:10:21.279 --> 00:10:24.820 me. Lastly, this chapter, godly leaders must 00:10:24.820 --> 00:10:28.940 live consistently for all to see. Only let your 00:10:28.940 --> 00:10:31.320 manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, 00:10:31.500 --> 00:10:34.460 so that whether I come to see you or am absent, 00:10:34.580 --> 00:10:38.000 I may hear of you that you are standing firm 00:10:38.000 --> 00:10:41.080 in one spirit, with one mind, striving side by 00:10:41.080 --> 00:10:43.919 side for the faith of the gospel. Philippians 00:10:43.919 --> 00:10:47.399 1 .27. I use this because it's important to understand 00:10:47.399 --> 00:10:51.039 that we must live in a way that is worthy, live 00:10:51.039 --> 00:10:53.559 a life that is worthy of the gospel of Christ. 00:10:53.659 --> 00:10:56.539 As pastors and as elders, there is no greater 00:10:56.539 --> 00:11:02.070 calling. For any man, all men of God must live 00:11:02.070 --> 00:11:05.190 in this way. Now, look what it says in verse 00:11:05.190 --> 00:11:09.230 17. Let the elders who rule well be considered 00:11:09.230 --> 00:11:13.529 worthy of double honor, respect, and reverence. 00:11:13.690 --> 00:11:16.350 Now, many would say, you know, pastor, you know, 00:11:16.350 --> 00:11:18.250 you're going to be talking about like money and 00:11:18.250 --> 00:11:21.980 stuff here. Should you do that? Yes. I don't 00:11:21.980 --> 00:11:23.559 need your money. You guys take good care of me. 00:11:23.600 --> 00:11:25.519 This isn't the issue here. It's the attitude 00:11:25.519 --> 00:11:28.039 by which you care for your elders. And I want 00:11:28.039 --> 00:11:30.159 you to see that here. And as a church, we must 00:11:30.159 --> 00:11:33.860 live in such a way that we honor the elders, 00:11:33.980 --> 00:11:37.899 the pastors who care and oversee you. That's 00:11:37.899 --> 00:11:41.559 what he says here. Let the elders who rule, elders, 00:11:41.740 --> 00:11:44.779 you see that, who rule be considered worthy of 00:11:44.779 --> 00:11:49.429 double respect, double. especially those who 00:11:49.429 --> 00:11:54.070 exhaust themselves, who get to the point of weariness 00:11:54.070 --> 00:11:58.409 in preaching and teaching. Those men you must 00:11:58.409 --> 00:12:02.289 care, watch, be worthy of, double honor. Those 00:12:02.289 --> 00:12:05.090 men, not only your elders, but the men especially 00:12:05.090 --> 00:12:08.570 that exhaust themselves on your behalf in preaching 00:12:08.570 --> 00:12:10.629 and teaching. For the scripture says you shall 00:12:10.629 --> 00:12:13.480 not muzzle. You must not close the mouth of an 00:12:13.480 --> 00:12:15.820 ox when it treads out the grain. There's two 00:12:15.820 --> 00:12:19.179 reasons why you don't take the ox and shut his 00:12:19.179 --> 00:12:22.539 mouth while he's busy pulling and harvesting 00:12:22.539 --> 00:12:27.019 for you to eat. So this ox, he's out in the cornfields, 00:12:27.019 --> 00:12:29.539 and he's ripping the corn down so you guys can 00:12:29.539 --> 00:12:32.659 eat, and you muzzle him. One, close an ox mouth. 00:12:32.779 --> 00:12:34.580 When he's busy pulling, he gets tired faster. 00:12:34.860 --> 00:12:37.169 Don't hold the passer down. To the point that 00:12:37.169 --> 00:12:39.389 you muscle him because you'll exhaust him quicker. 00:12:39.549 --> 00:12:41.389 And you wonder why. Do you know what the average 00:12:41.389 --> 00:12:44.970 length of a pastor in a church is in America? 