SPEAKER_02: Hello everyone, I'm Dr.
SPEAKER_02: Steve Holt.
SPEAKER_02: I want to welcome you to the Road Church Podcast.
SPEAKER_02: Each week we go into God's Word.
SPEAKER_02: We teach chapter by chapter and verse by verse.
SPEAKER_02: We are here to build a Kingdom of God revolution through empowering people to change the world.
SPEAKER_02: So we pray this will minister to you at your heart level and change your life.
SPEAKER_02: Today, be encouraged by our guest speaker.
SPEAKER_00: So we'll be continuing our study this morning of First Timothy, and we'll be in First Timothy chapter 5.
SPEAKER_00: And uh if you look back, Pastor Emmanuel spoke on chapter 4 last week.
SPEAKER_00: So if you look back at 1 Timothy 4, 12, Paul tells Timothy not to let anyone despise his youth.
SPEAKER_00: So we know uh from context from that chapter that Timothy was a young pastor, and Paul is giving Timothy instructions on how to handle certain groups of people in certain situations within his church.
SPEAKER_00: And he covers uh in this chapter, we'll see he covers groups kind of by age and then also by social status and authority within the church.
SPEAKER_00: And while I know, you know, if you read it, read a chapter like this, so much of it does apply directly to the context, to the time period, right?
SPEAKER_00: Specifically, he's talking to Timothy about Timothy about the situation he's in.
SPEAKER_00: He's talking about this specific church, he's talking about the the times, the things that happened in that context.
SPEAKER_00: And and so we definitely recognize that.
SPEAKER_00: But as I was studying this passage, I also noticed something, and here's what I noticed just as Timothy, or sorry, Paul was writing to a church, we are also a church, are we not?
SPEAKER_00: Yes, right?
SPEAKER_00: Okay.
SPEAKER_00: Also, just as Paul was identifying different age groups and social statuses and authorities within the church, as you look around this morning, do we have different life situations and jobs and careers and ages represented here this morning?
SPEAKER_00: We do, right?
SPEAKER_00: Church is and should be a diverse place.
SPEAKER_00: Diverse when it comes to what we look like, what we do for work, our family situations, how old we are, our gifts, our talents, our abilities, right?
SPEAKER_00: And that's a good thing, that's a blessing, it's a resource.
SPEAKER_00: But there is one thing that unifies us all, that unites us all, and that's faith in Jesus Christ.
SPEAKER_00: And that's why we're here.
SPEAKER_00: Amen?
SPEAKER_00: All right, so then I think this chapter will be very relatable, applicable, and important for us today because we're gonna talk about the church.
SPEAKER_00: And we're gonna talk about how the church should treat people, and we're also gonna talk about what it means to be the church, because we are the church.
SPEAKER_00: So, with all that in mind, let's begin reading our passage for today as Paul instructs Timothy.
SPEAKER_00: So, again, we're in chapter five, we're gonna start with just the first two verses here.
SPEAKER_00: Paul writes, Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, with all purity.
SPEAKER_00: So we're gonna start by answering that question of how should the church treat people?
SPEAKER_00: And right off the bat we see the diversity that we were talking about referenced when it comes to ages, right?
SPEAKER_00: Older, uh Paul mentions older men, younger men, older women, and younger women.
SPEAKER_00: And just as we have a lot of ages represented in this room today, that was the case back then in this church as well.
SPEAKER_00: And he's telling older men, or so telling Timothy to treat older men as fathers, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, and he adds, with all purity.
SPEAKER_00: So you might be wondering, as you're sitting in a church representing the church, a part of a church, which category you fall into.
SPEAKER_00: And specifically you might be wondering, Joey, am I an older man or am I an older woman?
SPEAKER_00: I'm not going to answer that for you.
SPEAKER_00: But it's some contact, I'll I'll give you maybe a little context that will help.
SPEAKER_00: So we don't know exactly how old Timothy was when this letter was written, but most scholars estimate that he was probably in his late 20s to mid-30s.
SPEAKER_00: So I'm 31, so I'm kind of right in the middle of that age range.
SPEAKER_00: So basically what Paul's saying is if you're older than me, then you're an older man or woman.
SPEAKER_00: Just kidding.
SPEAKER_00: Um here's the better way to frame it, better way to frame it.
SPEAKER_00: If you're a man and you have authority and influence over younger men in your life, then you're an older man.
SPEAKER_00: If you're a woman and you have influence and authority over younger women in your life, then we'll call you an older woman.
SPEAKER_00: So you could be older than me or younger than me and fit into that category.
