1 00:00:02,733 --> 00:00:05,100 in Scripture, 2 00:00:05,100 --> 00:00:07,400 one of the most often terms 3 00:00:07,400 --> 00:00:11,500 that Jesus uses for his people. 4 00:00:12,000 --> 00:00:15,000 The church is a family, 5 00:00:15,666 --> 00:00:18,433 and families function on the basis 6 00:00:18,433 --> 00:00:21,433 of relationship, not rules. 7 00:00:21,966 --> 00:00:25,733 And so what we've done today is significant 8 00:00:26,200 --> 00:00:29,666 because it's how this family celebrates family. 9 00:00:30,500 --> 00:00:33,600 We took a moment and celebrate the promotions 10 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:37,800 and graduations of our, you know, the younger generation. 11 00:00:37,833 --> 00:00:39,000 That's what family does. 12 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:41,100 You celebrate that stuff. 13 00:00:41,100 --> 00:00:44,100 When we honor Joey, it's what the family does. 14 00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:47,800 Say thank you to those who've served well. 15 00:00:48,600 --> 00:00:50,166 You know that one of the things that I didn't 16 00:00:50,166 --> 00:00:53,166 mention about, about Zoe, 17 00:00:53,333 --> 00:00:56,433 is the young lady who was standing next to her. Ali. 18 00:00:57,866 --> 00:01:01,200 Ali took Zoe under her wing 19 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:05,300 and became a mentor for young Zoe. 20 00:01:05,900 --> 00:01:10,333 Not just musically, but as a young woman of purity. 21 00:01:11,366 --> 00:01:14,366 This is what I love about our church 22 00:01:14,366 --> 00:01:18,133 is that we have young adults like Ali 23 00:01:18,800 --> 00:01:22,733 and others in this church who are really, like, willingly give of their time 24 00:01:22,733 --> 00:01:26,966 and their energy and the love of their heart to mentor young ones coming up. 25 00:01:27,600 --> 00:01:31,500 If I had a young one coming up, I would get them here every week. 26 00:01:32,633 --> 00:01:34,733 Do you understand what I'm saying? 27 00:01:34,733 --> 00:01:39,600 We got these young adults who are willing to serve as mentors, 28 00:01:39,700 --> 00:01:43,300 which is exactly the way the Bible says the church ought to function. 29 00:01:43,833 --> 00:01:48,400 Older ones mentoring younger ones at every generation. 30 00:01:49,133 --> 00:01:52,266 And so as we're doing that, I'm looking at Ali thinking, Ali, this is like 31 00:01:52,733 --> 00:01:56,166 she's part of the testimony of your faith, part testimony of your life. 32 00:01:56,666 --> 00:01:57,500 It's just beautiful. 33 00:01:58,533 --> 00:01:59,600 We celebrate stuff. 34 00:01:59,600 --> 00:02:01,733 And I see Jess back there. 35 00:02:01,733 --> 00:02:05,133 There's Jess, Michael's wife, with your new little baby. 36 00:02:05,400 --> 00:02:07,300 Right, Levi? 37 00:02:07,300 --> 00:02:08,533 Yeah. 38 00:02:08,533 --> 00:02:10,966 How how old is Levi? 39 00:02:10,966 --> 00:02:12,200 Six weeks. 40 00:02:12,200 --> 00:02:14,033 Right on, man. 41 00:02:14,033 --> 00:02:16,633 And so we celebrate that stuff, I guess. 42 00:02:16,633 --> 00:02:18,933 You got three boys at home? 43 00:02:18,933 --> 00:02:21,333 Yeah. We're going to pray for you. 44 00:02:21,333 --> 00:02:22,800 I come from a family. 45 00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:25,800 My my wife and I, we have three sons and, 46 00:02:28,500 --> 00:02:31,500 keep good insurance. 47 00:02:31,933 --> 00:02:34,200 We celebrate stuff. 48 00:02:34,200 --> 00:02:36,766 And so in looking at the 49 00:02:36,766 --> 00:02:39,766 at the book of First Timothy, 50 00:02:42,266 --> 00:02:44,733 Paul has gone through great lengths 51 00:02:44,733 --> 00:02:48,033 to talk about the family called the church. 52 00:02:49,166 --> 00:02:50,633 And this is our expectations. 53 00:02:50,633 --> 00:02:52,866 Paul says this is what you're supposed to do. 54 00:02:52,866 --> 00:02:55,666 Timothy is a young man. 55 00:02:55,666 --> 00:02:57,400 Paul is an old man. 56 00:02:57,400 --> 00:03:01,633 And this old man is telling this young man, I'm going to leave you in charge. 57 00:03:01,933 --> 00:03:04,600 As the leader of this church in Ephesus. 58 00:03:05,700 --> 00:03:08,700 And it was a tough gig for Timothy. 59 00:03:08,700 --> 00:03:11,966 He was in this place called Ephesus, that in the hills above 60 00:03:11,966 --> 00:03:15,733 Ephesus had this temple of Artemus or Diana, depending 61 00:03:15,733 --> 00:03:19,500 on which time you want to give her same, same, same, religion. 62 00:03:19,666 --> 00:03:24,100 And every evening, about a thousand prostitutes would infiltrate 63 00:03:24,366 --> 00:03:28,300 Ephesus to get their grips on the young men of the city. 64 00:03:28,800 --> 00:03:31,500 And so it was just a it was a vile place. 65 00:03:31,500 --> 00:03:32,933 And this young man, Timothy, 66 00:03:32,933 --> 00:03:37,500 who had never done a job like this before, is now out from under the mint. 67 00:03:37,500 --> 00:03:39,300 Their direct mentorship of Paul. 68 00:03:39,300 --> 00:03:41,933 And Paul says, look, as an old man, I've been around the block. 69 00:03:41,933 --> 00:03:44,633 Here's how I want you to handle the family. 70 00:03:44,633 --> 00:03:47,700 God, the family of God in your context. 71 00:03:47,833 --> 00:03:50,833 And so that's what first Timothy and second Timothy is all about. 72 00:03:51,033 --> 00:03:54,733 So just as a recap, chapter one, Paul talks 73 00:03:54,733 --> 00:03:58,066 about the two important things of the church is to guard and to guide, 74 00:03:58,800 --> 00:04:02,833 guard the gospel and good doctrine and guide people into it. 75 00:04:03,066 --> 00:04:06,900 In chapter two, it's all about the order within the church, 76 00:04:06,900 --> 00:04:12,400 and there are definitely designed roles of people in the church. 77 00:04:12,400 --> 00:04:13,666 And in chapter three 78 00:04:13,666 --> 00:04:17,600 he talks about those Christians in general, but really those in leadership. 79 00:04:17,766 --> 00:04:22,500 The idea that it's character over skill set, like the character matters. 80 00:04:23,400 --> 00:04:24,633 Chapter four. 81 00:04:24,633 --> 00:04:27,666 He encourages us to train hard in your faith. 82 00:04:27,866 --> 00:04:31,233 Like like Take This seriously uses a lot of athletic language. 83 00:04:31,533 --> 00:04:35,300 And he says, push in, train hard, don't be lax. 84 00:04:35,300 --> 00:04:36,533 Don't be lazy. 85 00:04:36,533 --> 00:04:40,733 Like a pursue this thing like an athlete does being a world class athlete. 86 00:04:40,833 --> 00:04:44,600 And then in chapter five that we'll look at today he's going to talk about honor. 87 00:04:44,600 --> 00:04:47,266 That's do people and leaders in the church. 88 00:04:47,266 --> 00:04:48,666 And in chapter six next week 89 00:04:48,666 --> 00:04:51,366 he's going to round it out with his charge to fight the good fight. 90 00:04:51,366 --> 00:04:53,200 Now it is a war and it's a battle. 91 00:04:53,200 --> 00:04:54,666 And you got to do it well. 92 00:04:54,666 --> 00:04:58,200 So that's kind of the book in a in a real brief snapshot. 93 00:04:58,566 --> 00:05:02,100 We're going to look at chapter five, and chapter five 94 00:05:02,100 --> 00:05:05,966 is going to bring up some things that I'm just like at the front end of this. 95 00:05:06,000 --> 00:05:08,133 Some of you are going to argue that you're going to feel like, 96 00:05:08,133 --> 00:05:12,300 why are we this has nothing to do with me and my life right now. 97 00:05:12,300 --> 00:05:13,366 Like, what are we. 98 00:05:13,366 --> 00:05:15,233 I'm going to I'm going to get there. 99 00:05:15,233 --> 00:05:15,600 You just. 100 00:05:15,600 --> 00:05:18,533 So just stay with or we'll get there when we get to the end of this. 101 00:05:18,533 --> 00:05:21,133 In the beginning of chapter six. Okay. 102 00:05:21,133 --> 00:05:24,566 But it's going to bring up some, some things that are maybe contrary 103 00:05:24,566 --> 00:05:27,800 to the culture at large, and the culture's perception of the church is supposed to 104 00:05:27,800 --> 00:05:31,333 do, and it's going to bring up some stuff about the honor. 105 00:05:31,333 --> 00:05:35,233 Do people in the church and the pastors and the pastoral staff. 106 00:05:35,233 --> 00:05:37,666 And so I'm just going to I'm going to read the Bible. 107 00:05:37,666 --> 00:05:39,133 We're going to talk about what the Bible says. 108 00:05:39,133 --> 00:05:42,333 You know, that I don't shy away from whatever's 109 00:05:42,333 --> 00:05:45,366 in the Bible, like if if we got a problem, what's in the Bible? 110 00:05:45,400 --> 00:05:48,900 You take it up with God, don't take it up with me like I didn't write it. 111 00:05:49,566 --> 00:05:51,700 I'll take it up with the author. 112 00:05:51,700 --> 00:05:53,033 And good luck with that. 113 00:05:54,866 --> 00:05:57,866 But let me just jump in verses one and two. 114 00:05:58,133 --> 00:06:01,933 Do not rebuke an older man, but encourage him as you would a father. 115 00:06:02,033 --> 00:06:03,900 Younger men as brothers. 116 00:06:03,900 --> 00:06:04,933 Older women as mothers. 117 00:06:04,933 --> 00:06:07,366 Younger women as sisters. In all purity. 118 00:06:07,366 --> 00:06:09,200 So he's saying, look at him. Here's the deal, man. 119 00:06:09,200 --> 00:06:10,866 You're going to be in this church. 120 00:06:10,866 --> 00:06:14,900 And there's a lot of people, honest people you got to lead who are older than you. 121 00:06:15,033 --> 00:06:19,866 Here's how this is good leadership stuff with the guys older than you. 122 00:06:19,900 --> 00:06:22,900 Don't rebuke them. Encourage them. 123 00:06:23,500 --> 00:06:27,566 That word rebuke means don't talk to them harshly in public. 124 00:06:28,200 --> 00:06:29,100 Don't. 125 00:06:29,100 --> 00:06:32,600 Don't unload both barrels on them in public. Why? 126 00:06:32,833 --> 00:06:36,800 Because older men don't listen to younger guys, right, guys? 127 00:06:37,533 --> 00:06:40,500 Right. I don't care how old you are. 128 00:06:40,500 --> 00:06:43,566 There's someone younger than you, and you don't listen to them. 129 00:06:43,733 --> 00:06:44,366 We don't. 130 00:06:45,500 --> 00:06:47,600 They haven't been where we been, right? 131 00:06:47,600 --> 00:06:48,966 They're not lived like we live. 132 00:06:48,966 --> 00:06:51,300 They ain't been around a block like we have. 133 00:06:51,300 --> 00:06:53,800 They haven't learned everything that we've learned. 134 00:06:53,800 --> 00:06:57,833 And so young man comes an old man with some rebuke and correction. 135 00:06:58,433 --> 00:07:00,200 That ain't going to go well. 136 00:07:00,200 --> 00:07:02,700 So just as in a practical level, 137 00:07:02,700 --> 00:07:05,700 you shouldn't look. 138 00:07:06,066 --> 00:07:06,600 You're going 139 00:07:06,600 --> 00:07:09,600 to have to lead people older than you. 140 00:07:09,666 --> 00:07:11,533 It's going to be difficult. 