Does the Church Care?
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Grace to you and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. It is a great privilege to share the Word of God with the saints of Durbin Memorial Baptist Church.
A few weeks ago, we looked to answer the question, “What am I supposed to be doing?” We explored the purpose of the Christian’s life and how we are to steward our lives for the glory of God. We wanted to define our purpose by God’s Word and while we are aware that the outside world in our culture has expectations for Christians, we want to ensure we are following the Lord, not men. We said, “If we aren’t careful, we can be sucked into the world’s expectations and be tossed to and fro by the winds of human cunningness and morph living out our faith into something that is incongruent with the Bible’s presentation of living the Christian life. We get caught up in this burdensome, guilt-laced legalism.”
In that message, we were looking at the individual’s mandate to steward their life for the glory of God. This morning, we are zooming out a bit to consider the Church. What is the Church supposed to be doing? We know from our look last week at 1 Timothy 4:11-16, that God’s Word in reading, preaching, and teaching is the center of the Pastor’s message to the church and thus shapes the voice of the church. But what is it that the church should be doing between its regular gathering times?
I think that many believe the church should be a provider of welfare, especially in our socially conscious world today. It seems that every new product or business ties what they are doing to some sort of humanitarian issue. From coffee that claims to support veterans, to shoe companies that give away one pair to someone in need for every pair sold, to McDonalds and its Ronald McDonald House mission there are tons of businesses marketing their cause along with their product. I even saw a sock company that protects penguins as I was researching the message this week. It seems that all of these organizations are combining their business model with a philanthropic endeavor.
I admit that I am postulating here, but I think with the popularity of this business model and the “cause conscious” nature of the younger generations, that there is a general expectation that the church in America ought to be actively participating in humanitarian causes. I think that many people believe the church’s PURPOSE even is to help people live out comfortable lives and meet physical needs.
Now let me just say as a point of clarity before we go any further. I don’t think that there is anything wrong with benevolent causes. I’ve bought shoes before knowing that a pair will be given away in an impoverished country. I also do not think that the church should turn a cold shoulder to the suffering going on in the world. We have discussed in our recent Sunday evening series the command of showing love to all of our neighbors. A faithful church can absolutely be involved in compassion ministries and provide for the needs of their communities.
With that said, I’m going to say something that may sound controversial or counter-intuitive at the least:
The main purpose of the church is to build up the saints, NOT provide care for the sake of comfortable living in the community.
This can be disappointing to the world around us because they are unconcerned with the spiritual reality they are in. They see the physical need in front of them yet are blind to the eternal need they have. Further, the process of building up the saints is quite offensive to the World! Building up a saint begins with evangelism. That exposes an individual to their need of the gospel because of their sinful nature. Then they are shown how they are incapable of remedying their situation on their own and dependent upon Christ! We know from Scripture that the gospel is offensive, in plain terms, people don’t want it! To some it is a scent of death to death. The world would like to redefine the purpose of the church to humanitarian efforts because that is palatable to their desire.
But if we are speaking candidly this morning, sometimes churches like to believe their purpose is meeting humanitarian efforts.. This is because the cost is lower. It certainly costs money. It may cost time. It may cost effort. But the social cost is low. It is much easier to pass out a bottle of water than to proclaim the gospel.
Humanitarian efforts can be a bridge for a gospel conversation, but in and of themselves they are not the gospel. We should be good citizens, caring well for those around us, while not forgetting our primary purpose of building up the saints. I recently shared a quote from John Piper I’ll share again. “Don’t choose between rescuing people from suffering in this world and rescuing people from suffering in the next. We care about all suffering now, especially eternal suffering.”
As we transition to our primary text this morning, we will be looking at Paul’s guidance to Timothy in regards to a particular avenue of care and service in the church. We will see how the ultimate goal of service and humanitarian efforts is the perpetuation of the gospel.
If you have not already, open your Bibles to 1 Timothy 5. In this section, we see that there has been some problems happening within one of the ministries of the church. Verses 1 and 2 provide a framework for dealing with issues in the church. Verses 3-8 provide a framework for handling missions in the church and verses 9-16 provide a framework for focussed service in the church. Let’s begin with verse 1 and 2
1 Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, 2 older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity.