SPEAKER_00: So let's start then by going through each one of these groups.
SPEAKER_00: Let's start with men.
SPEAKER_00: How should we treat men, specifically older men in the church?
SPEAKER_00: So Paul's advising Timothy, who's a young pastor, to respect older men in his congregation.
SPEAKER_00: And specifically, he says, do not rebuke, but rather exhort or encourage them.
SPEAKER_00: Do not rebuke, but rather exhort or encourage them.
SPEAKER_00: Why?
SPEAKER_00: Well, practically, men, let's let's think about this and answer this question.
SPEAKER_00: Do do men, do we generally enjoy receiving correction or rebuke from younger men or men younger than us?
SPEAKER_00: Probably not, right?
SPEAKER_00: And if you do, good for you, but it's hard to receive a rebuke in any situation, right?
SPEAKER_00: It's hard to receive rebuke.
SPEAKER_00: We have these natural defenses and tendencies and walls that go go up, and we start, we start trying to justify whatever it is and defending it, saying, well, no, no, no, I didn't mean that, and and and that an argument could ensue, and and uh it's not easy, and we don't often think clearly or sensibly in those situations.
SPEAKER_00: And especially, this is especially true when a rebuke is brought in a harsh or inappropriate way.
SPEAKER_00: So Paul's advice here is wise.
SPEAKER_00: He's saying instead of a harsh rebuke, try an encouragement, right?
SPEAKER_00: Try an encouragement.
SPEAKER_00: And I think his advice is wise here for two reasons.
SPEAKER_00: One, it's respectful, right?
SPEAKER_00: Biblically, it's respectful to it's it's good, it's important to respect those who are older than you, right?
SPEAKER_00: Those who are wiser than you.
SPEAKER_00: So first it's respectful.
SPEAKER_00: Two, I think it's wise advice because it's probably gonna be more effective, right?
SPEAKER_00: As we just said, how how we receive things, it's hard to receive correction, it's hard to receive rebuke.
SPEAKER_00: So if it's brought in a more encouraging and respectful way, it will probably be easier for the person on the receiving end to receive it.
SPEAKER_00: So I think his advice is wise.
SPEAKER_00: And more specifically, the Greek word that's used here for rebuke means to strike at.
SPEAKER_00: I'm not gonna say it, so I put it on the screen for you there.
SPEAKER_00: Um, but that's the that's the Greek word, and it means to strike at or rebuke with words, and and it's not used, I believe it's the only time it's used in the New Testament.
SPEAKER_00: So it's it's a harsh version of the word uh rebuke.
SPEAKER_00: So Paul's encouraging Timothy to encourage older men respectfully instead of starting verbal conflicts with rebukes.
SPEAKER_00: And one thing that I I think he's also saying here that's important is that whenever we're in conversation with people, especially if it's important or a difficult conversation, we should always consider how someone is going to receive what we're about to say.
SPEAKER_00: And and we can't a hundred percent accurately predict how somebody's gonna receive what we're going to say.
SPEAKER_00: Um, but I think we can spend time thinking about it and and and practicing it.
SPEAKER_00: So one thing that I do whenever I have to have a difficult conversation with somebody, and I work with teenagers, so it comes up sometimes.
SPEAKER_00: And um, and so I will practice it.
SPEAKER_00: Like if I'm driving in my car and I know I'm I'm about to have a difficult conversation with somebody, I will practice out loud what I'm going to say.
SPEAKER_00: And I do that so that I can hear myself say it, right?
SPEAKER_00: And it helps when it when it's out loud, and then I can try to predict my tone and what I'm saying and how I'm saying it, and how is that person going to receive it?
SPEAKER_00: And I think that's important, and I think that shows respect, right?
SPEAKER_00: That if in any conversation we have, any interaction that we have, especially if there's something that needs to be corrected, if we're if we're doing everything we can to predict and do our best to respect that person and how they're going to receive what it is that we have to say.
SPEAKER_00: And I think um it's also important that we point out here that Paul isn't saying that Timothy should never rebuke.
SPEAKER_00: That's not what he's saying.
SPEAKER_00: Timothy was a pastor, and it's clear from Paul's writings, even later in this chapter, we'll see that he brings up when it's necessary to rebuke.
SPEAKER_00: So he's not saying that you shouldn't rebuke.
SPEAKER_00: Timothy was going to have to do that um as a pastor.
SPEAKER_00: And and Paul's actions speak differently too, right?
SPEAKER_00: I think of uh the the account in Galatians when Paul had to call out and publicly rebuke Peter in front of his own church about how he was treating the Gentiles.