141 00:07:11,533 --> 00:07:14,533 And so encourage them. 142 00:07:15,066 --> 00:07:16,933 Now here's the thing. 143 00:07:16,933 --> 00:07:21,233 In our culture, elderly is not elevated. 144 00:07:22,433 --> 00:07:25,166 Youth is venerated. 145 00:07:25,166 --> 00:07:28,166 And so we've lost the importance 146 00:07:28,466 --> 00:07:31,800 and the sacredness of growing old. 147 00:07:33,100 --> 00:07:35,500 And our culture pushes against that. 148 00:07:35,500 --> 00:07:38,100 And we resist that and we deny it. 149 00:07:38,100 --> 00:07:40,800 And we try to not look at 150 00:07:40,800 --> 00:07:42,933 biblically. 151 00:07:42,933 --> 00:07:45,933 The instruction is to honor those 152 00:07:46,200 --> 00:07:49,200 who are elderly, hold them at high esteem 153 00:07:49,500 --> 00:07:52,366 to understand, to understand. 154 00:07:52,366 --> 00:07:54,633 Okay, you younger people than me. You understand? 155 00:07:54,633 --> 00:07:54,966 No, I. 156 00:07:57,400 --> 00:08:00,400 Like there's some there's some honor, respect. 157 00:08:00,900 --> 00:08:03,900 Like, we've been around the sun a lot more times than you have. 158 00:08:04,466 --> 00:08:06,700 And so there's some there's an honor there. 159 00:08:06,700 --> 00:08:09,100 It's the same thing in the home. 160 00:08:09,100 --> 00:08:12,100 You children, you better non-real respect your parents 161 00:08:12,733 --> 00:08:13,733 like you. Just. 162 00:08:13,733 --> 00:08:18,866 And so he's saying, honor, I don't don't come out hard against you. 163 00:08:19,400 --> 00:08:21,933 Honor them. Encourage them. 164 00:08:21,933 --> 00:08:24,933 And he says the older women treat them as moms. 165 00:08:25,300 --> 00:08:27,233 They're not to be old ladies. 166 00:08:27,233 --> 00:08:30,233 You just kind of push aside and not like there's some incredible. 167 00:08:30,600 --> 00:08:32,666 And regardless of the 168 00:08:32,666 --> 00:08:36,666 of the generational age, it's the same thing with Ali and Zoe. 169 00:08:37,566 --> 00:08:38,833 Like there's some honor. 170 00:08:38,833 --> 00:08:41,833 You treat them with some holiness and some sacredness. 171 00:08:42,266 --> 00:08:47,366 You older women in this church like you, ought to be honored by everybody 172 00:08:47,866 --> 00:08:53,400 as as mom, as mature, godly examples of what it is 173 00:08:53,400 --> 00:08:58,266 to grow up as a God, as the woman hood of of godly character. 174 00:08:59,300 --> 00:09:00,766 And there should be 175 00:09:00,766 --> 00:09:03,833 younger ones that you're mentoring in that godliness. 176 00:09:04,766 --> 00:09:08,266 And then he says of Timothy, these younger guys, than you treat them as brothers. 177 00:09:08,566 --> 00:09:11,833 Now that's a double edged sword oftentimes with brothers, right? 178 00:09:11,833 --> 00:09:13,366 Like, 179 00:09:13,366 --> 00:09:16,100 oh, saying is, you have to have the attitude 180 00:09:16,100 --> 00:09:18,700 with each other that you have in a good, healthy family. 181 00:09:18,700 --> 00:09:21,266 And for young women, Timothy, you're a man. 182 00:09:21,266 --> 00:09:22,733 You got young women under you. 183 00:09:22,733 --> 00:09:24,966 You, you you don't treat them as objects. 184 00:09:24,966 --> 00:09:27,966 You treat them as sisters with all purity. 185 00:09:28,600 --> 00:09:30,400 You don't have those lingering eyes 186 00:09:30,400 --> 00:09:33,400 and little innuendos when you talk with young women. 187 00:09:33,733 --> 00:09:36,133 We understand this just good stuff, right? 188 00:09:36,133 --> 00:09:38,333 Right. Yeah. 189 00:09:38,333 --> 00:09:40,900 And so I don't need to explain a lot about that. 190 00:09:40,900 --> 00:09:42,000 You should just honor the. 191 00:09:42,000 --> 00:09:45,766 And so then he gets into a little bit more practical stuff, and he's going 192 00:09:45,766 --> 00:09:49,500 to address this issue of who the church is responsible to take care of. 193 00:09:49,533 --> 00:09:52,533 Now let me just say on the front of this also 194 00:09:52,866 --> 00:09:56,200 in our culture, much of the community thinks it's 195 00:09:56,200 --> 00:10:00,466 the church responsibility to take care of the needs of the community. 196 00:10:00,566 --> 00:10:02,433 The Bible doesn't necessarily say that. 197 00:10:02,433 --> 00:10:06,500 The Bible says it's the church's job to take care of the spiritual needs, 198 00:10:06,900 --> 00:10:09,100 but not the physical needs of the community. 199 00:10:09,100 --> 00:10:10,033 There's a lot of churches. 200 00:10:10,033 --> 00:10:13,300 There's a lot of social justice movement in this, and a lot to say. 201 00:10:13,300 --> 00:10:17,033 We have to make sure that all the poor people in our community are taken care of. 202 00:10:17,100 --> 00:10:19,066 Well, Jesus said, you're always going to have poor people. 203 00:10:19,066 --> 00:10:20,066 You're never going to get away from them. 204 00:10:20,066 --> 00:10:23,933 Make sure, Your Honor in me and so Paul sets out this 205 00:10:24,600 --> 00:10:28,800 standard of care for what the church is responsible for, and it's going to push 206 00:10:28,800 --> 00:10:32,233 back on the common thought of what the church's job really is. 207 00:10:32,566 --> 00:10:34,500 Whenever there's a pushback from the culture 208 00:10:34,500 --> 00:10:36,333 about what the job is of the church 209 00:10:36,333 --> 00:10:39,333 and what it with what the the Bible says, the job of the church, 210 00:10:39,366 --> 00:10:41,866 I'm going to go with what the Bible says, the job at the churches. 211 00:10:41,866 --> 00:10:42,933 That makes sense. 212 00:10:42,933 --> 00:10:46,366 So as long as you understand where I'm coming from, what the Bible says, 213 00:10:47,100 --> 00:10:48,266 and draw conclusions. 214 00:10:48,266 --> 00:10:51,600 Verse three honor widows who are truly widows. 215 00:10:52,200 --> 00:10:55,466 But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn 216 00:10:55,466 --> 00:10:59,100 to show godliness to their own household or to make some return 217 00:10:59,100 --> 00:11:02,100 for it to their parents, for this is pleasing inside to God. 218 00:11:02,400 --> 00:11:04,833 He says, honor the widows who are truly widows. 219 00:11:04,833 --> 00:11:06,866 So there's obviously a distinguished 220 00:11:06,866 --> 00:11:10,300 or some distinction between widows and true widows. 221 00:11:11,133 --> 00:11:13,800 It doesn't have to do with a woman being without a husband. 222 00:11:15,100 --> 00:11:15,633 There's some 223 00:11:15,633 --> 00:11:19,933 criteria of what a true widow is, and according to Paul, 224 00:11:20,200 --> 00:11:24,666 a true widow is a widow who is truly needy in the sense 225 00:11:24,666 --> 00:11:27,666 that she has no other family members 226 00:11:27,666 --> 00:11:30,666 in the area to help take care of her. 227 00:11:30,800 --> 00:11:33,700 It's not just that she's lost a husband and she has. 228 00:11:33,700 --> 00:11:35,133 She's she's over a certain age. 229 00:11:35,133 --> 00:11:37,566 It has nobody else to help take care of her. 230 00:11:37,566 --> 00:11:40,200 And so what it says here 231 00:11:40,200 --> 00:11:43,200 is that family takes care of family 232 00:11:43,633 --> 00:11:46,133 and then if you have a family, 233 00:11:46,133 --> 00:11:49,466 it's your family's responsibility for your care. 234 00:11:49,566 --> 00:11:51,900 It's not the church's responsibility. 235 00:11:51,900 --> 00:11:54,933 And the way a younger generation takes care of their, 236 00:11:56,133 --> 00:11:58,666 the way they honor God and please God is by taking care 237 00:11:58,666 --> 00:12:01,800 of their aging parents and responsibility for them. 238 00:12:02,566 --> 00:12:03,933 Look at verse five. 239 00:12:03,933 --> 00:12:08,866 She who is truly widow, left all alone, has set her 240 00:12:08,866 --> 00:12:12,933 hope on God and continues in supplication and prayers night and day. 241 00:12:13,266 --> 00:12:17,733 So he says, the one who's a true widow, who has nobody else, no, no kids, 242 00:12:18,400 --> 00:12:21,900 no relatives, no cousins, nephew. 243 00:12:21,900 --> 00:12:24,900 And then like nobody, they are the true widow. 244 00:12:25,066 --> 00:12:30,100 And her first response, the one who has nobody to take care of him. 245 00:12:30,133 --> 00:12:33,966 Their first response is to spend night and day in prayer. 246 00:12:33,966 --> 00:12:35,400 That means two things. 247 00:12:35,400 --> 00:12:40,300 It means their first response is not on some other system to take care of them. 248 00:12:40,366 --> 00:12:44,100 Their first response is real reliance upon God, 249 00:12:44,166 --> 00:12:48,266 the provider who owns a cattle on a thousand hills to take care of her. 250 00:12:48,300 --> 00:12:50,866 That's her first reliance. 251 00:12:50,866 --> 00:12:55,300 And day and night she goes before the father, saying, you are my father. 252 00:12:55,566 --> 00:12:56,700 You meet my needs. 253 00:12:58,266 --> 00:13:01,033 The second thing that means is this 254 00:13:01,033 --> 00:13:04,600 because there was no welfare system in this first century 255 00:13:04,600 --> 00:13:06,200 and no social assistance 256 00:13:06,200 --> 00:13:09,933 and governmental aid for those who were truly in need, i.e. 257 00:13:09,933 --> 00:13:10,433 widows? 258 00:13:10,433 --> 00:13:13,433 No, he doesn't talk about men widowers 259 00:13:13,600 --> 00:13:16,600 because they go out and get a job and they should. 260 00:13:17,033 --> 00:13:18,466 Well, he's talking about these women. 261 00:13:18,466 --> 00:13:22,766 Women because women didn't most of them didn't have jobs back then. 262 00:13:22,800 --> 00:13:27,233 They couldn't go to, you know, McDonald's and and and sling flop fries. 263 00:13:27,233 --> 00:13:28,800 They just they didn't have. 264 00:13:28,800 --> 00:13:31,633 And so he said because there's no social 265 00:13:31,633 --> 00:13:34,766 assistance for them, they have no other family 266 00:13:35,366 --> 00:13:39,200 when they come to the family that they're a part of at the church, 267 00:13:40,366 --> 00:13:43,366 they go before God night and day for their own. 268 00:13:43,633 --> 00:13:47,500 And then, in essence, they signed a contract with the church 269 00:13:47,833 --> 00:13:51,066 to be on staff for the reasons for the assistance 270 00:13:51,066 --> 00:13:55,100 they're receiving to be what we would call their prayer warriors for the church. 271 00:13:56,066 --> 00:13:56,933 What he's saying 272 00:13:56,933 --> 00:14:00,600 is you just don't give people money and send them on their way. 273 00:14:00,866 --> 00:14:05,466 If they're worthy of it, you help them and then they owe the church 274 00:14:05,466 --> 00:14:10,166 a contribution because they've received from the contributions of the church 275 00:14:10,333 --> 00:14:12,566 and the way they contribute to the church, 276 00:14:12,566 --> 00:14:15,566 because they've received from the contributions of the church, 277 00:14:15,566 --> 00:14:19,966 is to contribute to the church and night and day on behalf of the church. 