00:12:45.549 --> 00:12:48.529 Five years. Two reasons. The man doesn't know 00:12:48.529 --> 00:12:50.730 how to manage his time. And the church doesn't 00:12:50.730 --> 00:12:52.529 take good care of his pastor, of her pastor. 00:12:52.690 --> 00:12:54.850 And one of the things that's special about our 00:12:54.850 --> 00:12:57.110 church is you guys do take good care of me. And 00:12:57.110 --> 00:12:59.490 that's why in June, I'll be away for 30 days. 00:12:59.629 --> 00:13:02.230 I have my sabbatical coming. Every three years, 00:13:02.250 --> 00:13:04.570 I get 30 days. That was part of the discussion, 00:13:04.769 --> 00:13:07.450 and that was important. And Ben will tell you, 00:13:07.490 --> 00:13:10.269 do I have a choice? I do not have a choice. That's 00:13:10.269 --> 00:13:12.649 accountability, elder to elder. That's what we 00:13:12.649 --> 00:13:15.110 do. So you don't muzzle the ox. You know the 00:13:15.110 --> 00:13:17.149 second reason why you don't muzzle the ox? You 00:13:17.149 --> 00:13:19.370 know what the ox would do when he's busy pulling? 00:13:19.529 --> 00:13:21.750 He would eat whatever would drop. That would 00:13:21.750 --> 00:13:24.850 be his nourishment. He would work longer and 00:13:24.850 --> 00:13:27.370 have more energy to work because he's able to 00:13:27.370 --> 00:13:30.350 eat the corn that drops that they don't pick 00:13:30.350 --> 00:13:33.340 up. Isn't that interesting? You got to let the 00:13:33.340 --> 00:13:37.620 man work. Don't muzzle him. Let him get nourishment. 00:13:38.000 --> 00:13:41.240 Let him get good oxygen in him. Let him walk 00:13:41.240 --> 00:13:44.919 and work hard. Do all that you can to help support 00:13:44.919 --> 00:13:47.799 him so that he continues to pool. That's the 00:13:47.799 --> 00:13:51.019 idea. The second, it says, and the laborer deserves 00:13:51.019 --> 00:13:53.700 his wages. In other words, this word deserves 00:13:53.700 --> 00:13:56.580 is the understanding of equal in value. The man 00:13:56.580 --> 00:13:59.220 should not be paid more than he's worth. So I'm 00:13:59.220 --> 00:14:00.759 going to make this real clear. There should be 00:14:00.759 --> 00:14:04.440 no pastor getting paid a million dollars. It 00:14:04.440 --> 00:14:06.799 doesn't matter if he has 10 ,000 people in that 00:14:06.799 --> 00:14:09.940 church. It's impossible to pastor 10 ,000 people. 00:14:10.179 --> 00:14:12.700 You know what he does with 10 ,000 people? Stands 00:14:12.700 --> 00:14:14.419 behind the pulpit and preaches, and that's all 00:14:14.419 --> 00:14:17.059 he does. Because you can't pastor 10 ,000 people. 00:14:17.379 --> 00:14:20.000 Now, that being said, I've just offended all 00:14:20.000 --> 00:14:25.940 of the megachurch pastors. Don't care. I really 00:14:25.940 --> 00:14:28.580 don't. You better find something else to do, 00:14:28.659 --> 00:14:33.009 right? So here's the point. A man is equal to 00:14:33.009 --> 00:14:35.269 the value of his work. That's what he deserves. 