SPEAKER_00: So there's a time and a place for it.
SPEAKER_00: So that's not what he's saying here.
SPEAKER_00: But instead he's telling him not to rebuke harshly, and instead of tearing people down, let's exhort and encourage them because conflict will arise in the church setting, right?
SPEAKER_00: No church is immune from conflict because churches have people in them, right?
SPEAKER_00: And people are good at conflict.
SPEAKER_00: So uh it's gonna happen, right?
SPEAKER_00: And so it's not a matter of if it happens, but when it happens, and something that I've been working on my my six-year-old son with when it comes to conflict, when it comes to things that he does that are wrong, right?
SPEAKER_00: I emphasize, like, hey, we're all gonna make mistakes and do things we we shouldn't.
SPEAKER_00: But what's really important to me is how you respond to the mistake, right?
SPEAKER_00: And so I use this phrase with him called owning it.
SPEAKER_00: Like I want him to own it, right?
SPEAKER_00: And say, Data blew it.
SPEAKER_00: Like that's what I want to hear, and that's when we can have good conversation and resolution, right?
SPEAKER_00: So here at the road, we have a framework for that for handling conflict, called the Covenant of Harmony from the Matthew 18 model.
SPEAKER_00: And and Paul's advice to Timothy here, I think, is in reference to avoiding conflict, preventing conflict by not being harsh, but again, it's going to happen.
SPEAKER_00: And when it happens, I think how we handle it is really important.
SPEAKER_00: And we believe it should be handled with the people directly involved and with the mediator, if necessary, and we have a framework for that here.
SPEAKER_00: So treating older men with respect and encouraging them.
SPEAKER_00: Now, before we move on, whenever there's specific verses about how we treat a certain group of people, I also like to speak to that group of people too.
SPEAKER_00: So, because I don't want the older man to walk out of here thinking, this is great.
SPEAKER_00: Everybody has to respect me and be nice to me at church, right?
SPEAKER_00: Because here's the thing if it's true that older men should be treated with respect and encouraged, then be someone who's worthy of that, right?
SPEAKER_00: Be someone who's worthy of that.
SPEAKER_00: And if it's true that older men should be encouraged rather than rebuked harshly, then walk with a level of humility and receive with humility whatever's brought to us, whatever's brought against us, whatever rebuke or encouragement comes our way, let's receive it humbly and genuinely.
SPEAKER_00: Alright, so that's that's the section to older men.
SPEAKER_00: Let's move on to younger men.
SPEAKER_00: Paul writes to treat younger men as brothers, as fellow men.
SPEAKER_00: And just as in Paul, just as Paul instructed Timothy in chapter four not to let anyone despise him for his age, Timothy shouldn't do the same thing to people younger than him, right?
SPEAKER_00: So just as Paul said, hey, don't let anyone despise you for your youth, make sure you don't do that to the younger men in your congregation either.
SPEAKER_00: And uh Pastor Emmanuel said this last week, and so I stole it and I'm using it too.
SPEAKER_00: Um, but I gave him credit.
SPEAKER_00: He said, Christianity and ministry are not age-dependent, but fruit-dependent.
SPEAKER_00: I love that.
SPEAKER_00: And that's how we should be treating the young men and women in our church.
SPEAKER_00: And as my role as a youth pastor, I spend a lot of time with men who are younger than me, discipling them, encouraging them, mentoring them.
SPEAKER_00: And oftentimes I feel as though I'm learning as much from them as they are, hopefully, from me.
SPEAKER_00: Um, not all the time, they're teenagers, but it happens, right?
SPEAKER_00: And and uh happens often.
SPEAKER_00: I love it.
SPEAKER_00: And so I love this one because what Paul's saying is pull up the younger men and walk with them.
SPEAKER_00: Don't walk above them or in front of them.
SPEAKER_00: Pull them up and walk with them, do life with them, right?
SPEAKER_00: What a beautiful and important model that is for the church, right?
SPEAKER_00: Older men, and it doesn't mean just teenagers, but whatever age you are, find someone who's younger than you and pull them up and walk with them, disciple them, encourage them, not looking down on them, but walking with them.
SPEAKER_00: I love that one.
SPEAKER_00: I think it's great.
SPEAKER_00: And so that's his advice to Timothy regarding younger men.
SPEAKER_00: Then in verse 2, Paul shifts and addresses how Timothy should be treating the women.
SPEAKER_00: And Paul instructs Timothy to treat older women as mothers.
SPEAKER_00: Same idea here as he was discussing with men, the idea of respecting them, right?