278 00:14:21,000 --> 00:14:23,600 There's no free lunches or. 279 00:14:23,600 --> 00:14:25,133 Understand? 280 00:14:25,133 --> 00:14:26,400 You understand. 281 00:14:26,400 --> 00:14:29,933 Paul will say later in Second Thessalonians, 282 00:14:30,600 --> 00:14:33,600 that if you if you don't work, you don't eat. 283 00:14:34,833 --> 00:14:37,133 That's a pretty good rule. 284 00:14:37,133 --> 00:14:40,466 And he's saying, look, we're not saying that that these 285 00:14:40,500 --> 00:14:44,300 these ladies have to have to do menial, but they have to 286 00:14:44,333 --> 00:14:46,200 work for the church in prayer night. 287 00:14:46,200 --> 00:14:48,866 And day if they're going to receive contribution from the church. 288 00:14:48,866 --> 00:14:49,500 That's what he's saying. 289 00:14:56,600 --> 00:14:58,600 Let me give you some some other understandings 290 00:14:58,600 --> 00:15:01,600 of, of why? 291 00:15:06,633 --> 00:15:09,266 Well, let me, let me I'm going to do six and seven. 292 00:15:09,266 --> 00:15:09,600 Let me see. 293 00:15:09,600 --> 00:15:10,600 I can get stuck. 294 00:15:10,600 --> 00:15:13,500 I can go down rabbit holes. I don't want to do that right now. 295 00:15:13,500 --> 00:15:16,766 But she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives. 296 00:15:16,866 --> 00:15:21,900 Command these things as well, so that they may be without reproach. 297 00:15:23,533 --> 00:15:25,466 So he he he's saying 298 00:15:25,466 --> 00:15:30,800 there there are some who who can get themselves into trouble 299 00:15:30,833 --> 00:15:33,900 because they start taking advantage of the church. 300 00:15:34,633 --> 00:15:36,400 He said, don't, don't permit that. 301 00:15:36,400 --> 00:15:39,700 And when he says command these things, that's a military word. 302 00:15:39,900 --> 00:15:42,466 And what he's telling Timothy is, look, Timothy, here's the deal. 303 00:15:42,466 --> 00:15:44,333 You're going to start leading this way, 304 00:15:44,333 --> 00:15:47,933 and you're going to draw some parameters around how people are going to push back, 305 00:15:48,166 --> 00:15:50,600 because they're going to think that the it's the church's role 306 00:15:50,600 --> 00:15:53,600 to meet all of the social needs of their community. 307 00:15:53,666 --> 00:15:56,266 He says you command them as a commanding officer 308 00:15:56,266 --> 00:15:58,000 because they're going to push back against it, 309 00:15:58,000 --> 00:16:01,000 and they need to know that this is how we do things, 310 00:16:01,466 --> 00:16:03,900 and you don't have the authority to push back against this. 311 00:16:03,900 --> 00:16:06,166 This this is a this is a really strong term. 312 00:16:06,166 --> 00:16:10,233 He's he's telling Timothy to lead with press into your leadership, 313 00:16:10,233 --> 00:16:13,533 your Tim, and make sure you don't get push back from this. 314 00:16:16,033 --> 00:16:17,433 At verse eight. 315 00:16:17,433 --> 00:16:18,200 But if anyone 316 00:16:18,200 --> 00:16:21,933 does not provide for his relatives and especially for members of his household, 317 00:16:22,033 --> 00:16:25,066 he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. See? 318 00:16:25,066 --> 00:16:28,166 And so, listen, it's not the church's job to take care of 319 00:16:28,166 --> 00:16:31,866 all the needs of everybody, especially those outside the church. 320 00:16:31,866 --> 00:16:33,300 But even with those inside, 321 00:16:33,300 --> 00:16:37,133 if they have family members, family takes care of family. 322 00:16:37,733 --> 00:16:41,133 Your family takes care of your family before you ask the church for anything. 323 00:16:41,400 --> 00:16:42,500 That's what he's saying. 324 00:16:42,500 --> 00:16:43,133 And he says, 325 00:16:43,133 --> 00:16:48,066 for those who have family members in need, who refuse to help them and assist them. 326 00:16:48,300 --> 00:16:50,433 It's like we have denied the faith. 327 00:16:50,433 --> 00:16:53,433 And worse than an unbeliever hears how strong those words are. 328 00:16:53,766 --> 00:16:56,833 An unbeliever, someone who just doesn't, isn't convinced yet 329 00:16:57,300 --> 00:17:00,500 someone who's denied the faith and is worse than that, 330 00:17:00,666 --> 00:17:04,366 is someone who has known the faith and chosen to reject it. 331 00:17:05,433 --> 00:17:06,533 You saying that's how 332 00:17:06,533 --> 00:17:11,333 strong this is for you as a family member, but not to take care of your family 333 00:17:11,366 --> 00:17:14,366 and to just shove them off on a church. 334 00:17:18,466 --> 00:17:21,266 And so he says, 335 00:17:21,266 --> 00:17:23,900 let the widow be enrolled 336 00:17:23,900 --> 00:17:26,666 if she is not less than 60 years of age, 337 00:17:26,666 --> 00:17:30,633 having been the wife of one husband and having a reputation for good works. 338 00:17:30,900 --> 00:17:34,733 If she has brought up children and has shown hospitality, has washed 339 00:17:34,733 --> 00:17:38,033 the feet of the saints, has cared for the afflicted, 340 00:17:38,033 --> 00:17:41,300 and has devoted herself to every good work you see. 341 00:17:41,300 --> 00:17:43,600 And so there's there ought to be. 342 00:17:43,600 --> 00:17:45,266 The church needs to help those in need, 343 00:17:45,266 --> 00:17:48,033 but there's stipulations around and there's qualifications for it. 344 00:17:48,033 --> 00:17:51,200 So what he's saying and he lists eight qualifications 345 00:17:51,900 --> 00:17:55,033 of the women that the church is supposed to help in this passage. 346 00:17:55,666 --> 00:17:59,666 And what he's saying is this we have to investigate 347 00:18:00,200 --> 00:18:03,566 the life of anybody who is coming to the church asking for help. 348 00:18:04,066 --> 00:18:07,900 And the first question of investigation is, are you a part of this flock? 349 00:18:08,833 --> 00:18:10,900 Because this Imma tell you this, 350 00:18:10,900 --> 00:18:14,200 as the pastor of this church, you are who I'm responsible for. 351 00:18:15,233 --> 00:18:16,633 I'm not responsible. 352 00:18:16,633 --> 00:18:19,633 This church is a responsible for people who aren't part of our church. 353 00:18:20,100 --> 00:18:23,100 That's why it's so important to be a part of a church. 354 00:18:25,000 --> 00:18:27,900 And so the first question that we ask when someone comes 355 00:18:27,900 --> 00:18:30,900 and asks this church, are you a part of our fellowship? 356 00:18:31,033 --> 00:18:32,233 This here's why. 357 00:18:32,233 --> 00:18:35,233 Because a shepherd takes care of his flock, 358 00:18:36,166 --> 00:18:39,166 and we take care of the flock that God has given us. 359 00:18:40,300 --> 00:18:42,266 You understand that? 360 00:18:42,266 --> 00:18:45,266 It's just not an open door for anybody who has a need. 361 00:18:46,333 --> 00:18:49,433 And so there's there's quality, there's qualifications, 362 00:18:49,566 --> 00:18:52,566 and you have to ask these things. 363 00:18:52,700 --> 00:18:54,300 The other reason we have to ask 364 00:18:54,300 --> 00:18:57,300 for these qualifications is because there's limited resources. 365 00:18:57,700 --> 00:18:59,133 I mean, it's not like we're the government. 366 00:18:59,133 --> 00:19:01,000 We just charge more taxes on people. 367 00:19:01,000 --> 00:19:03,900 And, you know, we print our own money and go into debt and be okay with it. 368 00:19:03,900 --> 00:19:07,800 Like, there's limited resources and we have to be wise with those resources. 369 00:19:08,000 --> 00:19:13,500 And so what Paul is saying here is you contribute to those who have contributed. 370 00:19:14,666 --> 00:19:15,700 It's what he's saying. 371 00:19:15,700 --> 00:19:19,200 So all these qualifications are things that she has done 372 00:19:19,366 --> 00:19:21,833 on behalf of the life of the church. 373 00:19:21,833 --> 00:19:26,966 So those have been contributing to the life and health of the church. 374 00:19:27,000 --> 00:19:30,766 That's who you are responsible for, to help aid 375 00:19:30,900 --> 00:19:33,900 those who have not are 376 00:19:34,000 --> 00:19:35,800 not responsible to help. 377 00:19:35,800 --> 00:19:39,266 And so the second question that that I always ask with people, 378 00:19:39,500 --> 00:19:43,700 they're asking for help, have they if they been a contributing part of our church. 379 00:19:45,000 --> 00:19:47,700 If they just come and sit and leave 380 00:19:47,700 --> 00:19:51,500 and not served and not helped and not given 381 00:19:51,733 --> 00:19:54,733 and that like. 382 00:19:55,266 --> 00:19:58,266 We're under no obligation. 383 00:20:01,566 --> 00:20:04,700 And these, these these eight see these eight criteria 384 00:20:05,033 --> 00:20:09,133 when he says make sure she's really old, because if she's not really old, 385 00:20:09,133 --> 00:20:12,000 she can go out and, you know, get married again. Like that's okay. 386 00:20:12,000 --> 00:20:16,400 Like you go like live your life and, and and just don't expect someone to 387 00:20:16,700 --> 00:20:20,466 to do what's it called when you just continue enabling. 388 00:20:20,866 --> 00:20:22,566 You don't just don't be an enabler. 389 00:20:22,566 --> 00:20:24,800 People will just suck stuff out of the church 390 00:20:26,166 --> 00:20:26,400 because. 391 00:20:26,400 --> 00:20:27,666 Because 392 00:20:27,666 --> 00:20:30,733 we all know once you give something 393 00:20:30,733 --> 00:20:34,066 once, it's an open door to get asked twice, right? 394 00:20:34,866 --> 00:20:37,466 I'm just being like, right. 395 00:20:37,466 --> 00:20:39,833 And so we say, listen, there are some who need to be helped. 396 00:20:39,833 --> 00:20:40,766 Help them. 397 00:20:40,766 --> 00:20:43,800 But some people, all they want is just more free handouts. 398 00:20:43,900 --> 00:20:46,900 And they're going to go live their life any way they want to. 399 00:20:47,466 --> 00:20:50,400 And when you just enable ungodly 400 00:20:50,400 --> 00:20:54,800 living by your assistance, so that's wandering from the face. 401 00:20:54,800 --> 00:20:56,400 Don't do that as a church. 402 00:20:56,400 --> 00:20:58,233 Don't do that as people. 403 00:20:58,233 --> 00:21:01,066 Make sure that she's, you know, a wife or what. 404 00:21:01,066 --> 00:21:02,533 Like she's been faithful at home. 405 00:21:02,533 --> 00:21:04,266 Wife one has been a good reputation. 406 00:21:04,266 --> 00:21:06,266 She's done good work. She's brought up children. 407 00:21:06,266 --> 00:21:09,466 It doesn't necessarily mean that she's had her own kids, but she's invested 408 00:21:09,466 --> 00:21:12,866 in this younger generation, and she's been a mentor to young ladies. 409 00:21:12,900 --> 00:21:13,966 You saw in hospitality. 410 00:21:13,966 --> 00:21:16,500 She's washed the feet of Saint. She's cared for the afflicted. 