Throughout the whole of our study in 1 Timothy, it has become evident that there were major issues within the church at Ephesus. False teachers have been put in positions of leadership. Some folks are twisting Scripture. Some folks are slipping into legalism. The church has a lot of things to work on. And young, timid Timothy has been entrusted with the duty to clean it up.
The process of correction in the church is often messy. No one likes to be told they are wrong.
Timothy, and by extensions all those men entrusted with the position as pastor, must find a way to confront the wolves while continuing to shepherd the sheep. The Pastors response to these moments of correction can often be incendiary. In our zeal for right practice in the church, we can hurt the people of the church. It is one thing to correct doctrinal issues, it is quite another to demean the saints who are being sanctified. The under-shepherd of the church must remember that all those sinners saved by grace are worthy of honor, respect and dignity in the way he relates to them. “The pastor’s job is not to devour the sheep but to feed them, and he cannot do so if he is not relating to them in constructive ways.”
The biblical guardrails given to prevent an overbearing spirit from the position of the pastor is to remember that we are all apart of the family of God. Paul uses familial language to describe how Timothy should relate to the various populations within the church.
All throughout the New Testament we are reminded of the familial bonds that believers have in Christ. Ephesians 2:19 “19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God,” Galatians 6:10 “10 So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” Romans 8:16–17 “16 The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, 17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”
The duty to clean up the church does not negate the reality of the individual believers worth as God’s children. So Paul here uses familiar family terms to guide Timothy as he prepares to lovingly correct the issues in the church.
Before getting into the particular relationships Paul says, “Do not rebuke.”
We need to hone in on that phrase to make sure we do not misinterpret what is being said here. Paul is NOT saying do not address, or do not correct the issues happening in the church. That would contradict everything else that is in this letter. From the wisdom of Solomon in the book of Ecclesiastes we learn Ecclesiastes 7:5 “5 It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise than to hear the song of fools.”
In the greek, the word that Paul uses for “rebuke” is exclusively in this verse and no where else in the New Testament. This type of rebuking is different from the necessary corrections that must take place. Paul is talking about deep verbal abuse, verbal violence towards those in the church needing correction.
Galatians 6:1–2 “1 Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. 2 Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
The pastor must approach correction with humility and a spirit of gentleness. Timothy must not draw the sword, but the scalpel. To help Timothy put this into practice, Paul appeals to familial relations.
He begins with telling Timothy to speak with older men by encouraging them as he would a father. Last week we noted that age doesn’t always mean wisdom, but that doesn’t negate the reality that our elders deserve respect. Proverbs 16:31 “31 Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life.” We’re told throughout Scripture to give respect to our fathers.
Now in our culture, respect for our elders has eroded. Many grow up in a household where respect is not taught or shown in our families. Unfortunately many children grow up without a godly father in the home or with no father at all. This does not mean the we can reinterpret this verse to mean something different. When we come to Christ and love His commands, we grow to understand respect. We have to fight our personal pride and show deference and honor to our elders. For further study on how we can show respect and deference in our corrections look to how Nathan corrects King David in 2 Samuel 12. Nathan appeals to David’s sense of justice before calling him out for his sin. Or you can look to Paul’s rebuke of Peter in Galatians 2. Paul corrects Peter but does so with respect and deference. So should Pastor when addressing the older men of the congregation. So should we all when confronting sin in the men around us.
Then Paul says treat the younger men as brothers. There is a bit of difference between brothers and fathers, but the concept of respect remain. “Viewing them as brothers assumes no air of superiority, this phrase implies the absence of any hierarchy.” There may be a more casual tone or even assertiveness in the conversation, but we are to remember our cohorts are our peers in Christ. Love undergirds the conversation, though correction may be an uncomfortable conversation indeed. Jesus tells us, Matthew 18:15 “15 “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.” If we love our brothers in Christ, we confront their wrongdoing from a spirit of reconciliation.
After this, Paul addresses corrections when the male elder address the female members of the congregation. He begins with older women and says to encourage them as mothers. Proverbs 1:8 “8 Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching,” Once again, this is highlighting the need for respect and love to undergird the conversation. For further study, you can look to Philippians 4 where Paul address two women whose dispute was harming the church, but he does so in a gracious and gentle manner.