00:14:35.529 --> 00:14:38.049 He deserves no more, and he deserves no less. 00:14:38.210 --> 00:14:41.320 If he gives you less, he's got to go. That's 00:14:41.320 --> 00:14:43.500 the point. If the man is giving you good word, 00:14:43.580 --> 00:14:46.000 he's preaching and teaching is really good, he's 00:14:46.000 --> 00:14:49.120 worthy double of the honor. If he's an elder 00:14:49.120 --> 00:14:51.480 of the church, like we have here, we have several 00:14:51.480 --> 00:14:53.779 elders, they are worthy of double honor. And 00:14:53.779 --> 00:14:56.899 you take care of the man that God has placed 00:14:56.899 --> 00:14:59.240 over you or the men that God has placed over 00:14:59.240 --> 00:15:01.740 you because it's the right thing to do. They're 00:15:01.740 --> 00:15:05.899 equal in value of the work they do. No more, 00:15:05.940 --> 00:15:10.289 no less. And this is what it says. Next, do not 00:15:10.289 --> 00:15:13.350 admit a charge against an elder except on the 00:15:13.350 --> 00:15:15.509 evidence of two or three witnesses. In other 00:15:15.509 --> 00:15:18.049 words, if you feel like an elder has done something 00:15:18.049 --> 00:15:23.309 wrong, do not charge him unless you have an absolute 00:15:23.309 --> 00:15:26.690 proof that he is guilty. Turn to Deuteronomy 00:15:26.690 --> 00:15:29.269 chapter 19, verse 15. And this is where this 00:15:29.269 --> 00:15:33.629 comes from. A single witness shall not suffice 00:15:33.629 --> 00:15:36.710 against a person for any crime. Do you hear that? 00:15:36.809 --> 00:15:40.120 In Deuteronomy, it says, If someone comes to 00:15:40.120 --> 00:15:44.100 you concerning an individual, a judge, concerning 00:15:44.100 --> 00:15:47.259 an individual, and he comes alone, not good enough. 00:15:47.539 --> 00:15:49.779 I wonder what our legal system would look like 00:15:49.779 --> 00:15:52.919 if we actually had witnesses, real true witnesses. 00:15:53.279 --> 00:15:56.759 Too many men, too many women have been accused 00:15:56.759 --> 00:16:00.659 of a crime based on a witness. One person, not 00:16:00.659 --> 00:16:03.659 two or three. So it says, a single witness shall 00:16:03.659 --> 00:16:07.840 not suffice against a person for any crime. or 00:16:07.840 --> 00:16:11.259 for any wrong in connection with any offense 00:16:11.259 --> 00:16:14.679 that he has committed. Do you see that? This 00:16:14.679 --> 00:16:18.179 is God's law. This isn't man's law. God says 00:16:18.179 --> 00:16:19.980 this is the way it should be. As a matter of 00:16:19.980 --> 00:16:22.379 fact, our Constitution would call that circumstantial 00:16:22.379 --> 00:16:25.139 evidence. Only on the evidence of two or three 00:16:25.139 --> 00:16:28.340 witnesses shall a charge be established. So can 00:16:28.340 --> 00:16:31.059 you imagine if you're a pastor and somebody just 00:16:31.059 --> 00:16:34.720 doesn't like you? They come to the elders and 00:16:34.720 --> 00:16:37.159 they say something about that pastor. And all 00:16:37.159 --> 00:16:39.500 of a sudden, a whole entire church split happens 00:16:39.500 --> 00:16:43.080 over an accusation of one man or one woman. Not 00:16:43.080 --> 00:16:45.919 sufficient here. Biblically, the eldership should 00:16:45.919 --> 00:16:49.100 say, do you have another witness? No, then we 00:16:49.100 --> 00:16:51.600 can't help you. If there is a wrong, then you 00:16:51.600 --> 00:16:53.960 need proof. And if you have proof, then you need 00:16:53.960 --> 00:16:57.440 to show that proof. That's important. Why? It 00:16:57.440 --> 00:17:02.240 protects the church from false accusations. That's 00:17:02.240 --> 00:17:04.849 the point. Not saying that that person didn't 00:17:04.849 --> 00:17:07.309 do something wrong, but it protects the church. 00:17:07.650 --> 00:17:10.329 That's the point. Look what it says next, though. 