411 00:21:16,500 --> 00:21:18,333 She's devote herself to every good work, 412 00:21:18,333 --> 00:21:21,333 like there's some fruit in the wake of her life. 413 00:21:21,833 --> 00:21:23,166 On behalf of the church. 414 00:21:24,300 --> 00:21:26,866 Church owes that to them 415 00:21:26,866 --> 00:21:30,066 when they have need to step in, when their family isn't around to help. 416 00:21:31,966 --> 00:21:33,766 And he said, you just don't give to anybody 417 00:21:33,766 --> 00:21:35,833 if they haven't been contributed first. 418 00:21:35,833 --> 00:21:36,633 Here's what I'm talking about. 419 00:21:36,633 --> 00:21:39,633 I'm talking about compassion with criteria. 420 00:21:39,800 --> 00:21:40,833 That's what he's saying. 421 00:21:40,833 --> 00:21:44,133 Have compassion, but there's criteria around it. 422 00:21:45,666 --> 00:21:48,666 We have to understand that. 423 00:21:51,700 --> 00:21:52,333 Where am I? 424 00:21:52,333 --> 00:21:54,700 I have no idea where I am. 425 00:21:54,700 --> 00:21:58,066 Verse 11, but refused to enroll younger widows 426 00:21:58,300 --> 00:22:01,533 for when their passions draw them away from Christ, they desire to marry 427 00:22:01,966 --> 00:22:05,866 and so incur condemnation for having abounded abandon their former faith. 428 00:22:05,866 --> 00:22:09,933 Besides that, they learned to be idlers, going about from house to house 429 00:22:10,200 --> 00:22:13,700 not only been idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying stuff 430 00:22:13,700 --> 00:22:14,866 they shouldn't be talking about. 431 00:22:15,833 --> 00:22:17,000 So I'd have younger widows. 432 00:22:17,000 --> 00:22:18,133 Get me get married. 433 00:22:18,133 --> 00:22:21,833 To live your life, manage your household, give the offspring no occasion 434 00:22:21,966 --> 00:22:22,933 for slander. 435 00:22:22,933 --> 00:22:23,133 What? 436 00:22:23,133 --> 00:22:23,633 He's saying is, 437 00:22:23,633 --> 00:22:28,400 if you just keep giving and enabling that, people take advantage of it. 438 00:22:28,433 --> 00:22:32,400 They start talking, you know, smack and, like, living bad lives. 439 00:22:32,400 --> 00:22:34,600 And you're just enabling all that it says. 440 00:22:34,600 --> 00:22:35,233 And what you're doing 441 00:22:35,233 --> 00:22:38,333 is you're giving the adversary the devil and occasion that word. 442 00:22:38,333 --> 00:22:42,900 Occasion is another military term that means a home base of operation. 443 00:22:43,766 --> 00:22:46,700 And when you just the church becomes a social organization, 444 00:22:46,700 --> 00:22:51,400 it just has to meet all of the community's ills with no criteria for what we do. 445 00:22:51,400 --> 00:22:54,500 He says all you're doing is for finding a home base of operation for the devil 446 00:22:54,500 --> 00:22:55,800 to slander the name of God. 447 00:22:57,400 --> 00:22:58,966 So just be wise about this stuff. 448 00:22:58,966 --> 00:23:01,966 I mean, it's just making sense to us. Yes. 449 00:23:05,500 --> 00:23:08,933 If any believing woman has relatives who are widows, let her care for them. 450 00:23:08,933 --> 00:23:10,866 Let the church not be burdened. 451 00:23:10,866 --> 00:23:13,866 So let me care for those who are truly widows. 452 00:23:14,800 --> 00:23:16,233 So there's some true widows. 453 00:23:16,233 --> 00:23:17,533 And you have to. 454 00:23:17,533 --> 00:23:20,266 It's the idea that the compassion 455 00:23:20,266 --> 00:23:23,266 without wisdom is chaos, 456 00:23:23,733 --> 00:23:27,000 and wisdom without compassion is coldness. 457 00:23:27,000 --> 00:23:29,100 Pull up that slide, Tom, would you please. 458 00:23:29,100 --> 00:23:32,433 We have to understand that compassion without wisdom is just chaos. 459 00:23:33,033 --> 00:23:35,533 And unfortunately, that's how a lot of churches function. 460 00:23:35,533 --> 00:23:37,433 There's no criteria for what they do. 461 00:23:37,433 --> 00:23:39,700 They just like all the needs of the community. 462 00:23:39,700 --> 00:23:41,033 And it's just chaotic. 463 00:23:41,033 --> 00:23:42,900 As far as leadership and finances are concerned. 464 00:23:42,900 --> 00:23:44,633 It's just bad stewardship. 465 00:23:44,633 --> 00:23:47,766 But wisdom without compassion is just coldness. 466 00:23:48,600 --> 00:23:50,200 And so he said, let's have balance here. 467 00:23:50,200 --> 00:23:52,266 This is a family. Let's have balance here. 468 00:23:54,666 --> 00:23:57,333 And he says that those who have family take care of the family 469 00:23:57,333 --> 00:23:58,533 so the church isn't burdened. 470 00:23:58,533 --> 00:24:04,100 Years ago, years ago, we had this lady in our church and she was elderly, 471 00:24:05,100 --> 00:24:08,100 but she had family. 472 00:24:08,166 --> 00:24:09,866 She had a husband, 473 00:24:09,866 --> 00:24:12,866 she had sons, she had grandsons. 474 00:24:13,566 --> 00:24:15,666 They're all employed. 475 00:24:15,666 --> 00:24:18,666 But she was always asking our church 476 00:24:19,033 --> 00:24:22,033 for help financially. 477 00:24:22,433 --> 00:24:24,066 And it was some really hard 478 00:24:24,066 --> 00:24:27,066 conversations with her and with her sons 479 00:24:27,800 --> 00:24:30,466 that were my age. 480 00:24:30,466 --> 00:24:32,300 And I had said, look, 481 00:24:32,300 --> 00:24:35,433 yes, we love your mother, but you're asking us 482 00:24:35,433 --> 00:24:39,000 to do some things that aren't biblical for us to do as a church. 483 00:24:39,300 --> 00:24:41,066 It's your responsibility for your mom. 484 00:24:41,066 --> 00:24:44,066 I mean, that makes. 485 00:24:44,933 --> 00:24:47,933 Some real hard conversations 486 00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:50,066 because it's so much easier just to fluff 487 00:24:50,066 --> 00:24:53,800 our needs of our loved ones off on somebody else or something else. 488 00:24:53,800 --> 00:24:54,800 I think the church. 489 00:24:56,800 --> 00:24:58,800 It was hard, man. 490 00:24:58,800 --> 00:25:01,800 Leadership isn't fun most of the time. 491 00:25:03,266 --> 00:25:05,733 Well, yeah. 492 00:25:05,733 --> 00:25:07,633 And listen, some of you know what 493 00:25:07,633 --> 00:25:10,633 this is like because you've done it so well. 494 00:25:10,800 --> 00:25:13,800 You've had elderly family, parents, 495 00:25:14,666 --> 00:25:17,400 grandparents that you've had to take care of 496 00:25:17,400 --> 00:25:20,600 and you've done it so well because it is not easy. 497 00:25:20,600 --> 00:25:22,533 Right? 498 00:25:22,533 --> 00:25:25,233 It's a grueling. 499 00:25:25,233 --> 00:25:27,000 And there are times when you just want to say, 500 00:25:27,000 --> 00:25:29,400 could someone else just please take the lead? 501 00:25:29,400 --> 00:25:31,833 Because I'm. 502 00:25:31,833 --> 00:25:33,200 But what Paul is saying here 503 00:25:33,200 --> 00:25:37,733 is when we sacrifice like this, it pleases God. Why? 504 00:25:38,200 --> 00:25:41,666 Because God has stepped into our incapability 505 00:25:41,666 --> 00:25:44,666 and sickness and illness and care for us. 506 00:25:45,466 --> 00:25:48,466 And it wasn't easy for him. 507 00:25:48,600 --> 00:25:51,600 And when we do that to our family, 508 00:25:51,666 --> 00:25:54,900 for our family, God's like, right on, man. 509 00:25:54,900 --> 00:25:55,800 You get it 510 00:25:57,000 --> 00:26:00,000 as much as you can. 511 00:26:02,400 --> 00:26:04,700 Be good with us so far. Yes. 512 00:26:04,700 --> 00:26:04,900 Okay. 513 00:26:04,900 --> 00:26:07,900 Now here's here's the here's the stuff that I 514 00:26:08,600 --> 00:26:09,800 answer. This is tough. 515 00:26:09,800 --> 00:26:12,166 This is tough to teach on. 516 00:26:12,166 --> 00:26:14,866 But like I said, I'm not going to shy away from this in the Bible. 517 00:26:14,866 --> 00:26:15,933 I need to know it. 518 00:26:15,933 --> 00:26:18,666 I need to live it. I need to teach it. 519 00:26:18,666 --> 00:26:20,466 You need to learn it. 520 00:26:20,466 --> 00:26:22,366 It is what it is. 521 00:26:22,366 --> 00:26:24,366 So watch this. 522 00:26:24,366 --> 00:26:25,600 Verse 17. 523 00:26:25,600 --> 00:26:29,433 Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, 524 00:26:29,700 --> 00:26:32,700 especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. 525 00:26:32,700 --> 00:26:35,700 For the Scripture says, you shall not muzzle an ox, 526 00:26:35,700 --> 00:26:39,333 treads out the grain, and the laborer deserves his wages. 527 00:26:39,966 --> 00:26:44,366 This ain't a fun passage for a pastor to teach on, because it's about 528 00:26:45,566 --> 00:26:46,433 the pastor 529 00:26:46,433 --> 00:26:49,433 and how you take care of your pastors, 530 00:26:49,500 --> 00:26:53,533 but how I'm shy away from anything else in First Timothy, 531 00:26:53,533 --> 00:26:56,300 so I'm not going to shy away from this either. 532 00:26:56,300 --> 00:26:59,433 He makes sure there's two different types of elders in the church, 533 00:26:59,433 --> 00:27:01,433 the elders who do the administration of the church, 534 00:27:01,433 --> 00:27:04,033 and the elders who do the teaching preaching of the church. 535 00:27:04,033 --> 00:27:05,900 Sometimes they're the same elder. 536 00:27:05,900 --> 00:27:06,666 They're really gifted. 537 00:27:06,666 --> 00:27:09,266 They can both administrate and preach and teach. 538 00:27:09,266 --> 00:27:10,200 And what he's saying here is 539 00:27:10,200 --> 00:27:14,666 let those elders who do that will be considered worthy of double honor. 540 00:27:14,666 --> 00:27:19,233 Now, when when that word honor is used in verse and verse three. 541 00:27:19,233 --> 00:27:21,600 I think we have a slide for that somewhere. 542 00:27:21,600 --> 00:27:25,666 Tom but that word, it it's not time. 543 00:27:25,666 --> 00:27:27,900 That should be a capital. It's to me. 544 00:27:27,900 --> 00:27:31,500 And that word to me literally means the financial. 545 00:27:31,533 --> 00:27:34,766 You ascribe a financial value or monetary care. 546 00:27:35,033 --> 00:27:37,766 And that's what Paul saying about these widows who are truly widows. 547 00:27:37,766 --> 00:27:38,266 You just 548 00:27:39,366 --> 00:27:42,933 decided financial value for their well-being 549 00:27:42,933 --> 00:27:44,533 and their sustenance in the world. 550 00:27:44,533 --> 00:27:49,200 You just you discern what a monetary value will be, a monetary care for them. 551 00:27:49,233 --> 00:27:53,700 It's the same word here used for elders, especially those who preach and teach 552 00:27:53,700 --> 00:27:56,700 and do it really well, worthy of double honor. 553 00:27:56,800 --> 00:28:00,433 So a double portion of whatever you have deemed 554 00:28:00,433 --> 00:28:04,000 is the financial value of the person doing that role. 555 00:28:04,000 --> 00:28:05,733 Is that make sense? 556 00:28:05,733 --> 00:28:08,733 So if that makes sense, then that's your question 557 00:28:09,333 --> 00:28:12,700 is if they deserve double honor, the natural question is. 558 00:28:14,800 --> 00:28:15,900 It's not natural to use natural. 