I found myself really feeling a bit oppressed this morning, and I don't know why. Maybe it's just my own emotions. I have a tendency toward a little bit of melancholy. Maybe it's spiritual oppression, I don't know, but I'm going to just bow again and ask God to be with us, that God's word would be able to be heard clearly today. So will you join me? God, we just come before you today. I come before you today feeling a certain sense of inadequacy. explain and articulate and put forward this text well today. And so I just pray, God, that You do a work in me. I pray that You'd fill me with Your Spirit, that I would be able to speak Your truth with great authority and effectiveness and clarity. And I pray for listeners today too who could be distracted by any number of things. I pray that Your Spirit would be active in their lives as well, giving them understanding of Your Word and bringing it to bear on their hearts. We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen. So we've been talking here in 1 Timothy 5. That'll be our text this morning. 1 Timothy chapter 5. We've been talking about problems in the church. Paul's done some kind of general teaching through the first four chapters, but here in chapter five, he turns attention to a couple of specific issues that had manifested themselves in the church in Ephesus. Two main categories, there was the whole issue of widows and their care, and a lot of different facets to why that was somewhat problematic in the church, why the church had struggled with that. And then also the issue of elders he's going to deal with later in the chapter, probably tied into some of the false teaching that was going on. There had been people that had come to a place of authority, leadership within the church, that were leading the church astray. And so Paul wants to help the church think about that issue of leadership and how they should respond. So we're going to be, again, giving attention to this area of widows. We started into it last week. It's a rather lengthy section. And so we're going to be returning there this week. I mentioned to you last week that I found some sense of morbid satisfaction in the fact that the early church had problems too. Remember, we're going to find out these aren't just theoretical things. These were actual problems that were happening. And we can tend to idealize you know, the church in Bible times and really lament the church in our own day because we've got all these issues and hang-ups. Well, so did the early church because it was comprised of sinful people. And so I am encouraged by that. I'm also challenged because sometimes we look at Scripture and there's maybe a particular problem. Like, let's take the Israelites, right? Grumbling in the wilderness, and we think, man, how could they? Every time, you know, they fail to believe God, and we can sort of distance ourselves from them a little bit. And we might see a particular sin that's addressed in Scripture, and we might think, oh, at least I don't struggle with that one, you know. But I'm just reminded that we all have blind spots. The church in Ephesus had some blind spots. They had some issues. They had some problems. And let's just say it, we do too. And it ought to not make us proud, but it ought to make us vigilant and make us respond with humility to think, what is it that I need to be working on? What are the areas of sinful propensities that I have in my life that we have as a church What are the blind spots that we might be prone to? It might not be the things that Paul is talking about in this particular text. But even as we think about the problems of other churches, I think it can help us think carefully about our own problems. So a lot of interesting things we just think about that whole realm. Well, let's look to the Scriptures this morning. 1 Timothy 5. I want to pick up here in verse 9. 1 Timothy 5, 9. Let a widow be enrolled if she is not less than sixty years of age, having been the wife of one husband, 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. but refuse to enroll younger widows, for when their passions draw them away from Christ, they desire to marry, and so incur condemnation for having abandoned their former faith. Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips in busybodies, saying what they should not. So I would have younger widows marry, bear children, manage their households, and give the adversary no occasion for slander. For some have already strayed after Satan. 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. So we're introduced to something a little bit new here in this whole arena, and that is the idea or the notion of a list. So there were people being enrolled, widows being enrolled on a list. There was some formally established group that was identified by the church. And we're not exactly sure what that all entailed. It seems that it entailed some measure of care. In other words, these were people who were on the church's distribution list for either finances or food or other forms of material aid. They were enrolled in the church's benevolent program. It also could be that this list was a list of widows who were identified by the church for a particular service, a particular role that they were to play. So we have some reference to this too. It seems that these women were committed in some way to the church. and to service