00:17:10.549 --> 00:17:13.450 Notice right after he says this, in verse 20, 00:17:13.730 --> 00:17:15.710 he says something that's quite remarkable. He 00:17:15.710 --> 00:17:18.750 says, as for those who persist in sin, rebuke 00:17:18.750 --> 00:17:21.269 them in the presence of all so that the rest 00:17:21.269 --> 00:17:24.170 may stand in fear. It's not like this pastor 00:17:24.170 --> 00:17:27.470 or elder hasn't done something wrong. Because 00:17:27.470 --> 00:17:30.130 what we end up reading at the end of the chapter, 00:17:30.369 --> 00:17:34.269 verse 24, is the sins of some people are conspicuous, 00:17:34.269 --> 00:17:38.670 going before them to judgment. The sin will come 00:17:38.670 --> 00:17:42.049 out, and you will be vindicated. Just do it the 00:17:42.049 --> 00:17:45.509 right way to protect the church. Now, that being 00:17:45.509 --> 00:17:49.650 said, let's keep reading. So if this person persists, 00:17:49.650 --> 00:17:52.990 continues to live in sin, rebuke them in the 00:17:52.990 --> 00:17:54.849 presence of everyone, in the presence of all, 00:17:54.950 --> 00:17:58.369 so that the rest... of the congregation may stand 00:17:58.369 --> 00:18:02.430 in fear, especially the elders. No elder is above 00:18:02.430 --> 00:18:05.529 God's word. You've heard this. No one is above 00:18:05.529 --> 00:18:10.750 the law. Now, in the presence of God and of Christ 00:18:10.750 --> 00:18:13.910 Jesus and of the elect messengers, that word 00:18:13.910 --> 00:18:18.029 is angels, I charge you to keep these rules without 00:18:18.029 --> 00:18:21.710 prejudging. Do nothing from partiality. In other 00:18:21.710 --> 00:18:25.880 words, you, Timothy, must keep these rules. with 00:18:25.880 --> 00:18:30.640 no partiality, and not presuming something that's 00:18:30.640 --> 00:18:33.279 not there. So in the same way that someone must 00:18:33.279 --> 00:18:36.500 come if they're going to bring a charge against 00:18:36.500 --> 00:18:38.799 an elder, must have two or three witnesses, you, 00:18:38.980 --> 00:18:43.400 Timothy, must not use these rules in a way that 00:18:43.400 --> 00:18:46.519 would bring judgment or prejudgment upon someone 00:18:46.519 --> 00:18:50.019 because you have favoritism over another. This 00:18:50.019 --> 00:18:53.150 happens a lot in churches. Why? Because there 00:18:53.150 --> 00:18:57.250 are pastors who will build up a consensus. That's 00:18:57.250 --> 00:19:00.009 why churches run with deacon boards instead of 00:19:00.009 --> 00:19:02.789 elderships. Deacons run the house. Why? Because 00:19:02.789 --> 00:19:05.430 the senior pastor can manipulate and control, 00:19:05.549 --> 00:19:08.190 since he's the one of authority, over the deacons. 00:19:08.390 --> 00:19:11.369 But if he has elders, men that he is equal to 00:19:11.369 --> 00:19:14.549 in authority, differ in responsibility, he doesn't 00:19:14.549 --> 00:19:17.190 like that. You see, there's something very important. 00:19:17.269 --> 00:19:19.609 There's a reason why. It's because God's economy 00:19:19.609 --> 00:19:22.920 is not a democracy. God's economy... is a theocracy. 00:19:23.160 --> 00:19:25.859 He chooses who will lead, and he puts them there. 00:19:26.000 --> 00:19:28.960 That's a theocracy. Interesting. What's the most 00:19:28.960 --> 00:19:31.720 common word we use today? Every nation wants 00:19:31.720 --> 00:19:36.339 to be a democracy. Do you know what the last 00:19:36.339 --> 00:19:39.880 empire was who added democracy? Do you guys know? 00:19:40.079 --> 00:19:44.099 Called Rome. Rome was the last true democracy. 