559 00:28:15,900 --> 00:28:18,000 I mean, what is double honor? 560 00:28:18,000 --> 00:28:19,333 What does that mean? 561 00:28:19,333 --> 00:28:22,333 So I don't know. 562 00:28:22,433 --> 00:28:23,533 He doesn't tell us what it means. 563 00:28:23,533 --> 00:28:27,466 He just says that the people who do this job well deserve double of it. 564 00:28:28,300 --> 00:28:30,966 And if it meant monetary care for the widow, 565 00:28:30,966 --> 00:28:33,866 it means double monetary care for the ones who do this role. Well, 566 00:28:35,400 --> 00:28:37,233 here's 567 00:28:37,233 --> 00:28:41,100 here, here's tonight, here's just think about here's what what is double honor? 568 00:28:41,566 --> 00:28:43,733 Here's my suggestion 569 00:28:43,733 --> 00:28:47,200 that the church is responsible to pay for its pastor and its staff 570 00:28:47,700 --> 00:28:51,200 enough for they don't want to leave, but not so much. 571 00:28:51,200 --> 00:28:53,933 They can't afford to leave. 572 00:28:53,933 --> 00:28:58,766 And so what he's doing here is setting protections for the church and the staff. 573 00:28:58,766 --> 00:29:01,500 The pastor be saying you need to pay them well enough. 574 00:29:01,500 --> 00:29:03,500 They don't want to leave, 575 00:29:03,500 --> 00:29:06,500 because if you drastically underpay them, they're going to do it 576 00:29:06,500 --> 00:29:08,333 until they get a better gig and go somewhere else 577 00:29:08,333 --> 00:29:10,500 and take care of their family because they're supposed to with biblically. 578 00:29:10,500 --> 00:29:11,833 So it sense, 579 00:29:11,833 --> 00:29:15,033 okay, but he's saying don't pay them so much they can't afford to leave. 580 00:29:15,033 --> 00:29:16,166 Here's the problem. 581 00:29:16,166 --> 00:29:19,200 There are some churches and these pastors have done a good job 582 00:29:19,300 --> 00:29:22,500 and it's gotten so big that they're paid 583 00:29:22,966 --> 00:29:25,966 so well with so many perks. 584 00:29:26,433 --> 00:29:29,300 They've stopped listening to the voice of God. 585 00:29:29,300 --> 00:29:32,166 They don't want to know if God would call them anywhere else, 586 00:29:32,166 --> 00:29:35,166 because they don't want to leave the perks and the salary they're getting. 587 00:29:35,600 --> 00:29:37,366 I don't want to leave the big campus. 588 00:29:37,366 --> 00:29:39,366 I don't want to leave the coffee shop. 589 00:29:39,366 --> 00:29:40,900 I don't want to leave the big fountain. 590 00:29:40,900 --> 00:29:43,666 I don't want to leave my own parking space. I don't want I will. 591 00:29:43,666 --> 00:29:46,666 You know how much I would lose if I went to another church? 592 00:29:47,333 --> 00:29:49,033 So sometimes I have paid their pastors. 593 00:29:49,033 --> 00:29:52,600 So will they can't afford to leave it in being paid. 594 00:29:52,600 --> 00:29:55,400 So will they start listening to the voice of God? 595 00:29:55,400 --> 00:29:58,266 They would dread it if God would ever call him anywhere else, 596 00:29:58,266 --> 00:29:59,700 because they can't afford to move. 597 00:30:01,133 --> 00:30:02,433 You understand? 598 00:30:02,433 --> 00:30:04,900 Move their. 599 00:30:04,900 --> 00:30:06,933 And so Paul's like 600 00:30:06,933 --> 00:30:09,933 the don't get yourself or your pastor in a pickle. 601 00:30:12,000 --> 00:30:13,766 Double honor whatever that may. 602 00:30:13,766 --> 00:30:15,366 Look you're going to say what that means. 603 00:30:15,366 --> 00:30:18,366 But if they don't want to leave but not so much, they can't afford 604 00:30:19,466 --> 00:30:22,666 to leave like, but 605 00:30:24,333 --> 00:30:27,766 pastor like everybody else think they've built the business. 606 00:30:28,400 --> 00:30:30,800 They get all the perks for the business. 607 00:30:30,800 --> 00:30:32,766 Why would ever leave a big old business? 608 00:30:32,766 --> 00:30:35,466 I would be losing money if I were to leave you. 609 00:30:35,466 --> 00:30:37,366 You understand? I'm saying. 610 00:30:37,366 --> 00:30:40,366 Is it like. 611 00:30:43,233 --> 00:30:44,366 So was double honor. 612 00:30:44,366 --> 00:30:47,366 I don't know, I know what it's not. 613 00:30:47,733 --> 00:30:50,366 I know it's unless the pastor has taking a vow of poverty. 614 00:30:50,366 --> 00:30:51,700 He shouldn't use the church. 615 00:30:51,700 --> 00:30:53,400 They shouldn't make their pastor be in poverty 616 00:30:53,400 --> 00:30:54,900 unless God's told them to be in poverty. 617 00:30:54,900 --> 00:30:56,700 Then you better be in poverty. 618 00:30:56,700 --> 00:30:58,800 As of yet, God hadn't told me I had to do that. 619 00:31:01,200 --> 00:31:02,666 I know what it's not. 620 00:31:02,666 --> 00:31:05,333 I know it's not paying a pastor so much he can't ever afford to leave. 621 00:31:05,333 --> 00:31:08,333 So he never wants to hear God say, go somewhere else. 622 00:31:09,166 --> 00:31:12,166 It's certainly not that that's so unbiblical. 623 00:31:13,000 --> 00:31:15,000 There's got to be a place in there somewhere. 624 00:31:15,000 --> 00:31:17,700 So here's, here's here's the thing, 625 00:31:17,700 --> 00:31:18,800 here's an idea. 626 00:31:18,800 --> 00:31:22,133 You pay your pastor and your staff what it cost to 627 00:31:22,333 --> 00:31:26,400 to replace them of a pastor or a staff of equal or better value. 628 00:31:28,333 --> 00:31:31,333 That's what you do. 629 00:31:31,366 --> 00:31:33,600 Double honor. 630 00:31:33,600 --> 00:31:35,266 If I had to replace them, what is it going to cost? 631 00:31:35,266 --> 00:31:36,866 I mean, that's just good business sense. 632 00:31:36,866 --> 00:31:39,600 In the end, even you 633 00:31:39,600 --> 00:31:43,566 or you consider the quality of the staff 634 00:31:43,833 --> 00:31:48,266 and their education and their experience and you have those conversations. 635 00:31:48,266 --> 00:31:48,966 What's double honor? 636 00:31:48,966 --> 00:31:53,133 I mean, I've yet to sit in any financial discussion about this 637 00:31:53,133 --> 00:31:57,000 with leaders of the church who say first, okay, first, pastor, 638 00:31:57,000 --> 00:32:00,800 staff, whomever, this is my education, this is my expenses. 639 00:32:00,800 --> 00:32:04,566 This is how good I am at my job, and this is how much I make. Now, 640 00:32:05,600 --> 00:32:06,333 based on your 641 00:32:06,333 --> 00:32:09,766 education, experience, how good you are, here's what you see. 642 00:32:09,766 --> 00:32:11,333 What I'm saying? 643 00:32:11,333 --> 00:32:13,366 Most people just don't mind talking about this, but 644 00:32:13,366 --> 00:32:16,366 they don't ever want to reveal this first, 645 00:32:16,800 --> 00:32:19,800 you follow this. 646 00:32:20,600 --> 00:32:22,066 And so I don't have answers. 647 00:32:22,066 --> 00:32:25,066 A double honor means I know what it doesn't mean. 648 00:32:25,233 --> 00:32:27,766 And so Timothy is like Luke or Paul is like, look, Timothy, 649 00:32:27,766 --> 00:32:30,766 just make sure that you're you're going about this the right way. 650 00:32:33,100 --> 00:32:36,100 But then he says in verse 19, do not, 651 00:32:36,866 --> 00:32:40,066 do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence 652 00:32:40,066 --> 00:32:41,700 of 2 or 3 witnesses. 653 00:32:41,700 --> 00:32:45,666 As for those who persistence and rebuke them in the presence of all, so 654 00:32:45,666 --> 00:32:51,000 that the rest may stand in fear, saying, listen, leadership isn't easy and in fun, 655 00:32:51,433 --> 00:32:55,000 and whoever is the tip of the spear is going to take the brunt of the battle. 656 00:32:55,433 --> 00:32:57,666 Whoever's leading the charge is going to take the bullets. 657 00:32:57,666 --> 00:32:59,166 So the bullets are going to fly. 658 00:32:59,166 --> 00:33:02,000 For anybody in leadership. This isn't just pastors and teachers. 659 00:33:02,000 --> 00:33:05,000 This is any leader in it's bullets are going to fly. 660 00:33:05,000 --> 00:33:06,400 There's going to be accusations. 661 00:33:06,400 --> 00:33:07,700 Don't consider just because 662 00:33:07,700 --> 00:33:11,033 someone says something about a leader that is automatically true, 663 00:33:11,033 --> 00:33:14,200 like it pushes back against the whole cancel culture stuff. 664 00:33:14,400 --> 00:33:17,966 It pushes back against all this stuff and it says you gotta have witnesses, 665 00:33:17,966 --> 00:33:22,366 2 or 3 eyewitnesses before you even entertain anything. 666 00:33:22,366 --> 00:33:24,000 So here's what's going to happen. 667 00:33:24,000 --> 00:33:26,033 There's going to be stuff said. 668 00:33:26,033 --> 00:33:28,600 And these accusations Paul talks about here 669 00:33:28,600 --> 00:33:32,700 are accusations, complaints, criminal stuff like it covers everything. 670 00:33:33,933 --> 00:33:35,300 When you hear someone 671 00:33:35,300 --> 00:33:38,533 gossip about another, especially a leader here, here's what I like to do 672 00:33:39,500 --> 00:33:42,200 when you hear some gossip about some some accusations. 673 00:33:42,200 --> 00:33:43,266 So I like to say this. 674 00:33:43,266 --> 00:33:46,266 Look, hold on, just let me get a piece of paper on a pin, 675 00:33:46,466 --> 00:33:48,933 and I'm going to write down everything you say, and you give me names. 676 00:33:48,933 --> 00:33:51,800 I'm gonna write your name down in case someone asks me about it. 677 00:33:51,800 --> 00:33:53,966 I can quote you directly. 678 00:33:53,966 --> 00:33:57,400 The moment you do that, guess what happens to the gossip site? 679 00:33:58,166 --> 00:33:59,966 It stops 680 00:33:59,966 --> 00:34:01,900 completely. 681 00:34:01,900 --> 00:34:04,400 So that's the first way we handle that. Now. 682 00:34:04,400 --> 00:34:07,400 The second way, though, he says there will be leaders 683 00:34:07,766 --> 00:34:10,766 who persist in sin and need to be rebuked. 684 00:34:11,666 --> 00:34:14,666 And he says, for those who persistence and not those 685 00:34:14,666 --> 00:34:18,533 who have messed up and repented, but those who persist 686 00:34:19,000 --> 00:34:21,600 rejection of repentance, reject, shun 687 00:34:21,600 --> 00:34:24,600 of admittance, they persist in sin. 688 00:34:24,600 --> 00:34:28,166 They been corrected and refuse to repent of it. 689 00:34:28,466 --> 00:34:32,200 For those he says, you rebuke them as publicly as 690 00:34:32,200 --> 00:34:33,733 their offense has been made known. 691 00:34:35,033 --> 00:34:36,900 You take it as big as it needs to be. 692 00:34:36,900 --> 00:34:39,900 Don't over blow it, but don't undersell it 693 00:34:40,133 --> 00:34:43,700 as big as it needs to be so that they'll fall 694 00:34:43,700 --> 00:34:48,166 under condemnation feeling that way, and fall into repentance. 695 00:34:48,900 --> 00:34:53,100 The goal in all of this is not to cause pain, shame, or destruction. 