in the church. And I don't think these two areas are mutually exclusive. In some sense, they probably were receiving some aid from the church, but perhaps also they were in a position to serve in some very unique ways, to give themselves to service to Christ and His church. That was all part of what it was to be enrolled in this program, to be put on this list. Now Paul here gives Timothy some instructions, gives the church some instructions, some safeguards. for the church. And that's what I want us to look at. A very simple outline this morning. Three points, three safeguards that are given to the church to help the church navigate some of these difficulties. And I'm going to state them today in rather general terms because I think that the principles, the safeguards that Paul puts forward could have broad application. Not just in this arena of widows, far beyond. So, the first safeguard that Paul puts forward, we should affirm godly behavior. Again, speaking of the church, the church should affirm godly behavior. It would be one of the primary ways in which we can deter people from sin or inspire them towards godliness, right? That we endorse, that we affirm godly behavior. So notice what Paul says here, "...let a widow be enrolled if she is not less than sixty years of age, having been the wife of one husband, and having a reputation for good works." So actually three criteria that are listed here. One is a chronological criteria, right? They have to be at least sixty years of age. Talk a little bit more about why that was significant, okay? But that was one criteria. Second criteria was moral criteria. They should have been the wife of one husband. This little phrase is used back in chapter three to describe overseers, where it says that overseers are to be the husband of one wife. And so it's flipped around here that these widows are to be the wife of one husband. Same type of construction. And we could get into nuances of what exactly this means and who this would preclude, but the basic idea is that these individuals were to have evidenced moral purity. in their marriage relationship. That's kind of the bottom line criteria there, a moral criteria for those who would be put on the list. And then, those who have a reputation for good works. I'm going to say there ought to be an aesthetic criteria. This is the word we've been noting. It's one of Paul's favorite words, the word kolos. It's a word that speaks of beauty and nobility and excellence. That these people were not only to to not be engaged in evil and wicked things, but they should even more than that, should be characterized by beautiful things, by good works, by acts of kindness. This should mark their life. And he goes on to give some examples. Those who have brought up children. There's a selfless act of service. Is it not? Do I have an amen? Oftentimes, there's not a lot of thank yous. There's a lot of times when maybe even kids don't want your involvement. They don't want your protection, your words of counsel. There's something very selfless about someone who cares for a child. Adoption certainly speaks to this in very powerful ways, doesn't it? To take on the care of someone who doesn't have anyone else to take care of them. It's a beautiful thing. So he talks about that. That's an arena in which these beautiful works could be seen. Those who have shown hospitality and not having your friends over for a barbecue or watching a game together But specifically this is the welcoming of strangers This is Receiving people who you maybe don't know and who are in need of Very big priority in the ancient world. There weren't hotels and things on every corner, and many times those were not safe places. So there's an expectation if someone came to town and they maybe got caught in a storm or something or delayed, that you would offer them shelter. It's a basic expectation of hospitality, the welcoming of strangers. Those that have washed the feet of the saints taking on menial tasks in serving other people. In the ancient world, nothing more humbling than to wash someone's feet who's worn open-toed sandals down a dirt road with many animals passing that way and their remains in the road. It was reserved for the lowest servant. But there's something beautiful, there's something noble about a person who would humble themselves and wash someone else's feet. care for the afflicted. My mom used to do a lot of visiting people in the hospital. It wasn't a specific role for her. She wasn't assigned that. It wasn't part of a leadership responsibility. She just did it. She had a mindset that way. She had a sense of compassion for those that were afflicted, whether physically, whether emotionally. Somebody who's gone through a season of grief You know, how do you care for afflicted people? It's not easy to be around afflicted people, right? We don't know what to say. We don't know how to respond. Sometimes people aren't real pleasant to be around. They're depressed. You know, there's something selfless, there's something beautiful in coming alongside and helping. And that's what Paul says. Those that would be enrolled on this list should have moral qualifications, but they also should go beyond that. They should have a life that is characterized by beauty and excellence and nobility. And this is not an exhaustive list. He says there at the end of verse 10, "...and