Then finally, encourage younger women as sisters with the addition of “in all purity.” Speaking with younger women as sisters highlights the love and respect within the relationship. But the addition of “in all purity” recognizes one of the most destructive sins in the reputation and ministry of the pastorate: lust. It is a sad reality too many pastors have ignored this warning from Paul to Timothy. There have been far too many stories of sexual abuse from the pulpit across Christendom and recently made aware within the Southern Baptist Convention. It is lamentable when any man strays from his wife for a moment with another woman. It is detestable when a Pastor allows his position and connection with those who trust his leadership to lead to a impure relationship. “A pastor who has learned the art of communicating with warmth and compassion can easily find himself in a situation of emotional connection with a woman with whom he ought not have such a connection. And so, there must be no hint of impropriety in his ministry to younger women.”
It would be negligent to assume that women never initiate improper relationships, but it does seem to be a sin men are more inclined to seek out. Men, if we love the Lord, we must love our wives and ensure that our relationships with others are pure.
The overall point of verses 1 and 2 is to provide a framework of familial honor when correcting problems in the church. During the corrective process, each group must be treated with honor, dignity, respect, and love, as we should treat our own family as well. While this direction is given specifically for the pastor, but we would all do well to appreciate the familial bond we share in Christ.
At this point in our text, Paul transitions to address a specific ministry program at the church in Ephesus: The care of Widows. He’s saying, this is how you talk to them in correction, now this is what you need to correct them about.
3 Honor widows who are truly widows. 4 But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God. 5 She who is truly a widow, left all alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day, 6 but she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives. 7 Command these things as well, so that they may be without reproach. 8 But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
To understand the framework for missions in the church provided in this section, we have to understand the context of the ministry.
At the time this letter was written, there was a long understood ministry of caring for women who were unable to care for themselves. The term widow certainly implies those women whose husbands have passed away, but it also includes those who had been deserted, divorced, or never married. “The provision regarding the care of widows was deeply rooted in the Jewish-Christian tradition. In the Old Testament, widows are accorded extraordinary care and honor. This came right out of the fifth commandment to “Honor your father and your mother” (Exodus 20:12). Honor was understood to include providing financial support,”
All of Jewish culture understood how important it is to care for those women who have no means to care for themselves. Even on the cross Jesus entrusted the care of His mother to John. This respect and care for widows continued into the life of the early church. Acts 6 records the installation of proto-deacons whose job it was to oversee the care of the widows among the congregation.
In direct context to the church at Ephesus, “the apostolic church did so well in caring for widows that it over applied the divine instructions, so that too many widows were on church welfare. And some may not even have been believers, as verse 6” from our text this morning implies.
For the church to be good stewards of the resources the Lord has provided to them, they needed to view their ministry beyond its humanitarian, materialistic approach. The church does not exist simply to provide welfare. By over reaching in care, we take away the service that is supposed to be owned by others.
We are to care for widows, but specifically for those who are “widows indeed.” Some widows have resources left to them by their husbands or families. Even those who have financial resources, however, are certainly in need of comfort, prayer, guidance, and support from the church. When it comes to destitute widows, it is their families that bear the first responsibility for their care. We see in verse 4 that the greatest responsibility for taking care of the needs of these women is their own families.
If the purpose of the church was to be a source of general welfare and benevolence, then we would rightly assume the needs of everyone we could. But since the purpose of the church is build up the saints, then our first course of action is to show the widows family the God given honor they have to take care of their mother or grandmother.
I know there are many in this congregation at this very moment who are attending to the needs of their elderly mothers and grandmothers. Please know and understand that that is God honoring service! It is a challenge! It is difficult! But it is pleasing in the sight of God to honor those whom God used to bring you into this life! Keep it up! If this church can help you in the endeavor, let me know! You have been given the opportunity to steward what God has given you to assist your elders! You might not be going on an overseas mission trip, but you are serving the Lord faithfully all the same in caring well for the widows in your family! To reject such a privilege would be a scourge to the name of Christ. If a family member rejects this responsibility, the church may certainly take it up the mantle, but it should also include disciplining the children who refuse to do what the Lord has commanded of them.
From the perspective of the church’s care for widows, verses 5 and 6 give guidance for whom should receive support and who should not. As a church we have a responsibility to take care of the women who demonstrate genuine faith and dedication to the Lord despite their hard circumstances. However, those who women who show no interest in pursing a godly life, rather following their own self-indulgence are not to be the recipients of general welfare. It reads, “she is dead while she lives.”