SPEAKER_00: Showing respect and giving due respect to the older women in his congregation.
SPEAKER_00: And age is often something in today's culture that is viewed as a source of shame, right?
SPEAKER_00: People, my kids uh will often just go up to anybody and say, How old are you?
SPEAKER_00: Right?
SPEAKER_00: And it's kind of awkward and weird sometimes, and then the and then he'll they'll like remember that and tell everybody.
SPEAKER_00: Um, but it's viewed that way, right?
SPEAKER_00: And I think it could be or maybe should be viewed and appreciated more as a badge of honor because I think there is an association between age and wisdom, right?
SPEAKER_00: And and we have that within the church, and and it's a resource, right?
SPEAKER_00: Every person in the church brings a unique perspective and level of wisdom and life experience to our body, to our congregation.
SPEAKER_00: I see that represented here today.
SPEAKER_00: There's different levels of wisdom and different ages represented in our church, and that's such a cool thing.
SPEAKER_00: It's a blessing and it's a resource.
SPEAKER_00: And I think Paul, Paul's encouraging Timothy to tap into that resource, in that wisdom that existed within his church, right?
SPEAKER_00: He's saying, don't isolate yourself as a pastor and and make all of it like ask people for advice.
SPEAKER_00: The men and women in your church who who have more wisdom, who've been around a little bit longer, um, tap into that resource.
SPEAKER_00: And I think also just on the motherly note, you know, I've been blessed by the Lord with a wonderful mother.
SPEAKER_00: I have a great mother-in-law, and my wife is an awesome mother to our our three kids.
SPEAKER_00: And so I know from experience that we all need to be mothered sometimes, right?
SPEAKER_00: We all need to be mothered.
SPEAKER_00: And and maybe that's true for you by your actual mother, or maybe by a different motherly figure in your life.
SPEAKER_00: But I hope and pray that everyone has that resource because mothers are such uh such a resource.
SPEAKER_00: And if that is a hole in your life, then then I would encourage you to pray and seek the Lord for that uh type of person to fill that hole for you.
SPEAKER_00: And so for Timothy as a young pastor, what a blessing some mothering was for him, right, in his church, um, and to lean on and rely on those motherly giftings from some of the women.
SPEAKER_00: So let's honor and bless the older women we interact with in our church.
SPEAKER_00: And again, speaking to the to the older women for a minute, whether you're a mother or not, I would encourage you to extend those giftings that you have from the Lord to those in the church and outside of the church who need it.
SPEAKER_00: Then lastly, Paul addresses uh the younger women and how Timothy should handle the younger women.
SPEAKER_00: And he says, treat them as sisters with all purity.
SPEAKER_00: This one's important.
SPEAKER_00: I I think they're all important, but I think this one's especially important.
SPEAKER_00: Paul's advising a young pastor to be very careful with how he interacts with the young women in his congregation, to treat them as he would a sister with purity.
SPEAKER_00: And unfortunately, we've seen countless pastors fall and fail in this area today, have we not?
SPEAKER_00: And yes, the Bible's an old book, but it's an applicable book because people are people, right?
SPEAKER_00: In the same temptations and leanings and issues that people had back then, people have now.
SPEAKER_00: And so Paul was aware of this in the in the temptations and the issues that could arise for Timothy, and so he's warning him to be very careful how he treats the young women in his church.
SPEAKER_00: So be careful, men, be careful pastors, be careful people in authority, um, how you treat women, how you treat younger women, and I would encourage you to treat them like your sister with a high level of purity, because that's the respect that they are due and that they deserve.
SPEAKER_00: So let's continue reading in chapter five, pick it up in verse three, as Paul addresses the next group of people.
SPEAKER_00: Verse three, he says, Honor widows who are really widows, but if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show piety at home and repay their parents, for this is good and acceptable for God.
SPEAKER_00: Now she who is really a widow and left alone trusts in God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day.
SPEAKER_00: But she who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives.
SPEAKER_00: And these things command that they may be blameless.
SPEAKER_00: But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he is denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
SPEAKER_00: So Paul writes, Honor widows who are really widows.
SPEAKER_00: Now, widows during this time period were really kind of at the bottom of society because they were without a support system, right?
SPEAKER_00: They didn't have um a husband to support them, and there weren't any government assistance programs or anything like that around to help uh to help widows.
SPEAKER_00: So the church really was the primary resource and support system for widows.
SPEAKER_00: And and that's a good thing.
SPEAKER_00: But unfortunately, you would have uh people who would you know game the system, if you want to say, or try to take advantage of that support system.