has devoted herself to every good work." So here's a few sample areas. But we could go on. We could look at other areas. But a woman who would be added to this list, who would be recognized in this way, who would be put before the church on an official list, should have evidenced godly behavior. That kind of raises the question, what about a desperate widow who didn't live a godly life? Well, the text doesn't say we shouldn't help people indiscriminately, but this list seems to be something different. It was an extra standard. And you would only put people on this list as they met these criteria. So Paul seems to think that this is a safeguard, that we're putting before the church examples of godly people. We are endorsing. We are affirming. Godly behavior Who are your heroes who are the people that you seek to emulate? We tend to emulate people that are wealthy we tend to emulate people that Have certain unique skills whether they be athletic or musical skills people to have a certain amount of charisma right people that are famous maybe an actor or an actress or The church should be in the business of putting forward heroes, recognizing godly people, honoring godly people. People perhaps like Gladys Elwort. I'm going to put a picture here of Gladys on the screen. Gladys was a missionary to China in the 1930s. She grew up in London. She took, at the age of 28, a single woman, she took a train up in through Siberia to the end of the line and then walked the rest of the way to get to that portion of Northern China where she was going to serve. And she ended up caring for a number of orphans. In 1936, she became a Chinese citizen. She became so immersed in her love for the Chinese people that she became a Chinese citizen. And then 1938 and the Japanese invade. And multiple people came to try to convince her to leave the country, to flee to safety. And she was unwilling to leave those that were under her care. And she helped to lead a hundred of these orphans through the snowy mountain pass out of the country of China and into safety. Here is a hero, a life worth emulating. The Chinese gave her a name that sounded roughly like her last name, ale-word, Ai-Yi-De, which meant virtuous one. She was one who had earned a reputation as being a selfless woman who gave herself on their behalf. He was a hero of the faith. And the church should have some role in encouraging and putting forward godly examples for the church. Again, it doesn't mean that other people weren't helped or aided. This isn't a social club, a country club, but there ought to be some consideration given when we acknowledge and put people forward as an example. Paul seemed to think that this was a safeguard for the church. Secondly, we should warn people regarding God's judgment. There was another safeguard. Here was something else that Paul wanted to see taking place in the church, wanted Timothy to be warning people. We should warn people regarding God's judgment. Verse 11, we'll pick up here. "'But refuse to enroll younger widows, for when their passions draw them away from Christ, they desire to marry and so incur condemnation for having abandoned their former faith.'" You see, Paul is concerned that they will incur some measure of punishment from the Lord. And he wants to guard them from that. So he's extending a warning to them. Now, it's very interesting to think of what's going on here, what the dynamic is. It says that younger widows, those under the age of 60, should not be enrolled on this list. Here's the age requirement, okay? Because Paul knows that those who've been married previously and are still relatively young will eventually desire, once again, marriage and family. They might go through a time of grief, But Paul feels like generally speaking, they're probably going to want to get married again. And so he says don't add them to the list. Don't enroll them in this. Don't have them sign up and commit themselves to serving Christ and His church to this great degree, because there's going to come a time when they have this strong urge to get married. The terminology there, their passions, often used of sexual desire, but not exclusively. Just that they would have a strong desire for marriage and family and that would lead them away from Christ. So what's taking place here? There's nothing wrong with marriage. It's not that marriage is somehow antithetical to our faith. In what sense would getting married lead a person away from Christ? Well Paul addresses this in 1 Corinthians and I'm just going to read to you a brief section here out of 1 Corinthians chapter 7. Paul addresses single people in the church and he talks about the dynamics of singleness and marriage and how that impacts our service for Christ. He says to these singles, he says, I want you to be free from anxieties. The unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to please the Lord. But the married man is anxious about worldly things, how to please his wife. And his interests are divided. And the unmarried or betrothed woman is anxious about the things of the Lord, how to be holy in body and spirit. But the married woman is anxious about worldly things, how to please her husband. So Paul just says there's just something in the very nature of marriage that causes us to be divided. A person that's single can devote themselves to a fuller extent in service for