696 00:34:53,100 --> 00:34:56,600 The goal is to be in a position for repentance. 697 00:34:56,633 --> 00:34:59,100 Does that make sense? 698 00:34:59,100 --> 00:35:02,966 Said for those who refuse to repent, who persistent sin? 699 00:35:03,033 --> 00:35:05,100 Yeah, you call them out. 700 00:35:05,100 --> 00:35:08,033 And in doing so you will show everybody else. 701 00:35:08,033 --> 00:35:09,833 Here's the standard. 702 00:35:09,833 --> 00:35:12,800 This is what we expect of everybody. 703 00:35:12,800 --> 00:35:15,800 And if you're not living to that standard, you should be in fear. 704 00:35:17,733 --> 00:35:20,166 It's just good leadership stuff in it. 705 00:35:20,166 --> 00:35:23,166 It's real good leadership stuff. 706 00:35:25,333 --> 00:35:28,200 And so. 707 00:35:28,200 --> 00:35:29,766 In the presence 708 00:35:29,766 --> 00:35:33,900 and the presence of God and of Christ and of the elect angels, I charge you 709 00:35:33,900 --> 00:35:38,800 to keep these rules without, prejudging, do nothing from partiality. 710 00:35:39,000 --> 00:35:41,600 Do not be patient. Lean on a hamster. Take part in the sins of others. 711 00:35:41,600 --> 00:35:42,833 Keep yourselves pure. 712 00:35:42,833 --> 00:35:45,033 Paul is. He's pressing and so hard. 713 00:35:45,033 --> 00:35:45,733 And we miss. 714 00:35:45,733 --> 00:35:47,366 How hard is pressing in is like. 715 00:35:47,366 --> 00:35:49,800 Listen, Matt, listen. 716 00:35:49,800 --> 00:35:52,800 In the presence of God, of Jesus, of the elect angels. 717 00:35:52,800 --> 00:35:55,666 Like he's pulling out all the stops, you know, like you like the angels. 718 00:35:55,666 --> 00:35:57,133 What are you talking about? 719 00:35:57,133 --> 00:36:01,900 Probably is just the angels, like, wait, the beginning that didn't fall with Satan. 720 00:36:03,200 --> 00:36:03,333 They're 721 00:36:03,333 --> 00:36:06,333 the ones who who weren't prideful and arrogant and fallen. 722 00:36:06,400 --> 00:36:07,333 Just angels. 723 00:36:07,333 --> 00:36:08,033 But he's saying like. 724 00:36:08,033 --> 00:36:10,566 And for the God and for the Jesus and all the angels. 725 00:36:10,566 --> 00:36:14,500 You command these things because this is going to be hard 726 00:36:14,500 --> 00:36:18,900 for the church, and you do these things without prejudging, 727 00:36:19,400 --> 00:36:22,733 like nobody gets a free pass and nobody gets special, 728 00:36:23,033 --> 00:36:26,600 you know, like treatment because of simply because of who they are. 729 00:36:26,600 --> 00:36:27,000 Like you. 730 00:36:27,000 --> 00:36:30,333 You treat them, don't do anything from partiality 731 00:36:32,133 --> 00:36:34,600 and don't don't put people 732 00:36:34,600 --> 00:36:37,600 in positions of leadership too soon either. 733 00:36:38,333 --> 00:36:39,500 Make them prove themselves. 734 00:36:39,500 --> 00:36:41,066 What are you saying? 735 00:36:41,066 --> 00:36:43,333 Let's see the fruit of your life first. 736 00:36:43,333 --> 00:36:44,566 Don't take part in the sins of others. 737 00:36:44,566 --> 00:36:45,566 Keep yourselves pure. 738 00:36:45,566 --> 00:36:49,066 He's talking to a young man and Paul knows the scriptures. 739 00:36:49,066 --> 00:36:54,700 He know Psalm 199, which says, how does a young man, Timothy, keep their way pure? 740 00:36:54,833 --> 00:36:57,833 By abiding by the Word of God? 741 00:36:57,933 --> 00:37:00,633 So, Timothy, this is the standard. 742 00:37:00,633 --> 00:37:03,933 You stay true to this, you keep yourself pure. 743 00:37:04,200 --> 00:37:07,866 And then there's this little, this little parentheses here no longer 744 00:37:07,866 --> 00:37:08,700 drink only water, 745 00:37:08,700 --> 00:37:11,800 but use a little wine for the sake, your stomach and your frequent ailments. 746 00:37:11,800 --> 00:37:12,766 This is so funny. 747 00:37:12,766 --> 00:37:14,800 Like, it's like, look, Tim, I get it. 748 00:37:14,800 --> 00:37:17,233 You're a sickly little kid. 749 00:37:17,233 --> 00:37:18,500 Don't just drink water. 750 00:37:18,500 --> 00:37:20,166 Put a little wine with it. Here's why. 751 00:37:21,533 --> 00:37:22,200 Because in that 752 00:37:22,200 --> 00:37:25,366 day, in that culture, the water was really contaminated. 753 00:37:25,600 --> 00:37:30,666 And mixing half and half water and wine killed some of the contaminants 754 00:37:30,900 --> 00:37:33,733 and says, look, you got bad gut health 755 00:37:33,733 --> 00:37:36,466 and all that bad water is just going to make your gut health worth. 756 00:37:36,466 --> 00:37:37,600 So take a little wine with it. 757 00:37:37,600 --> 00:37:39,200 Make your stomach better. 758 00:37:39,200 --> 00:37:41,133 You know what I love about that? 759 00:37:41,133 --> 00:37:44,133 Not just the wine part, but the 760 00:37:44,733 --> 00:37:47,200 how many times you go back through scripture, look at Paul's life. 761 00:37:47,200 --> 00:37:50,400 How many times had Paul pray for healing and people were healed 762 00:37:51,300 --> 00:37:54,266 a lot, a lot. 763 00:37:54,266 --> 00:37:57,133 God work through him miracle healing. 764 00:37:57,133 --> 00:38:00,133 What does he say to Timothy? 765 00:38:01,333 --> 00:38:02,400 Because though 766 00:38:02,400 --> 00:38:06,100 he said there's some medicinal things you need to pay attention to, 767 00:38:07,200 --> 00:38:10,166 apparently I probably did, but we don't have proof 768 00:38:10,166 --> 00:38:12,000 that he ever prayed for Timothy's healing. 769 00:38:15,300 --> 00:38:18,133 This is encouraging to me 770 00:38:18,133 --> 00:38:21,000 because Paul knows that the healing of God 771 00:38:21,000 --> 00:38:24,000 is at God's discretion, not our demand. 772 00:38:24,833 --> 00:38:28,466 And there are some sicknesses that will never be healed on this earth. 773 00:38:29,900 --> 00:38:32,200 And we have to be able to get to the point in our mature 774 00:38:32,200 --> 00:38:35,200 to say, God, I'm going to leave it to your sovereignty, 775 00:38:36,500 --> 00:38:38,100 but you choose to do, you choose, do. 776 00:38:38,100 --> 00:38:40,000 And your ways are higher than mine. And I don't understand. 777 00:38:40,000 --> 00:38:41,133 And it's really difficult 778 00:38:41,133 --> 00:38:44,133 for me to get to that point and still believe you're a loving God. 779 00:38:45,000 --> 00:38:47,433 But I'm going to trust that, 780 00:38:47,433 --> 00:38:50,166 and I'm going to ask for God's healing, and then you're going to apply 781 00:38:50,166 --> 00:38:53,166 human wisdom and the wisdom he's given man for medicine 782 00:38:53,166 --> 00:38:57,866 and take every step you can medically for your own healing. 783 00:38:57,966 --> 00:38:58,833 So make sense. 784 00:39:02,866 --> 00:39:07,833 In. The sense of some people are conspiracies 785 00:39:07,833 --> 00:39:09,000 going before them to judgment. 786 00:39:09,000 --> 00:39:11,033 The sins of others appear later. 787 00:39:11,033 --> 00:39:15,066 So also the good works are conspicuous and even those that are not cannot 788 00:39:15,066 --> 00:39:16,600 remain hidden. Here's where he's saying. 789 00:39:16,600 --> 00:39:20,700 He's saying that, that, some people are living in 790 00:39:20,700 --> 00:39:23,700 sin and it's going to be really, really, really apparent to everybody 791 00:39:24,600 --> 00:39:26,233 is going to be obvious. 792 00:39:26,233 --> 00:39:28,433 Everybody's going to see 793 00:39:28,433 --> 00:39:31,433 and God's going to call them to the carpet on it publicly. 794 00:39:32,266 --> 00:39:35,266 But he's saying there's others of God's kids in his family 795 00:39:35,400 --> 00:39:38,566 that nobody's known know about their sin except for Jesus himself. 796 00:39:39,366 --> 00:39:41,700 Nobody's going to know. 797 00:39:41,700 --> 00:39:44,100 And we have to leave it to God for God 798 00:39:44,100 --> 00:39:47,100 to discern how he wants to handle his kids. 799 00:39:48,100 --> 00:39:51,833 We don't go looking for, you know, demons under every rock in people's lives. 800 00:39:51,833 --> 00:39:53,233 Don't go looking for hidden sins 801 00:39:54,366 --> 00:39:57,233 when they when God brings them to light, you deal with them. 802 00:39:57,233 --> 00:40:00,133 But we leave it to God. If he doesn't, 803 00:40:00,133 --> 00:40:01,033 they'll answer to God. 804 00:40:01,033 --> 00:40:03,700 But here's the point of all of that. 805 00:40:03,700 --> 00:40:06,700 The point is not exposed and hidden sin. 806 00:40:07,033 --> 00:40:09,533 The point is repentance. 807 00:40:09,533 --> 00:40:12,333 And God knows that some people will not repent 808 00:40:12,333 --> 00:40:15,433 until it gets so painful and so obvious 809 00:40:16,400 --> 00:40:19,400 that publicly they have to be broken. 810 00:40:19,800 --> 00:40:22,433 And God knows that others. 811 00:40:22,433 --> 00:40:25,433 There's enough internal conviction by the Holy Spirit 812 00:40:25,900 --> 00:40:29,633 that they're broken inside, and they come before God 813 00:40:29,633 --> 00:40:34,933 in great repentance and great remorse, because the goal is not pain and shame. 814 00:40:34,933 --> 00:40:38,333 The goal is repentance and renewal that make you understand, 815 00:40:39,433 --> 00:40:40,900 and we let God work that out. 816 00:40:40,900 --> 00:40:43,900 Here's the point. 817 00:40:43,966 --> 00:40:45,033 Don't be so. 818 00:40:45,033 --> 00:40:48,033 Let's not be so stubborn and bullheaded 819 00:40:48,300 --> 00:40:53,600 that God is forced to break us publicly before we come to repentance. 820 00:40:57,133 --> 00:40:59,866 Repent. 821 00:40:59,866 --> 00:41:01,800 And in repentance, allow God 822 00:41:01,800 --> 00:41:04,800 to give all that his grace allows 823 00:41:04,866 --> 00:41:07,866 so he doesn't have to break us. 824 00:41:11,800 --> 00:41:14,700 And the good thing he says all your good works, those are all the parent. 825 00:41:14,700 --> 00:41:16,700 So those are all good. 826 00:41:16,700 --> 00:41:19,233 Now, I wanted to get through verse, 827 00:41:19,233 --> 00:41:22,233 through, chapter six, 828 00:41:22,433 --> 00:41:23,666 not through the chapters. 829 00:41:23,666 --> 00:41:25,400 The first two verses. 830 00:41:25,400 --> 00:41:27,733 I want to deal with this, 831 00:41:27,733 --> 00:41:30,733 and the first two verses of chapter six, 832 00:41:31,500 --> 00:41:33,466 let all her under a yoke of bonds 833 00:41:33,466 --> 00:41:35,733 or as bond servants regard their own masters 834 00:41:35,733 --> 00:41:39,166 as worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and the teaching, 835 00:41:39,600 --> 00:41:41,066 may not be reviled. 836 00:41:41,066 --> 00:41:44,766 Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful on the ground 837 00:41:44,766 --> 00:41:45,866 that they are brothers. 838 00:41:45,866 --> 00:41:49,833 Rather, they must serve all the better, since those who, benefit 839 00:41:49,966 --> 00:41:52,833 by their good service are believers and beloved. 840 00:41:54,100 --> 00:41:56,500 Here's what he's talking about in most translations. 