SPEAKER_00: And again, this is super applicable uh to today.
SPEAKER_00: If you ask any person who's ever worked in a church, they can tell you that the church gets a lot of requests from people for assistance, for help.
SPEAKER_00: I'm not saying that every person who does that's taking advantage, right?
SPEAKER_00: That's not that's not what I'm saying, because it's not true, right?
SPEAKER_00: It's not true at all.
SPEAKER_00: Um, but it does happen, and there are people who, in the name of of Christianity, will kind of go from church to church for uh for a handout.
SPEAKER_00: And so that requires, on the church's part, it requires a fair amount of discernment, wisdom, and the Holy Spirit to know how to help and who to help and when to help.
SPEAKER_00: Because the church, biblically, what we learn from this passage and others is the church does have a biblical requirement to support those in need, right?
SPEAKER_00: That that's true.
SPEAKER_00: Um, and we do, and we do, and we want to, but we can't help everyone.
SPEAKER_00: So therein requires the the discernment, and that's exactly what Paul was telling Timothy.
SPEAKER_00: And he gets even more specific in verses 9 through 16 of this chapter.
SPEAKER_00: If you look, he gets even more specific with his instructions specifically about widows, and he he's outlining, you know, he's like telling Timothy what to look for.
SPEAKER_00: It's such a good advice.
SPEAKER_00: He's telling them what to look for in regards to how old they are and and their family situation and how they're living and walking and using these things to help with that discernment process practically of who to help and when to help and and why.
SPEAKER_00: And because the goal, what we can see is the goal is helping those who really need it and whose intentions and hearts are in the right place, right?
SPEAKER_00: So, and I think that's a great framework for us to use today as we discern who to help from a church level, but even even at a family level, of is the Lord's leading you to support people and help people using that criteria of who really needs our help and who's gonna do the best with it, right?
SPEAKER_00: Who's gonna who's gonna do the best with it because their heart uh is in the right place.
SPEAKER_00: So I think it's great practical advice um from Paul to Timothy.
SPEAKER_00: So let's continue reading now as Paul shifts to the next group of people.
SPEAKER_00: Uh we'll pick back up here in verse 17, as Paul's gonna shift and talk about uh church leadership.
SPEAKER_00: So he says, in 17, let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in the word and doctrine.
SPEAKER_00: For the scripture says, You shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain, and the laborer is worthy of his wages.
SPEAKER_00: Do not receive an accusation against an elder except from two or three witnesses.
SPEAKER_00: Those who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all, that the rest also may fear.
SPEAKER_00: So the word elder that's used here is not just specific to elders, right?
SPEAKER_00: Like we have elders in our church, uh in our church leadership, but it's referring to pastors as well, because he's talking about those who teach.
SPEAKER_00: Um and so he's saying, those who have a leadership role and those who teach the word.
SPEAKER_00: These are Paul's instructions regarding those who have authority in the church.
SPEAKER_00: And in the first portion of this chapter, Paul spends a good amount of time instructing Timothy on how to use the church's resources in regards to supporting the needy.
SPEAKER_00: And if you look back at verse three, he uses the word honor, and so with that word honor comes a financial uh meaning, an obligation.
SPEAKER_00: And so just as we see the word honor used in verse three, it's also used in verse 17.
SPEAKER_00: And so just as Paul was instructing the church to financially support the needy, he's also instructing the church to financially support those in leadership and those who labor in the word and doctrine, which refers to teaching and leading.
SPEAKER_00: And in fact, he says he says double honor.
SPEAKER_00: So that's the biblical model.
SPEAKER_00: There's a biblical obligation for the church to financially support those in need and also financially support those in church leadership.
SPEAKER_00: So Paul then instructs Timothy on how to handle accusations that are brought against church leadership, against a pastor or against somebody in authority in the church.
SPEAKER_00: And uh he's telling them how to handle that.
SPEAKER_00: And he cautions against believing and receiving each and every accusation, each gossip, each thing that you hear about.
SPEAKER_00: Someone in leadership.
SPEAKER_00: And he he there is a there is a kind of a line to tow here and to walk carefully because there's an extreme on either side, a tendency on either side.
SPEAKER_00: So extreme one, when something's brought against a member of leadership in the church, extreme one would be receiving and believing everything that's said on face value and then acting on it, right?
SPEAKER_00: You hear one thing, boom, it must be true, and you act on it.
SPEAKER_00: That's that's one extreme.
SPEAKER_00: The other extreme would be ignoring anything that you hear that's brought against a leader, uh, which could be, you know, could be a sin that you're you're potentially ignoring as well.