Is this mean? Doesn’t it sound rude for Paul to withhold care from these women? It does if the purpose of the church is to provide general welfare to everyone it comes across, but if the purpose of the church is to build up the saints then the refusal to provide financial means is an act of loving discipline intended to wake the widows up to their need of Christ and living in accordance with His will! The widows mentioned here used to participate in the life of the church but now that they are on their own, they are showing no evidence of knowing Christ. They need to see the seriousness of their condition. The most loving thing the church can do is call them to repentance for the sake of their eternal soul!
For our practical application in the church today, this passage highlights the importance of caring for widows, but it also provides a framework handling missions in the church. We certainly do provide care and humanitarian efforts, but the goal of that care is to do good unto everyone, ESPECIALLY the household of the faith, build up the saints, and call folks to repent of their sins and turn to Christ. We ought to be encouraging our congregation to own the individual responsibilities God has given and as a church fill in the gaps from their with everything pointing back to worthiness of Christ to be served.
In the last portion of our text this morning, Paul transitions from the church serving the widows, to explaining how the widows serve in the church.
9 Let a widow be enrolled if she is not less than sixty years of age, having been the wife of one husband, 10 and having a reputation for good works: if she has brought up children, has shown hospitality, has washed the feet of the saints, has cared for the afflicted, and has devoted herself to every good work. 11 But refuse to enroll younger widows, for when their passions draw them away from Christ, they desire to marry 12 and so incur condemnation for having abandoned their former faith. 13 Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not. 14 So I would have younger widows marry, bear children, manage their households, and give the adversary no occasion for slander. 15 For some have already strayed after Satan. 16 If any believing woman has relatives who are widows, let her care for them. Let the church not be burdened, so that it may care for those who are truly widows.
Now, there is a lot to unpack in this section of Scripture but I’ll try to be brief and pointed towards our application.
Some scholars believe this list to be additional requirements for a widow to receive care from the church. However, others believe the “list” these widows are enrolled on is a special designation of service. This is supported that the paragraph before speaks about women who are supported, or honored, while this paragraph deals with those who are “enrolled” or designated. Further, there were certainly be 50 year old godly widows who would need support. It seems unlikely, then, that such a distinct line would be given to receive support. So then if this is a designated role of service what did these widows do? One Commentary states, “Their duties surely included helping with the baptism of women, visiting the sick, visiting prisoners, teaching and discipline younger women, helping younger women rear and nurture their children, and providing hospitality for visitors and strangers.”
These women were a great asset to the church! As we should all seek to be! These women were taking a vow to dedicate the rest of the lives to the sole devotion of service in the church. 60 was the typical age in greek culture in which a person would retire from work and live a life of contemplation. “An older woman would have the time, maturity, character, reputation, and compassion to serve the Lord and the church” in this specific fashion.
Paul’s reasoning for not allowing younger women was not to be demeaning to the younger women, but rather to prevent them from making a vow that they would be unable to keep. They were young enough to remarry and glorify God through stewarding their households. He did not want them to make a promise they would not keep. It was not a bad thing for these women to start families and be active in the ongoings of the outside world. They can still glorify God in those endeavors. But for them to make a vow to God through service to the church and then break it would certainly be a grievous activity.
The practical application for the church today is that everyone can glorify God in their lives, but that looks differently for each of us and can change overtime. Some of us are called to pastor, to God be the glory. Some of us are called to build Christian families, to God be the glory. Some of us are called to take care of the widows in our families, to God be the glory. Some of us are called to raise children, to God be the glory. Some of us are called to be single, to God be the glory!
Service in the church should not be taken lightly, nor should any commitments that we make. You can absolutely serve the Lord in whatever position He has you in.
The church exists to build up the saints for the work of the Kingdom. We are a family that lovely holds one another accountable for the glory of God.
I’ll end with this from 1 Peter
7 The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. 8 Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins. 9 Show hospitality to one another without grumbling. 10 As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: 11 whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
The church cares. We primarily care about glorifying God. We do that by living out godly lives in the roles He has us in and telling people about their need of a Savior, Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, lived and died and rose again to reconcile all who believe in Him to the Holy God. Church if we have been redeemed, we must share that message first and foremost.
If you want to know more about what Christ has done and how He has commissioned us to serve, come forward during this hymn of response. Let’s pray.