841 00:41:56,500 --> 00:41:58,200 It doesn't use the word bondservant. 842 00:41:58,200 --> 00:42:03,166 He uses the word slaves, and he uses the term slaves and masters. 843 00:42:03,700 --> 00:42:06,300 And he says that all of you who are under the yoke of slavery 844 00:42:06,300 --> 00:42:08,633 regard their masters as worthy of all honor. 845 00:42:08,633 --> 00:42:11,466 So that's the name of God. And the teaching may not be reviled. 846 00:42:11,466 --> 00:42:13,566 Sounds like a tough word. 847 00:42:13,566 --> 00:42:15,600 Yeah. 848 00:42:15,600 --> 00:42:18,600 Let me explain what's happening. 849 00:42:18,900 --> 00:42:20,900 When in the New Testament 850 00:42:20,900 --> 00:42:24,666 the writers talk about slaves and masters don't think 851 00:42:24,666 --> 00:42:27,866 American slavery, that's not what they're talking about biblically. 852 00:42:28,733 --> 00:42:32,600 American slavery that we practice in this nation is evil to its core is. 853 00:42:32,600 --> 00:42:35,600 And as a demonic act of Satan by Satan himself. 854 00:42:36,800 --> 00:42:40,966 Most of the trans-Atlantic slaves in the United States 855 00:42:41,133 --> 00:42:44,100 were first slaves by their African brothers 856 00:42:44,100 --> 00:42:47,633 in Africa and sold to Europeans slave traders for money. 857 00:42:48,000 --> 00:42:51,666 And so the issue of slavery is global 858 00:42:51,666 --> 00:42:56,433 across every continent and every culture and every race and every creed. 859 00:42:57,000 --> 00:42:59,500 It is evil from the devil. 860 00:42:59,500 --> 00:43:01,566 The issue is not just slavery. 861 00:43:01,566 --> 00:43:05,033 The issue is there's no there's never been a good human master. 862 00:43:06,300 --> 00:43:07,200 And so, 863 00:43:07,200 --> 00:43:10,966 so what he's talking about slavery, as we know, in America 864 00:43:10,966 --> 00:43:14,066 was, is never been condoned in Scripture, ever. 865 00:43:15,266 --> 00:43:19,500 Slavery at this time was very common. 866 00:43:19,500 --> 00:43:24,066 But in this context, Paul is writing to the people in Ephesus 867 00:43:24,233 --> 00:43:27,833 in the Roman Empire, half is is estimated. 868 00:43:27,866 --> 00:43:30,533 Half of the people in the Roman Empire were slaves. 869 00:43:30,533 --> 00:43:31,633 Half. 870 00:43:31,633 --> 00:43:34,633 And so it's likely the people Paul is instruct. 871 00:43:34,766 --> 00:43:39,400 Some of them are slaves, and he's saying, respect your earthly masters 872 00:43:39,733 --> 00:43:42,733 and serve them well. 873 00:43:43,000 --> 00:43:46,000 Here's what slavery looked like in ancient times. 874 00:43:46,300 --> 00:43:48,733 Some of it was brutal, no doubt, 875 00:43:48,733 --> 00:43:51,733 but much of it was was debt slavery. 876 00:43:51,900 --> 00:43:57,000 When I get myself into debt and can't pay my dead, I give myself to my creditor 877 00:43:57,000 --> 00:44:00,133 and I work for them during the day, and I go home to my family at night. 878 00:44:00,200 --> 00:44:02,233 But I work off my debt. 879 00:44:02,233 --> 00:44:02,900 Okay? 880 00:44:02,900 --> 00:44:06,000 It's much like lawyers, doctors or, 881 00:44:06,666 --> 00:44:12,233 physical therapists who get their school paid for by a business and then owe 882 00:44:12,233 --> 00:44:15,666 that business their life for the next ten years to pay off their debt. 883 00:44:16,266 --> 00:44:18,866 You understand? Much the same. 884 00:44:18,866 --> 00:44:22,000 There's also this, dowry debt 885 00:44:22,500 --> 00:44:28,300 when the person couldn't afford to pay the dowry for their wedding. 886 00:44:28,300 --> 00:44:31,400 And so with in debt themselves in a dowry debt 887 00:44:31,400 --> 00:44:35,000 to pay off the right to be married. 888 00:44:35,700 --> 00:44:37,766 You know what that teaches us? 889 00:44:37,766 --> 00:44:39,066 Marriage is really expensive. 890 00:44:39,066 --> 00:44:41,066 So consider it twice before you get into it. 891 00:44:41,066 --> 00:44:42,600 But it's dowry. 892 00:44:42,600 --> 00:44:47,000 There's also this, this, this slavery that I am. 893 00:44:47,266 --> 00:44:50,500 I know that my family is taken care 894 00:44:50,500 --> 00:44:54,466 of by you because you're a benevolent, good, godly master. 895 00:44:54,466 --> 00:44:56,733 And I'm going to end debt as to you, 896 00:44:56,733 --> 00:44:59,966 because you will take better care of us than I can take care of us. 897 00:45:00,433 --> 00:45:02,000 It's a bond servant. 898 00:45:02,000 --> 00:45:02,866 Will it so? 899 00:45:02,866 --> 00:45:06,500 So there was a lot of different slavery words thrown off 900 00:45:06,633 --> 00:45:10,333 and Paul is instructing those slaves on how they respond to their masters 901 00:45:10,600 --> 00:45:11,633 in other places. 902 00:45:11,633 --> 00:45:15,166 Paul will talk to masters in the book of Philemon and the Bible. 903 00:45:15,166 --> 00:45:19,333 Philemon is a master and he has a slave named uneasiness. 904 00:45:19,333 --> 00:45:21,233 Owner Decimus escapes. 905 00:45:21,233 --> 00:45:24,300 Paul gets a hold of the Smiths and leans on pessimistic Christ, 906 00:45:24,433 --> 00:45:28,466 and then Paul writes a letter to Philemon, the slave master, and says, listen, 907 00:45:28,600 --> 00:45:30,333 uneasiness is now not your slave. 908 00:45:30,333 --> 00:45:34,133 Now he's your brother, so I'm going to send him back to you as his master. 909 00:45:34,200 --> 00:45:37,400 But now you treat him as a brother and an equal. 910 00:45:37,533 --> 00:45:40,866 So Paul addresses slavery and addresses masters, 911 00:45:40,866 --> 00:45:45,600 and what he does is he elevates and he lowers and he equals both. 912 00:45:46,833 --> 00:45:49,833 Do you understand? 913 00:45:51,433 --> 00:45:52,300 Some some 914 00:45:52,300 --> 00:45:55,533 slaves in ancient times were more educated than their masters. 915 00:45:55,700 --> 00:46:01,166 Doctors in ancient times were most often slaves, and wealthy, 916 00:46:02,033 --> 00:46:04,866 benevolent people would hire their, would 917 00:46:04,866 --> 00:46:07,866 hire their own private doctor, would be their slave. 918 00:46:07,933 --> 00:46:11,466 Luke, the writer of Luke and Ax, was most likely 919 00:46:11,466 --> 00:46:14,466 a slave as a doctor 920 00:46:15,300 --> 00:46:17,966 in the church, slaves often held 921 00:46:17,966 --> 00:46:21,300 positions of authority over their masters in their church and in the church. 922 00:46:21,300 --> 00:46:24,966 Their masters were commanded to obey the spiritual authority of their slaves. 923 00:46:25,200 --> 00:46:30,333 And so it's when he talks about this don't think trans-Atlantic American slavery. 924 00:46:30,333 --> 00:46:33,300 It's different in our context. 925 00:46:33,300 --> 00:46:38,000 The best way to understand this is in the employer employee relationship. 926 00:46:39,266 --> 00:46:43,500 Now, regarding slavery, though, it was the church that laid the groundwork 927 00:46:43,500 --> 00:46:48,100 for the abolition of slavery by demanding Christian biblical 928 00:46:48,100 --> 00:46:53,966 and ethical treatment of humans, never condoning the brutality of slavery. 929 00:46:53,966 --> 00:46:55,700 It was the church that set the ground 930 00:46:55,700 --> 00:46:58,700 for the abolition of slavery around the world. 931 00:46:59,500 --> 00:47:03,466 What the church did was it sought gospel transformation before social reformation. 932 00:47:03,466 --> 00:47:06,500 We have to understand that, pull that up to complete 933 00:47:07,300 --> 00:47:10,233 gospel transformation before social reformation. 934 00:47:10,233 --> 00:47:13,500 Never is it God's plan to to 935 00:47:13,500 --> 00:47:17,900 to reform social society without gospel transformation happen first. 936 00:47:18,000 --> 00:47:20,566 It happens from the inside out, not the outside. In. 937 00:47:21,800 --> 00:47:22,500 That's why Christian 938 00:47:22,500 --> 00:47:25,500 is not a government agenda. 939 00:47:25,500 --> 00:47:28,333 It's a gospel transformation. 940 00:47:28,333 --> 00:47:32,100 It's only by the gospel transforming the inside can the outside be healed. 941 00:47:33,333 --> 00:47:34,966 We get this so wrong in our culture. 942 00:47:34,966 --> 00:47:35,433 We want this. 943 00:47:35,433 --> 00:47:38,433 We want the government to solve the ills. 944 00:47:39,300 --> 00:47:40,866 The ills are solved by the gospel. 945 00:47:40,866 --> 00:47:43,466 Transformation of lives 946 00:47:43,466 --> 00:47:44,833 that reform society. 947 00:47:44,833 --> 00:47:47,833 Then so you understand this. 948 00:47:47,933 --> 00:47:50,933 Now let me draw this in to a close here. 949 00:47:51,733 --> 00:47:55,133 This context for us is the employee employer relationship. 950 00:47:55,933 --> 00:47:57,066 Here's the truth. 951 00:47:57,066 --> 00:48:00,066 Christ, hear me, please hear me. 952 00:48:00,066 --> 00:48:04,633 Christian employees should be the hardest working employees on the payroll. 953 00:48:04,633 --> 00:48:06,533 Period. 954 00:48:06,533 --> 00:48:09,033 Christian employees should be the hardest working, 955 00:48:09,033 --> 00:48:12,066 most reliable, best, most credible 956 00:48:12,066 --> 00:48:15,066 workers on any payroll, 957 00:48:15,333 --> 00:48:18,333 period. 958 00:48:18,966 --> 00:48:21,766 When a Christian employee 959 00:48:21,766 --> 00:48:26,633 has a Christian employer, that Christian employee should not think 960 00:48:26,866 --> 00:48:30,000 because they're a Christian, they should go easy on me. 961 00:48:30,000 --> 00:48:32,866 And I have the right to slack off on my job 962 00:48:32,866 --> 00:48:35,166 because we're all Christians here and we love each other 963 00:48:35,166 --> 00:48:39,833 and we just get along that is contrary to biblical standard and doctrine. 964 00:48:40,233 --> 00:48:43,900 We ought to work harder, especially for Christian bosses. 965 00:48:44,466 --> 00:48:46,200 We we. 966 00:48:46,200 --> 00:48:48,166 Colossians 323 and 24. 967 00:48:48,166 --> 00:48:49,433 Whatever you do, 968 00:48:49,433 --> 00:48:53,633 work at it with all your heart, as though you're working for for Christ. 969 00:48:53,633 --> 00:48:55,500 He's your real master. 970 00:48:55,500 --> 00:48:57,033 He's the real master, your servant. 971 00:48:57,033 --> 00:49:00,466 So whatever you as an employee do in your job, 972 00:49:00,600 --> 00:49:03,600 you work at it with all your heart, with all your mind. 973 00:49:03,600 --> 00:49:06,833 You be the best employee that boss has ever had. 974 00:49:06,933 --> 00:49:08,666 I don't care if you like the job or not. 975 00:49:08,666 --> 00:49:12,700 You owe it to the reputation of God to make society Christ. 976 00:49:12,733 --> 00:49:15,700 Please give me more Christian workers. 977 00:49:15,700 --> 00:49:18,133 That's how the society should look at us. 978 00:49:18,133 --> 00:49:20,100 That's how the society should respond. 