4.28.12-1 Timothy 5-LOVE WITHOUT PARTIALITY OR FAVORITISM

Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF  Saturday, April 28, 2012

1 Timothy 5:1-6:2
Key Verse: 5:21

“I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, to keep these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing out of favoritism.”

Dear Lord thank you for your grace of forgiveness and transforming power that grows us in the image of Jesus. Lord, I pray that keep my kids safe in New York. Help them to see the Kingdom of God beyond the glitz and the glitter. Help them to know that true riches are actually spiritual treasures. Please help me to accept your word in my heart today. I pray in Jesus’ name. Amen!

Part 1: Respect, Affection, And Purity (5:1-2).
Verses 1-2 read, “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.”

Members of God’s household need to treat each other as family members, respecting elders and loving siblings in all purity. We cannot be indifferent to each other, but love one another dearly from the heart. I need to love all Christians. We are the body of Christ. Loving all Christians as precious family members does not mean just loving those of our own church and our own congregation. It means that we must love Christians who are of other denominations and Christian traditions. We need to love of Christian family members who are from the church right down our street. I repent that I have not treated others with the utmost respect at times. I need to treat them as if they are my own family members. I need to treat them with love and commitment.

When I think how I should treat others I must look to how Jesus has treated me. He is patient with me. He is kind to me. He respects me and hopes in me. He is my faithful friend and Lord who is with me by my side. He gently and comforts and counsels me. He guides me and shows me when I do wrong and teaches me the right way to God. In short he treats me with love and respect. As Jesus is treating me, so I must treat others.

Part 2: Managing church finances (5:3-20).

Selected verses from 3-20 read, “Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need. ….. 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….” (3, 8, 9,10)

The early church took up a collection to provide for the widows who needed help. According to this passage, only godly and truly needy widows should be provided for. Many people who are engaged in humanitarian work may not agree with this teaching. They think any widow, believer or non believer, hard worker or not, should be cared for by the church. The church has a responsibility to serve the community and its needs. But I know that if a widow wants to be helped in every way by the church they need to be part of the church and participating in the life of the church. They cannot just come to a soup kitchen once and a while. They may get a few free meals and a few hundred dollars in charity aid from the church. But if they want help in every way, for the rest of their lives, they need to be committed to Jesus and then to God’s people. Then I am sure that God would provide for their needs, maybe providing an apartment, money for the kid’s education and maybe even a chance to remarry with a man of God.

The point is that we must manage church finances well. We can not just throw money around with no oversight. It must be distributed prayerfully.

What about the elders. Verses 17-20 read, “17 The elders who direct the affairs of the church well are worthy of double honor, especially those whose work is preaching and teaching. 18 For Scripture says, “Do not muzzle an ox while it is treading out the grain,” and “The worker deserves his wages.” 19 Do not entertain an accusation against an elder unless it is brought by two or three witnesses. 20 But those elders who are sinning you are to reprove before everyone, so that the others may take warning” Elders who serve the ministry by preaching and teaching should be supported. The congregation must step up and support their pastor. They should be provided with a parsonage, with a vehicle, salary healthcare benefits and paid vacation days. They shouldn’t be over paid, but they need to be re-reimbursed for what they do. I pray for all congregations in America to take care of their pastors.

Those who do well are given double honor, and those who are sinning should be rebuked publicly. Accusations against leaders must be handled carefully. I learn hear that a pastor can be reproved and called to account. This is never easy. There must be a way to do this. Most churched do it through their board of elders. It is not easy. There should be a way for a church to have constructive criticism of their pastors and the pastors need to be humble enough to take it and grow through it. I pray that I may be that kind of pastor.

Part 3: Keep these instructions impartially (5:21-6:2).

Verses 21-6:2, “21 I charge you, in the sight of God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, to keep these instructions without partiality, and to do nothing out of favoritism. ….6:1 All who are under the yoke of slavery should consider their masters worthy of full respect, so that God’s name and our teaching may not be slandered. 2 Those who have believing masters should not show them disrespect just because they are fellow believers. Instead, they should serve them even better because their masters are dear to them as fellow believers and are devoted to the welfare[c] of their slaves.” These are the things you are to teach and insist on.”

Paul charged Timothy in the sight of God and Christ Jesus to keep these instructions impartially and without favoritism. That means that there is some equality in the body of Christ. A person can not just give people who are rich and educated and dressed well special preference. Those who are from the lowest strata of society once they become children of God, are equally important. Therefore slaves and masters need to treat each other with respect and love. That is one reason why I like Feed ‘Em Soup. They have it right. They try to love and respect all people. And this organization is a secular organization. They have it right. We Christians can learn a lesson from them.

Prayer: Father, help me to love and respect the whole body of Christ.

One Word: In the sight of God