SPEAKER_00: So where's the middle the middle ground?
SPEAKER_00: Well, Paul tells Timothy there should be witnesses, right?
SPEAKER_00: There should be multiple witnesses, there should be substance to the accusation.
SPEAKER_00: And and I think evidence, what he's saying is evidence is important.
SPEAKER_00: This is wise advice for Timothy to follow.
SPEAKER_00: The emphasis on evidence.
SPEAKER_00: Before I was a youth pastor, I was uh an eighth-grade history teacher for a number of years.
SPEAKER_00: And as much as I love history, I taught American history, I love that.
SPEAKER_00: Um, and I want to know as much as possible and dates and battles and stuff, I quickly realized that uh most eighth graders don't feel the same way that I did.
SPEAKER_00: And so instead of my goal being memorization and they should just have like as much face value knowledge of American history as they can, my goal became you know, we talked about all those things, but my goal was more so an emphasis on skills, right?
SPEAKER_00: Like what skills can I teach them?
SPEAKER_00: Critical thinking, the importance of evidence, forming an argument.
SPEAKER_00: Like that's what I focused on, and we used history in order to teach those skills.
SPEAKER_00: And so one thing I focused on a lot was the importance of evidence.
SPEAKER_00: And I would tell my students, like, you can have any opinion that you want.
SPEAKER_00: You doesn't have to be the same opinion as mine.
SPEAKER_00: You can have your own opinion, but you gotta show me good evidence, right?
SPEAKER_00: You gotta show me a good reason, good evidence for why you have that opinion.
SPEAKER_00: Because if you don't, then you're just saying things.
SPEAKER_00: And that's like a huge peppy of mine, right?
SPEAKER_00: Don't just say things, don't just say things.
SPEAKER_00: Like have a good reason for why you believe it.
SPEAKER_00: Have some evidence.
SPEAKER_00: And I think the same is true here when it comes to accusations and gossip.
SPEAKER_00: If we're just saying things about people with no evidence, right, you could be doing a lot of damage, a lot of damage.
SPEAKER_00: And um, so that's what Paul is telling Timothy when it comes to church leadership.
SPEAKER_00: I would say when it comes to relationships and people in general, you know, like the emphasis of evidence is really, really important.
SPEAKER_00: But then in verse 20, Paul states when that process is correctly followed, when that process is correctly followed, and they do go through the substance of the accusation, and and there's evidence that's found, and and there is a leader who's failed in their leadership, then in verse 20, Paul says it needs to be addressed publicly, and the rebuke needs to happen publicly to the congregation.
SPEAKER_00: Um, and those that are held in leadership should be accountable in that way.
SPEAKER_00: All right, let's read um the rest of this chapter as Paul has a few more points for Timothy that kind of cover a variety of topics here.
SPEAKER_00: So uh we're picking back up in verse 21 of chapter five, and we'll read to the end here.
SPEAKER_00: So he says, I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels that you observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing with partiality.
SPEAKER_00: Do not lay hands on anyone hastily, nor share in other people's sins.
SPEAKER_00: Keep yourself pure.
SPEAKER_00: No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for your stomach's sake and your frequent infirmities.
SPEAKER_00: Some men's sins are clearly evident, perceiving uh preceding them to judgment, and those of some men follow later.
SPEAKER_00: Likewise the good works of some are clearly evident, and those that are otherwise cannot be hidden.
SPEAKER_00: Alright, so Paul says the importance and responsibility that's attached to the role of authority within the church, and that that's not something that should be taken lightly, especially when it comes to ordination, right?
SPEAKER_00: And choosing and appointing pastors.
SPEAKER_00: And so he says the laying on of hands should not be done hastily or too quickly, meaning don't lay hands and pray for someone and ordain them without the proper vetting process, right?
SPEAKER_00: And that's something we practice here at the road.
SPEAKER_00: Um, none of us who are pastors were were given that title on on day one.
SPEAKER_00: There was a there was a vetting process that uh took place, and we were um mentored and coached and observed and and and counseled uh before we were formally um ordained.
SPEAKER_00: And so I think that's wise advice uh for Paul to pass on uh to Timothy.
SPEAKER_00: He also then gives some health advice to Timothy uh in the church when it comes to drinking wine, right?
SPEAKER_00: And it's an interesting one, and and the reason for it is that oftentimes in this part of the world the water quality was so bad that it was actually better to drink uh wine because of the fermentation process.
SPEAKER_00: And it's not that Timothy didn't know this, right?