00:19:44.480 --> 00:19:47.180 And what happened to Rome? It went away. Oh, 00:19:47.200 --> 00:19:49.880 no, it did not. Rome looked like it had a lethal 00:19:49.880 --> 00:19:53.640 death shot. But Rome is alive and well today 00:19:53.640 --> 00:19:58.240 in the democracy of the world. Rome is risen. 00:19:58.359 --> 00:20:00.599 And if you don't think it's risen, just look 00:20:00.599 --> 00:20:03.079 at Ukraine and all of the other nations that 00:20:03.079 --> 00:20:06.339 are becoming democracies. Democracies are rule 00:20:06.339 --> 00:20:10.119 without God. Man rules man. God has no rule. 00:20:10.259 --> 00:20:13.059 I hope you see that. It's a little clue for you 00:20:13.059 --> 00:20:15.680 Revelation people who are going through Revelation 00:20:15.680 --> 00:20:19.359 with me. Rome is alive. The head that was wounded 00:20:19.359 --> 00:20:23.450 is busy. This day. That being said, why should 00:20:23.450 --> 00:20:28.349 we be careful? Because we represent a king. And 00:20:28.349 --> 00:20:33.210 that king has placed upon us as stewards. What's 00:20:33.210 --> 00:20:35.210 the word I want to look for? A governorship. 00:20:35.410 --> 00:20:38.849 We have the responsibility to answer to the king 00:20:38.849 --> 00:20:42.150 for the care and the provision and the protection 00:20:42.150 --> 00:20:45.569 of his people. We do what the king says. We don't 00:20:45.569 --> 00:20:48.630 do what we think is best. God tells us what is 00:20:48.630 --> 00:20:51.930 best. And in doing so, he says this, verse 22, 00:20:52.170 --> 00:20:56.309 do not be hasty in laying on of hands, nor take 00:20:56.309 --> 00:21:00.289 part in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure. 00:21:00.470 --> 00:21:05.609 Again, as men of God, we are to be different. 00:21:05.670 --> 00:21:09.630 We must live consistently, not perfectly, because 00:21:09.630 --> 00:21:13.529 we are going to fail consistently. Our striving 00:21:13.529 --> 00:21:16.269 is to be perfect because he is perfect. We strive 00:21:16.269 --> 00:21:19.230 to be holy because he is holy. But either way, 00:21:19.230 --> 00:21:23.309 we must purpose to keep ourselves pure. In other 00:21:23.309 --> 00:21:25.529 words, we don't defile ourselves with things 00:21:25.529 --> 00:21:29.250 that we know defile. And we don't be hasty laying 00:21:29.250 --> 00:21:32.609 hands on those and giving them authority by which 00:21:32.609 --> 00:21:34.710 they haven't suffered long enough. What do I 00:21:34.710 --> 00:21:37.009 mean by suffer? They haven't put the time in 00:21:37.009 --> 00:21:39.480 and the work. They haven't struggled. We have 00:21:39.480 --> 00:21:41.660 too many pastors that want the notoriety of being 00:21:41.660 --> 00:21:43.880 a pastor, but they don't want the work to put 00:21:43.880 --> 00:21:47.000 in. It's interesting. That's what Paul's dealing 00:21:47.000 --> 00:21:48.640 with here. You know what pastors want today? 