979 00:49:20,100 --> 00:49:22,933 Please give me some Christians on my payroll. 980 00:49:22,933 --> 00:49:24,800 They're the hardest workers, most diligent. 981 00:49:24,800 --> 00:49:27,300 And then I waste time at the watercooler they're not taking. 982 00:49:27,300 --> 00:49:30,300 They're not taking vacation days and calling them sick days. 983 00:49:30,300 --> 00:49:32,033 There's none of that. 984 00:49:32,033 --> 00:49:34,400 I can rely on them. They're the best we got. 985 00:49:35,400 --> 00:49:38,400 That's what he's saying. 986 00:49:39,066 --> 00:49:39,733 And he's saying 987 00:49:39,733 --> 00:49:43,400 if we neglect our duty to our earthly boss, it 988 00:49:43,400 --> 00:49:47,200 causes shame to the name of Christ and to the faith we profess. 989 00:49:47,533 --> 00:49:50,200 If that's true, 990 00:49:50,200 --> 00:49:52,366 how much more implication for those of us 991 00:49:52,366 --> 00:49:55,366 who work for the boss 992 00:49:55,633 --> 00:49:58,766 to be us the hardest workers 993 00:50:00,266 --> 00:50:02,700 sweating, the most, bleeding the most 994 00:50:02,700 --> 00:50:05,700 given, the most sacrifice in the most 995 00:50:06,733 --> 00:50:08,100 because we are working for 996 00:50:08,100 --> 00:50:11,100 a heavenly master. 997 00:50:14,366 --> 00:50:17,366 Saying, work your tails off, man, 998 00:50:17,500 --> 00:50:18,500 because God deserves it. 999 00:50:18,500 --> 00:50:22,000 Now let's make this transit translation spiritually. 1000 00:50:23,200 --> 00:50:26,200 Jesus is our master. 1001 00:50:28,200 --> 00:50:31,200 We ought not slack off our earthly employers 1002 00:50:31,600 --> 00:50:34,933 because they are Christian and will give us grace. 1003 00:50:35,666 --> 00:50:38,733 How much more should we not slack off 1004 00:50:38,900 --> 00:50:41,766 on our duty to our Heavenly Master? 1005 00:50:41,766 --> 00:50:44,566 Just because he'll give us grace to 1006 00:50:46,500 --> 00:50:47,833 do you understand? 1007 00:50:47,833 --> 00:50:50,833 Yeah. 1008 00:50:51,700 --> 00:50:52,466 You know God will be. 1009 00:50:52,466 --> 00:50:55,166 You know, God's full of grace. 1010 00:50:55,166 --> 00:50:56,866 You know he'll go easy on me. 1011 00:50:56,866 --> 00:51:00,200 You might seem like I'm good with God regardless of what I do. 1012 00:51:00,200 --> 00:51:00,900 Because of grace. 1013 00:51:00,900 --> 00:51:03,900 So, you know, how dare we? 1014 00:51:05,133 --> 00:51:07,400 We are slaves of Christ, 1015 00:51:07,400 --> 00:51:10,133 and he is worthy of all honor. 1016 00:51:10,133 --> 00:51:14,100 To be a lax Christian makes the world reviled. 1017 00:51:14,100 --> 00:51:17,733 God reviled His word and reviled the name of Christ. 1018 00:51:17,966 --> 00:51:20,966 If that's what a Christian's like. 1019 00:51:23,766 --> 00:51:26,766 We must serve our master, all the better. 1020 00:51:27,300 --> 00:51:27,900 Here's the deal. 1021 00:51:27,900 --> 00:51:31,800 He is our master, and we work our hardest for him. 1022 00:51:34,200 --> 00:51:36,633 You understand? Yes. 1023 00:51:36,633 --> 00:51:37,733 There's a slide about that. 1024 00:51:37,733 --> 00:51:39,166 I know it's going to come up pretty soon. 1025 00:51:39,166 --> 00:51:43,266 He is our master and we work our hardest for him. 1026 00:51:45,033 --> 00:51:48,333 So. Full circle. Now 1027 00:51:49,666 --> 00:51:52,666 you need to understand what John 1515 says. 1028 00:51:54,600 --> 00:51:56,900 He says, 1029 00:51:56,900 --> 00:51:59,900 you, my dear kids, 1030 00:52:00,333 --> 00:52:02,833 I no longer call you servants. 1031 00:52:02,833 --> 00:52:05,833 Now I call you friends. 1032 00:52:05,866 --> 00:52:08,866 So Jesus makes this transition, 1033 00:52:09,100 --> 00:52:12,100 though I can demand from you duty 1034 00:52:12,733 --> 00:52:15,366 as your master. 1035 00:52:15,366 --> 00:52:17,400 Because of my life, death, and resurrection. 1036 00:52:17,400 --> 00:52:20,666 I no longer relate to you from master servant standpoint. 1037 00:52:20,666 --> 00:52:22,466 Though I could. 1038 00:52:22,466 --> 00:52:26,600 But now I've invited you into my family now as friends. 1039 00:52:26,700 --> 00:52:27,933 And what does the Bible tell us? 1040 00:52:27,933 --> 00:52:29,600 That greater love has no man for this? 1041 00:52:29,600 --> 00:52:32,233 Someone laid down his life for his free. 1042 00:52:32,233 --> 00:52:36,533 And so Jesus has said, listen, you owe me as your master. 1043 00:52:36,666 --> 00:52:38,933 You owe me as your mouth. 1044 00:52:38,933 --> 00:52:42,133 But I don't want to relate to you as a master servant. 1045 00:52:42,200 --> 00:52:44,500 I have given my life for you because I have. 1046 00:52:44,500 --> 00:52:47,833 There's, I haven't. I love you so much 1047 00:52:49,200 --> 00:52:51,433 that now I invite you into this relationship. 1048 00:52:51,433 --> 00:52:55,666 As my friend, I've laid down my life for you. 1049 00:52:56,833 --> 00:53:00,733 I could demanded of you, but I don't want to lay that on you. 1050 00:53:00,733 --> 00:53:03,700 I want to invite you 1051 00:53:03,700 --> 00:53:06,200 as my friend. Yeah. 1052 00:53:06,200 --> 00:53:09,200 Do you understand? 1053 00:53:09,500 --> 00:53:12,500 And because of that, no greater love. 1054 00:53:13,433 --> 00:53:16,433 We work our tails off 1055 00:53:16,800 --> 00:53:19,800 for the one who loved our souls so much 1056 00:53:20,633 --> 00:53:23,633 that he died for us. 1057 00:53:23,733 --> 00:53:25,000 You get it? 1058 00:53:25,000 --> 00:53:28,000 I get that much honor. 1059 00:53:32,566 --> 00:53:35,500 We owe it to him as a slave. 1060 00:53:35,500 --> 00:53:38,400 But we do it for him because we're loved. 1061 00:53:38,400 --> 00:53:40,333 That's the point. 1062 00:53:40,333 --> 00:53:43,166 We owe it to him because we're slave. 1063 00:53:43,166 --> 00:53:44,900 Slave of Christ. 1064 00:53:44,900 --> 00:53:47,833 But we do it for him 1065 00:53:47,833 --> 00:53:50,733 out of love. 1066 00:53:50,733 --> 00:53:53,766 Love beats duty every time. Oh, 1067 00:53:55,033 --> 00:53:58,033 every time. 1068 00:53:58,133 --> 00:53:59,766 You okay? And. 1069 00:54:00,766 --> 00:54:02,266 Oh, great father. 1070 00:54:02,266 --> 00:54:05,200 Thank you. Thank, 1071 00:54:05,200 --> 00:54:06,500 thank you for the opportunity you've given us 1072 00:54:06,500 --> 00:54:09,500 to open up your word. 1073 00:54:10,233 --> 00:54:10,733 Thank you 1074 00:54:10,733 --> 00:54:14,066 that by your word, you communicate to us how much you love us. 1075 00:54:14,066 --> 00:54:16,433 Your sacrifice for us. 1076 00:54:16,433 --> 00:54:18,666 And you call us, 1077 00:54:18,666 --> 00:54:22,600 to wrestle with our honor of you and what that looks like in real. 1078 00:54:22,800 --> 00:54:25,533 In real terms, in real time. 1079 00:54:25,533 --> 00:54:28,466 And I thank you, father, that even 1080 00:54:28,466 --> 00:54:30,600 in our failure, you don't cast us aside 1081 00:54:30,600 --> 00:54:34,733 and hold grudges that you've offered us complete and utter forgiveness. 1082 00:54:34,733 --> 00:54:37,733 That's just so beautiful, 1083 00:54:38,033 --> 00:54:38,500 father. 1084 00:54:38,500 --> 00:54:42,300 I pray that you would encourage us to give honor 1085 00:54:42,300 --> 00:54:45,300 to each other. 1086 00:54:46,500 --> 00:54:47,333 And to esteem 1087 00:54:47,333 --> 00:54:50,333 one another better than ourselves. 1088 00:54:50,433 --> 00:54:52,966 And I pray that you would call us into 1089 00:54:52,966 --> 00:54:55,966 a responsive life, not out of duty, 1090 00:54:56,733 --> 00:55:00,300 but out of love, because you loved us so much that you gave your son God, that 1091 00:55:00,866 --> 00:55:03,366 any of us who would believe in you would have eternal life. 1092 00:55:04,333 --> 00:55:04,866 You loved us 1093 00:55:04,866 --> 00:55:07,866 so much you proved your love on the cross. 1094 00:55:08,666 --> 00:55:11,666 Father, I just pray that those of us here would not ever respond 1095 00:55:11,666 --> 00:55:14,766 just simply out of duty and obligation as a slave to us. 1096 00:55:14,766 --> 00:55:17,066 Master, 1097 00:55:17,066 --> 00:55:20,566 but that we respond to you out of love because you first loved us. 1098 00:55:21,100 --> 00:55:23,300 Yeah, 1099 00:55:23,300 --> 00:55:25,733 friends, I want to invite you in this moment. 1100 00:55:25,733 --> 00:55:28,533 If you've never respond to the love of God, 1101 00:55:28,533 --> 00:55:31,466 if you've never respond to him out of love, you've been trying out a duty 1102 00:55:31,466 --> 00:55:32,833 and it's not worked and has drawn. 1103 00:55:32,833 --> 00:55:33,633 It's difficult 1104 00:55:33,633 --> 00:55:36,633 and it's just nothing but failure after failure after duty after duty. 1105 00:55:37,566 --> 00:55:39,566 I don't invite you in this moment 1106 00:55:39,566 --> 00:55:42,566 to enter into this relationship, 1107 00:55:43,300 --> 00:55:47,266 to respond to the love of of the father, sending his son to die for your sin. 1108 00:55:47,266 --> 00:55:48,233 Would you just simply 1109 00:55:49,400 --> 00:55:52,400 between you and this God who loves you 1110 00:55:53,333 --> 00:55:55,266 so. So, father, thank you that you love me. 1111 00:55:55,266 --> 00:55:57,766 Jesus, thank you that you died on the cross. 1112 00:55:57,766 --> 00:55:59,433 Thank you that you've offered me forgiveness. 1113 00:55:59,433 --> 00:56:02,433 I receive it today. 1114 00:56:03,166 --> 00:56:06,166 I'm. I'm to follow you as best I know how. 1115 00:56:06,766 --> 00:56:09,766 And today I give myself to you. 1116 00:56:10,100 --> 00:56:11,500 What? 1117 00:56:11,500 --> 00:56:14,500 God, I pray that people wouldn't leave this place 1118 00:56:14,566 --> 00:56:15,433 without responding. 1119 00:56:15,433 --> 00:56:18,433 Not out of duty, but respond to the love that you've given us in your son. 1120 00:56:20,700 --> 00:56:22,066 We love you. 1121 00:56:22,066 --> 00:56:23,100 Help us to love you more. 1122 00:56:23,100 --> 00:56:25,133 In your name I pray. Amen. 1123 00:56:25,133 --> 00:56:27,300 Listen, I want you to go home this week. 1124 00:56:27,300 --> 00:56:30,066 Read chapter five and read chapter six. Get ready for next week. 1125 00:56:30,066 --> 00:56:31,300 You do that? 1126 00:56:31,300 --> 00:56:31,566 Yeah. 1127 00:56:31,566 --> 00:56:34,400 Do that and we'll wrap up first Timothy next week. 1128 00:56:34,400 --> 00:56:36,300 Then we'll get into second Timothy. 1129 00:56:36,300 --> 00:56:38,700 Real practical stuff. Real good stuff. 1130 00:56:38,700 --> 00:56:40,300 I'm proud of you. You did well. 1131 00:56:40,300 --> 00:56:41,833 There's a lot today. 1132 00:56:41,833 --> 00:56:44,033 You did a good job. That's why we got comfortable. Chair. 1133 00:56:44,033 --> 00:56:46,200 So your tail end doesn't get too sore while we sit here. 1134 00:56:47,666 --> 00:56:49,366 Listen, we're going to 1135 00:56:49,366 --> 00:56:52,366 sing a little bit more song a little bit. 1136 00:56:53,233 --> 00:56:53,633 Let's sing.