SPEAKER_00: I'm sure Timothy knew this, but he was so dedicated to what he was doing and setting a good example for his congregants that he was abstaining from wine to set a good example.
SPEAKER_00: And Paul's saying, dude, you gotta take care of yourself because uh the water he was drinking was making him sick.
SPEAKER_00: And so um Paul was giving him some practical advice, encouraging him, hey, drink a little bit, man, to take care of yourself so that you can be effective in your ministry.
SPEAKER_00: And I I love this.
SPEAKER_00: I'm a I'm a firm believer um in the church's role in supporting and teaching healthy lifestyles, not just spiritually, uh, but also physically.
SPEAKER_00: And the chapter and then the chapter ends with a note from Paul about using discernment when it comes to judgment and assessing uh good works.
SPEAKER_00: So there's there's a lot of wisdom that's crammed into uh this chapter, but even really uh this whole book from Paul to Timothy.
SPEAKER_00: And as I was reflecting on that, I was thinking, man, how blessed was Timothy to have Paul, right?
SPEAKER_00: To lead him like this and give him such practical and powerful advice as he was a young man leading a church, walking in his calling.
SPEAKER_00: And it made me think, man, I really hope that each one of us has a Paul, right?
SPEAKER_00: Each one of us has a Paul, a mentor in our life.
SPEAKER_00: And mentorship's so important.
SPEAKER_00: And I've always said that no matter how old you are, you should have a Paul, someone who's older than you pouring into you, and then you should also have someone like Timothy that you're pouring into as well, right?
SPEAKER_00: And I think that can start at a young age and that can happen at an old age.
SPEAKER_00: We can always have someone above and below us that we're receiving mentorship from and who we're also mentoring.
SPEAKER_00: And I think that idea is just so evident in first and second Timothy, as you watch how Paul mentors and counsels uh Timothy.
SPEAKER_00: But as we wrap this up, I want to I want to point out three takeaways uh from this chapter that we can digest and walk out of here with as the church.
SPEAKER_00: And I want to start by saying this we are the church.
SPEAKER_00: We are the church.
SPEAKER_00: Each one of you uh here this morning is an extension of this building, an extension of this congregation, an extension of God's holy church throughout the week.
SPEAKER_00: And this church is more than just a building, and and and guess what?
SPEAKER_00: Some people don't like the church, right?
SPEAKER_00: Some people don't like the church, and something that that Pastor Al says every now and then is a lot of people don't go to church because they know somebody who does, right?
SPEAKER_00: And that's that's the truth of it.
SPEAKER_00: You know, we're people, and but here here's the cool thing is I think every day outside of this building, every day as you go to work, as you interact with people, you have an opportunity to change somebody's mind about the church.
SPEAKER_00: And not because the goal is to make the church look great, but the goal is to make Jesus look great, right?
SPEAKER_00: And as an extension of God's church, extension of Jesus, we have an opportunity to change people's mind on what it means to be the church, right?
SPEAKER_00: How it's not just about religion, but how it's about loving people like Jesus loved people.
SPEAKER_00: So every day you have that opportunity to change somebody's mind about how we view the church.
SPEAKER_00: And so, number one, our final points here, number one is respecting one another, respecting one another.
SPEAKER_00: Things that we can pull from this chapter that we can apply as we are the church on a daily basis.
SPEAKER_00: And I really think this first one was the focus of this chapter uh from Paul, right?
SPEAKER_00: Respecting one another.
SPEAKER_00: How we treat people within this building is how we treat people outside of it.
SPEAKER_00: And I would even say how how we treat people inside this building should be how we treat people outside of it.
SPEAKER_00: I hope that it's the same, right?
SPEAKER_00: I hope that it's the same meaning.
SPEAKER_00: You know, if we're if we're in traffic and we're frustrated, are we are we honking and doing things with our hands that while there's a Christian bumper sticker on our car or a road bumper sticker on our car, right?
SPEAKER_00: Let's not so so the way we're treating people here should be the same way we're treating people outside.
SPEAKER_00: And and that's what Paul's saying, respecting those who are older than you, respecting those who are younger than you, respecting those in need, respecting those in authority when they're when things are going well and when there's conflict.
SPEAKER_00: And and what we say and how we respond is is so important.
SPEAKER_00: And Proverbs 15.1 says, A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.
SPEAKER_00: And Jesus set so many good examples of this uh when he was on earth.
SPEAKER_00: But I think of him in the garden, and he's being arrested, and it's an intense, difficult emotional moment, and Peter lashes out in anger and violence, and and and Jesus responds with love and respect and care uh for the people there.