Christ. And that's great. Paul says there's great benefit in that. When a person gets married, their interests are divided. They have concerns for family and children and have to look out for a lot of other things in addition to their service for Christ. So I think this is what Paul is talking about here as he writes to Timothy, is that these individuals who, if they were to be signed up on the list, if they were to sign on to serve Christ and serve the church in some intensive way, and then they decide they want to get married, then they're going to be divided. They're going to be drawn away from Christ, from an exclusive commitment to Christ. And Paul's concerned about this. He says that's not a good thing. If a person makes a vow, if they make a commitment, if they make a pledge to the Lord, they ought to fulfill it. And if they don't, they're going to experience some measure of consequence. They're going to experience judgment for that. So verse 12 talks about them abandoning their former faith. Some translations even say they abandon they would abandon their former pledge or their oath or their vow if they decide to get married. So Paul is concerned about this. I'm going to show you another very significant picture that you will undoubtedly recognize. The von Trapp family, right? And you remember Maria's story. Here's my new vocabulary word this week. She was a postulant, which means that she was under consideration. She had applied to join the convent, to be a nun, to remain celibate, to serve the church unhindered way. She wasn't fully signed on yet, but she was in the early stages of that process. And then you remember the story, right? All of that is interrupted. She is sent out to be a governess, to watch over all of these children, and she ends up developing these strong feelings for this widower, Mr. Von Trapp, right? And so she's torn. Does she fulfill her service to Christ and His church? Or does she pursue marriage? And in the movie, of course, it kind of depicts it in sort of a fun way. All the nuns end up helping her in their escape from the authorities. They're under the hood of the cars, unplugging all the different things. And it's kind of a fun thing. But Paul sees the idea of breaking a vow as being a very serious thing. And we could think about that. There's lots of good avenues for us to think about that today. What it is to break a marriage vow. Or even at a more foundational level, what it is to break our baptismal vows. We give public profession of our faith in Christ and commit ourselves to serving Him. Those are serious things and Paul is wanting to warn people and safeguard them from God's judgment, from the consequences of sin. And that certainly would be something that should be taking place in the church. We ought to be challenging one another. We ought to be warning one another. If we see someone that's in danger, we ought to speak up. We ought to come alongside. We ought to encourage them and challenge them to help them avoid God's judgment and the consequences of sin. So we should affirm godly behavior. Paul wants the church putting forward and affirming and endorsing a godly people. We should warn people regarding God's judgment. We ought to have a ministry of interceding for people. And finally, we should discourage idleness and promote meaningful work. We should discourage idleness and promote meaningful work. Verse 13, besides that, they learned to be idlers, going about from house to house. So, he was concerned that These younger widows who were presumably in very good health, had lots of energy, that they would not have enough to keep them busy in some of these other church responsibilities. And so they would be unproductive. That wasn't good. But he goes on, he says, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies saying what they should not. So his concern was if there was too much just free time, downtime, unscheduled time, that opened the door for a lot of unhealthy things. that there's more opportunity to talk. And these women, if they were part of this group, would be privy to certain information. They'd be involved in leadership and visiting people. And the tendency could be to just talk about people in negative ways, to be busybodies. It's a way of saying to be moving about, to be putting their nose where it doesn't belong. Okay? And so Paul is concerned about where that could take them. And his solution, of course, is that they engage in meaningful work. Verse 14, so I would have younger widows marry, bear children, manage their households, give the adversary no occasion for slander. So I would rather they engage in meaningful labor and tasks and not give any opportunity, not give any opening for the adversary. The adversary, no occasion for slander. We don't want to give unbelievers any reason to speak against the Gospel. We don't want to open ourselves up to any types of behavioral patterns, lifestyle patterns that would bring shame to the name of Christ. And so Paul says it's good for people to stay busy in productive task, meaningful labor. did some chaplaincy work at the Sheriff's Department for a number of years. And I remember them always talking about seasonal crime, that the crime rates always increased in the summertime. And there's a lot of theories about that as to why that is. But one of the consensus conclusions is that many crimes are simply