00:21:48.839 --> 00:21:52.599 They want Harleys parked on the stage or fast 00:21:52.599 --> 00:21:55.900 cars and tell you stories about how wonderful 00:21:55.900 --> 00:21:59.660 you are and that God has made you awesome. When 00:21:59.660 --> 00:22:02.519 in reality, we should be striving and driving 00:22:02.519 --> 00:22:05.539 God's people to be holy, to live and honor him 00:22:05.539 --> 00:22:08.059 in everything we do. To understand the stewardship 00:22:08.059 --> 00:22:11.460 by which God has given us as elders to care and 00:22:11.460 --> 00:22:15.019 walk alongside the hurting. So, verse 24, the 00:22:15.019 --> 00:22:17.480 sins of some people are conspicuous. The word 00:22:17.480 --> 00:22:21.039 conspicuous means to be openly evident. The sins 00:22:21.039 --> 00:22:23.480 of some people are openly evident, going before 00:22:23.480 --> 00:22:26.680 them to judgment. But the sins of others appear 00:22:26.680 --> 00:22:30.200 later. They come as they walk. They follow after 00:22:30.200 --> 00:22:33.960 them. What's that saying? Your sin will find 00:22:33.960 --> 00:22:39.720 you out. And so, verse 25, so also good works 00:22:39.720 --> 00:22:42.980 are conspicuous. They're openly evident. And 00:22:42.980 --> 00:22:45.920 even those that are not cannot remain unhidden. 00:22:46.019 --> 00:22:48.559 Even the good works that God's people do will 00:22:48.559 --> 00:22:51.680 eventually be out for everyone to see. Why? Because 00:22:51.680 --> 00:22:55.099 God will get the glory. God doesn't need our 00:22:55.099 --> 00:22:58.059 glory as we read. God receives glory because 00:22:58.059 --> 00:23:00.480 he is glorious. That being said, here's the last 00:23:00.480 --> 00:23:03.200 statement I'm going to give to the elders, to 00:23:03.200 --> 00:23:06.099 pastors. I know they feel uncomfortable with 00:23:06.099 --> 00:23:07.980 that term, but that's what they are. And also 00:23:07.980 --> 00:23:10.940 to the men being the pastor of your house. I 00:23:10.940 --> 00:23:13.799 think we can use this principally as fathers. 00:23:14.119 --> 00:23:16.019 And I want you to understand that, even though 00:23:16.019 --> 00:23:18.019 this is talking specifically about overseers. 00:23:18.240 --> 00:23:21.440 In principle, as fathers, you can apply these 00:23:21.440 --> 00:23:24.480 things to you too. Therefore, I testify, Acts 00:23:24.480 --> 00:23:28.000 20, 26 through 31. Therefore, I testify to you 00:23:28.000 --> 00:23:30.119 this day that I am innocent of the blood of all. 00:23:30.460 --> 00:23:32.920 Paul's saying this. For I did not shrink from 00:23:32.920 --> 00:23:35.619 declaring to you the whole counsel of God. The 00:23:35.619 --> 00:23:38.359 whole counsel. I don't get the choice of what 00:23:38.359 --> 00:23:42.180 I preach or, well, let me say it this way. I 00:23:42.180 --> 00:23:44.980 get the choice of preaching what book I think 00:23:44.980 --> 00:23:47.660 we could preach or talk about. I don't get the 00:23:47.660 --> 00:23:50.900 choice of how God determines and demands and 00:23:50.900 --> 00:23:53.660 commands for me to teach it. I either teach the 00:23:53.660 --> 00:23:55.900 whole thing or I shouldn't teach. That's the 00:23:55.900 --> 00:23:59.039 idea. I don't shrink. From declaring to you the 00:23:59.039 --> 00:24:01.859 whole counsel of God, Paul says. And neither 00:24:01.859 --> 00:24:04.740 should we as pastors. If you're shrinking to 00:24:04.740 --> 00:24:07.019 declare the whole counsel of God, then you shouldn't 00:24:07.019 --> 00:24:09.759 be a pastor. Pay careful attention to yourselves 00:24:09.759 --> 00:24:14.599 and to all the flock. Pay attention. Watch. Keep 00:24:14.599 --> 00:24:17.660 an eye out for yourself. That you're not pulled 00:24:17.660 --> 00:24:21.799 away. And to the entire flock that God has entrusted 00:24:21.799 --> 00:24:24.660 to you. In which the Holy Spirit has made you 00:24:24.660 --> 00:24:27.630 overseer. Don't want you to hear that. Pastors 