SPEAKER_00: So we always have a choice in how we respond.
SPEAKER_00: And we can always choose to respond with respect and love.
SPEAKER_00: So that's number one, respecting one.
SPEAKER_00: Number two is caring for those in need.
SPEAKER_00: Paul spent the kind of bulk part of this chapter with instructions to Timothy on how to take care of people in need in the congregation and the community.
SPEAKER_00: So if it's a responsibility, as we said, it's the biblical responsibility of the church to care for those in need, and we're an extension of the church, then it's a responsibility of us to care for those in need.
SPEAKER_00: Right?
SPEAKER_00: And that can take many different forms, and again, I think the best model, the best example of that is Jesus and how he spent his time on earth.
SPEAKER_00: He prayed for people, he fed people, he listened to people, he cared for people.
SPEAKER_00: Are those practical things that we can do?
SPEAKER_00: Right?
SPEAKER_00: Can we pray for people?
SPEAKER_00: Can we feed people?
SPEAKER_00: Can we listen to people?
SPEAKER_00: Can we care for them?
SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
SPEAKER_00: Right?
SPEAKER_00: James 1:27 says, pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this, to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
SPEAKER_00: Other uh translations say, polluted, keep yourself from being polluted by the world.
SPEAKER_00: I love that language that's used.
SPEAKER_00: But religion, that word religion is kind of a bad word today.
SPEAKER_00: For people inside the church and outside the church, it makes people cringe, right?
SPEAKER_00: Religious um makes people cringe because people have been burned and hurt by it, or what they think they're being hurt by.
SPEAKER_00: And a couple summers ago, our youth group was at a park and we were uh hanging out at a park on a Wednesday night instead of being here because it's summertime and it's beautiful and outside, and we're hanging out, and and these kids um who weren't with our youth group but were with uh um in the neighborhood were hanging out kind of near us, and so I went up and and uh was talking to them and uh explaining who our group was and that I'm a youth pastor and I work at a church and inviting them to church.
SPEAKER_00: And I asked him, I said, Do you guys go to church?
SPEAKER_00: And and one of the kids said, No, I'm not I'm not I'm not religious, my family's not religious, I'm not religious.
SPEAKER_00: And so I looked at him and I said, Cool, neither am I.
SPEAKER_00: And he kind of looked at me real confused, and he said, So you just work at a church like for the money or for fun, or I was like, No, that's not why.
SPEAKER_00: Um I said, no, that's not why I said I I to me it's not about religion.
SPEAKER_00: I said, I I do it because I love Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: I do it because I love Jesus and I want other people to know Jesus and I want to tell people about Jesus, and that's why I do what I do.
SPEAKER_00: It's not about religion to me.
SPEAKER_00: And so I was able to share and explain that a little bit.
SPEAKER_00: I think if we can do that, if we can kind of step back every now and then from all of it and really boil it down, what does it mean to be the church?
SPEAKER_00: And I think it means that, right?
SPEAKER_00: I think it means to be an extension of church by being Jesus to people, by telling people about Jesus, by walking with people, by caring about people, by loving people like Jesus did, by telling people about Jesus.
SPEAKER_00: That's one of the best things we can do for people is share the gospel with them, right?
SPEAKER_00: That's what it means to be the church.
SPEAKER_00: And I love that verse in James because it kind of simplifies it a little bit.
SPEAKER_00: So that's number two, and then number three is walk steadfastly.
SPEAKER_00: The entire letter and certainly this chapter are instructions and wisdom for not just the church leader, but the believer, right?
SPEAKER_00: And when this wisdom and advice is taken to heart and followed, then a steadfast walk will be the fruit.
SPEAKER_00: And those who are walking steadfastly with the Lord and in his word will be the ones who are effectively and accurately being the church on a day-to-day basis during the week, living as an extension of this building.
SPEAKER_00: So let's do that together, right?
SPEAKER_00: Not alone, not alone.
SPEAKER_00: We're not meant to do church alone.
SPEAKER_00: That's why we're gathering here together, corporately, weekly, right?
SPEAKER_00: To do it, to do it together, not alone.
SPEAKER_00: So I'd encourage that.
SPEAKER_00: Walking steadfastly is more attainable if you're doing it with a group of believers in fellowship.
SPEAKER_00: So let's do that this morning.
SPEAKER_00: Let's be the church to one another while we're here, and let's be the church to everyone we interact throughout the week.
SPEAKER_01: Thank you for listening to the Road Church Podcast.
SPEAKER_01: We pray today's message has empowered you to make a difference in your world.
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