crimes of opportunity. And when people have time and they're out on the streets, there's just more opportunity for fights or for theft or whatever it might be to develop. And so I think in a sense, Paul's saying something similar here. He says when there's just a lot of downtime, when you don't have enough to do, that's not a good thing. It leads us to be discontent. It can lead us into other areas. I heard someone once say that if you're busy rowing the boat, you won't have any time to argue about the color of the boat. You won't be thinking about that because you're too busy rowing. And it's when we don't have enough to do that we can find ourselves in trouble. Wow, great application here, isn't there? I mean, for widows, for younger widows, certainly there's a challenge here, but I'm thinking of other demographics too in the church. I'm thinking of adolescents, right? Oftentimes discretionary time, depending on the time of year. And I was reading about the danger zone of 3 to 5 p.m. when a lot of adolescents get into trouble. because they're done with school, mom and dad aren't home from work, it's just downtime. It's a danger zone. I'm thinking about those who are retired, right? Sometimes people are able to take early retirements, but we all need to be engaged in meaningful task. If we just have nothing to do, that generally is not good. It's not good for our minds, our mindset, And it opens up the door for a lot of things. So I think there's just some good general counsel here, a safeguard that Paul puts in place to say we need to be engaged in meaningful activity to ward off and to not allow opportunities for sin. There's a couple of things I guess I want to just stress here as well in this particular section. One is what this text says about the value of normal day-to-day work. To me, this text gives great affirmation that our daily tasks are important to God. And here He's saying, I want you to just engage in the task of rearing children and overseeing households. Here are women who are willing to maybe serve the church in some very lofty way, and Paul says, no, I think it would be better for you to go back and do laundry. Just engage in daily tasks. There's something very good in that. Do you hear the affirmation in this text of daily tasks? Is God concerned about laundry? I mean, is God concerned about the discipline of our children? Is He concerned about meal preparation? Is He concerned about household repairs? Yes, He is. These are good things. These are valuable things. So the text affirms. Our lives, I'm convinced when I talk to people sometimes, a lot of people don't like their jobs. Whether it be their tasks within the home or if they work outside the home. I just talk to a lot of people that just don't like their jobs. And they think of it as a waste of time. They maybe long for an opportunity to do something more meaningful with their life. I have news for you. God's concerned about your daily tasks. The menial things that you have to attend to each week. Those are good and God uses those things. The other thing that I want you to notice in this text, and it comes out here in verse 15, where Paul says, for some have already strayed after Satan. Here's where we see, again, this was a real issue. This was happening. There were problems in this regard. People were idle and were getting into trouble and speech patterns were developing that were not good, that were dividing the church, whatever it might be. And he says here and describes it as people having strayed after Satan. People having gone Satan's way. or followed His path. And I'm struck with this. These women are not doing what we might think of as horrible things, right? This whole arena of idleness and gossip and putting your nose where it doesn't belong. But Paul describes this and categorizes this as Satan's way. Satan's path. Many have already gone that direction down Satan's path. Let me just say that speech patterns are really important things. We might want to put our speech patterns in a different category from people who do heinous, sinful things. I'm not so sure that that's how I read Scripture. One of the things that is most destructive is gossip and some of these other types of violent speech. And so we see something here as well about the type of behaviors that we ought to be emulating and the things that we ought to be avoiding. We have an opportunity here to sort of take our own lives and our own patterns of living and sort of run them through the scriptural grid here and really have to think about what God thinks about our sin. So some safeguards for us. Certainly, again, in the context of younger widows, and some advice from the church can help in those areas, but I think some great safeguards to help us as we think about how to avoid sin. We should affirm godly behavior. We should hold up heroes of the faith. Give people something to emulate, to look to. as they live their lives. We should warn people regarding God's judgment. Timothy and the church were to warn people to make sure they didn't incur the consequences of sin. We ought to be doing that in the context of the church as well. And we should discourage idleness and promote meaningful work. We should be not giving opportunity for sin to take root in our lives. Some very practical safeguards for us as we consider our walk with Christ and our patterns as a church.