00:24:27.630 --> 00:24:30.650 don't choose to be pastors. Pastors are called 00:24:30.650 --> 00:24:34.910 to be pastors. It is a God -given call to be 00:24:34.910 --> 00:24:38.410 an elder. The Holy Spirit has made you the overseer 00:24:38.410 --> 00:24:41.910 to care for the church of God. Church, assembly, 00:24:42.150 --> 00:24:47.109 assembly, family. God has made you the caregiver 00:24:47.109 --> 00:24:52.230 of his family. Not yours, his. You just happen 00:24:52.230 --> 00:24:54.470 to be a part of that family. And he's giving 00:24:54.470 --> 00:24:57.170 you now the responsibility of stewarding that 00:24:57.170 --> 00:25:00.990 family. Do you hear that, dads? Now, look what 00:25:00.990 --> 00:25:03.529 it says next. Holy Spirit made you overseers 00:25:03.529 --> 00:25:06.549 to care for the church of God, which he, Christ, 00:25:06.670 --> 00:25:10.309 obtained with his own blood. The payment for 00:25:10.309 --> 00:25:14.349 the church is his life. That's the idea here. 00:25:14.569 --> 00:25:17.789 Now do you see why Paul tells Timothy these things 00:25:17.789 --> 00:25:21.910 in chapter 5? We belong to the family. The family 00:25:21.910 --> 00:25:25.099 does not belong to me. I am part of that family. 00:25:25.359 --> 00:25:29.059 It's God's. He paid for her. I know that after 00:25:29.059 --> 00:25:31.259 my departure, fierce wolves will come in among 00:25:31.259 --> 00:25:34.019 you. Now we know why he says, pay careful attention 00:25:34.019 --> 00:25:36.660 to all the flock and to yourself, because there 00:25:36.660 --> 00:25:39.900 will be wolves that will come in and will not 00:25:39.900 --> 00:25:42.500 spare the flock. I know this because our church 00:25:42.500 --> 00:25:44.980 has gone through a couple of those guys many 00:25:44.980 --> 00:25:48.339 years ago, and God in his goodness and faithfulness 00:25:48.339 --> 00:25:51.359 has kept her. Lord knows I've heard some stories. 00:25:54.160 --> 00:25:56.200 And you'll be honest with you, if it wasn't for 00:25:56.200 --> 00:25:58.420 the men that God had given before the Lord has 00:25:58.420 --> 00:26:00.619 called me and my family here, you should praise 00:26:00.619 --> 00:26:03.119 God for those men. They took good care of you, 00:26:03.240 --> 00:26:06.079 good care of the church. Good job, Ben. That 00:26:06.079 --> 00:26:08.579 being said, look at what else it says. And from 00:26:08.579 --> 00:26:12.059 among you, from among your own selves will rise 00:26:12.059 --> 00:26:15.599 men speaking twisted things. There will be men 00:26:15.599 --> 00:26:18.200 who will come in as if they're believers and 00:26:18.200 --> 00:26:21.819 they will say some crazy things. They won't tell 00:26:21.819 --> 00:26:24.950 you, hey. You should read this scripture. You 00:26:24.950 --> 00:26:28.809 don't bend it all kinds of ways. You must spend 00:26:28.809 --> 00:26:33.609 time in the word. You must seek the truth of 00:26:33.609 --> 00:26:36.990 God's word. Why will they come in speaking twisted 00:26:36.990 --> 00:26:40.230 things? Because they would want to draw men away, 00:26:40.349 --> 00:26:43.730 the disciples after them. They want to make followers. 00:26:43.809 --> 00:26:46.710 They want to split the church to create their 00:26:46.710 --> 00:26:50.829 own little gathering. Now, it also says this. 00:26:51.230 --> 00:26:54.390 Therefore, be alert. As pastors, as elders, we 00:26:54.390 --> 00:26:57.390 must be alert, remembering that for three years 00:26:57.390 --> 00:27:00.450 I did not cease day and night to admonish everyone 00:27:00.450 --> 00:27:04.430 with tears. As elders, as pastors, we want to 00:27:04.430 --> 00:27:07.470 admonish you. That should be one of our greatest 00:27:07.470 --> 00:27:11.109 desires is to build you up in Jesus. We must 00:27:11.109 --> 00:27:13.410 teach the full counsel of God's word. We must 00:27:13.410 --> 00:27:15.990 pay careful attention to ourselves and the flock. 00:27:16.829 --> 00:27:20.309 Be overseers. As we care for the church, we must 00:27:20.309 --> 00:27:23.309 know that there will be people that will come 00:27:23.309 --> 00:27:26.130 in and we must pay attention. And we must make 00:27:26.130 --> 00:27:28.730 sure that even the men that are among us live 00:27:28.730 --> 00:27:32.089 rightly, not to deceive or teach things that 00:27:32.089 --> 00:27:35.089 are twisted to pull men away. The responsibility 00:27:35.089 --> 00:27:38.109 of godly leadership is to hold to the full truth 00:27:38.109 --> 00:27:40.670 of the word of God. So when you read the end 00:27:40.670 --> 00:27:43.730 of chapter 5, you understand why Paul writes 00:27:43.730 --> 00:27:46.779 this to Timothy. It is not a simple task to be 00:27:46.779 --> 00:27:49.500 a man of God to lead God's people, nor is it 00:27:49.500 --> 00:27:52.380 a simple task to be a father to lead the small 00:27:52.380 --> 00:27:55.759 flock that God has given you. So next week, Joe 00:27:55.759 --> 00:27:59.220 Cavanaugh, Karina, will be coming to share. My 00:27:59.220 --> 00:28:02.380 son is having his installation service, and I've 00:28:02.380 --> 00:28:04.519 been given the privilege to give him the pastoral 00:28:04.519 --> 00:28:07.920 charge as he is installed as an elder and officially 00:28:07.920 --> 00:28:10.240 an ordained pastor at his church. So I'm excited 00:28:10.240 --> 00:28:13.740 about that. I will be back. The 30th, by which 00:28:13.740 --> 00:28:17.579 we will start chapter 6. And excited about that. 00:28:17.740 --> 00:28:21.640 And then 6th, we'll move into, hopefully, move 00:28:21.640 --> 00:28:25.059 into 2 Timothy chapter 1. So we're going to be 00:28:25.059 --> 00:28:28.180 going through the apostolic letters probably 00:28:28.180 --> 00:28:32.859 for the next year or so into next year. So 2 00:28:32.859 --> 00:28:35.900 Timothy, Titus, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John, 00:28:35.960 --> 00:28:39.359 3 John. That's our goal. Okay? These letters 00:28:39.359 --> 00:28:41.720 are written specifically in a way that not only 00:28:41.720 --> 00:28:44.099 as Christians we should live, but as men and 00:28:44.099 --> 00:28:45.980 women we should live. And that's why we're doing 00:28:45.980 --> 00:28:48.640 it. Biblical manhood, biblical womanhood. Okay? 00:28:49.140 --> 00:28:51.500 All right. Father, I want to thank you so much 00:28:51.500 --> 00:28:52.920 for your goodness and faithfulness. Thank you, 00:28:52.960 --> 00:28:55.299 Lord, for your word. To you be honor and glory 00:28:55.299 --> 00:28:59.099 forever. You are king and you are the head of 00:28:59.099 --> 00:29:02.539 the church and we are thankful to be your people 00:29:02.539 --> 00:29:06.500 as stewards and as shepherds and overseers of 00:29:06.500 --> 00:29:09.279 your people. Help us to be good stewards, to 00:29:09.279 --> 00:29:11.880 be wise, and to live rightly for your glory and 00:29:11.880 --> 00:29:13.799 honor. In Jesus' name, amen.