Sunday’s Sermons

Text: 1^st Timothy 5:9-16                                                  4/20/08 a.m.

Thesis: Be passionate for Christ

 

Intro: Love makes us do crazy things. I met Angela after my freshmen year of college. She was at Texas A&M and I was at Hardin-Simmons University. That’s a 5 hour one way drive.

I hated to leave her on Sunday evenings so I would stay as long as I could sometimes waiting until 10pm or even later to get on the road.

That’s crazy but when I looked at her my love for her caused me to do crazy things.

Now, 10 years later, when I look at her my love for her still causes me to do crazy things. Staying up late definitely not being one of them.

What has happened is I’ve begun to grow up and understand what it means to be a godly man and a godly husband.

Learning what it means to have a biblically strong relationship with Christ has reshaped with it means to have a strong relationship with my wife and with my daughters.

I want things for them now that I didn’t want a year or even 5 years ago.

As we personally grow in Christ it will cause our relationships to grow strong.

I’m saying this because if you don’t love the glorious Savior Jesus Christ you will not pursue what we’re going to look at in 1^st Timothy 5:9-16.

We looked last week at the necessity of caring for godly women who are in need.  This week we are going to look at what it means to be a godly woman.

Ladies, as you love Christ this is your goal.  Men, as you love Christ this is your goal for your wife and your daughter.

Church, as we love Christ this is our goal for each other.

1^st Timothy 5:9-16.

 

I) The goal is to become a woman whose hope is set on God

a)      The true widow is hopeful, prayerful, and focused on others

i)        We saw this last week from verses five and six so I just want to remind you that Christ must be the center of everything we study in this bible and strive for in our lives.

ii)      Remember the three elements of hope? Future expectation, trust, and patient waiting.

iii)    The godly woman looks back and sees the great love of God poured out throughout history and knows she is loved.

iv)    The godly woman looks back at the person and work of Jesus Christ and knows she is love.

v)      The Spirit in her cries out to God for help the way a child cries out to her father. She knows he can be trusted.

vi)    Because she trusts God and cultivates a heart that longs to please God she prays and serves.

vii)  As you noticed from our text today and the sermon last week we’re talking about the type of woman the church should honor with respect and monetary support.

viii)            Do we honor a woman simply because she has survived a certain number of years or is there more to it than that?

ix)    There’s clearly more to it than that. If you want to be a woman who pleases God and is honored by the church

x)      Here are the biblical requirements

b)      First, if you want to be a true widow who has lived a Christ-honoring life verse 9 says you have to be at least 60 years old.

i)        Some of you will find this encouraging others may take offense but it’s a biblical category: 60 is old.

ii)      I found that pretty encouraging because I’m just shy of half way to old. If you’re offended take it up with Jesus.

iii)    Let a widow be enrolled if she is not less than sixty years of age.

iv)    Now the life span of a typical woman in the first century was not quite what it is today so it would safe to move our number back a little but out of fear of still offending even more dear sweet ladies I’m not going to specify an age.

v)      Better yet understand that this age during those times was generally when a woman was not able to physically do in the home, church, and community what she used to be able to do.

vi)    Some would not need the care of their families or the church but the majority who reached this age who require the assistance of another.

vii)  Again, do not help those who do not truly require help.  So, she must be an older woman in need.

c)      Second, she has to have been a faithful wife

i)        Let a woman be enrolled if she is not less than sixty years of age, having been the wife of one husband.

ii)      You may remember from the sermons on elder and deacon requirements that this phrase is literally “a one man woman”

iii)    A pastor or a deacon must both be one women men, the husband of one wife.

iv)    It’s a call to look back over their lives and ensure faithfulness in marriage.

v)      Naomi and Wynonna Judd said it well, “I’m a one man woman I want a one woman man. I’ve got two arms to hold him to love him all I can. Now it’s a free world we live in it’s this I understand. But I’m a one man woman
I want a one woman man.

vi)    The world is making all manner of foolish decisions thumbing their noses at God but faithfulness in marriage is a must.

vii)  Ephesians 5 bases this faithfulness in the Christ/church relationship. Would Christ love the church, die for the church, and then leave the church?

viii)            His faithfulness to her is the cause of her faithfulness to him.

ix)    Husbands, you want a lot for and from your wife. There’s nothing wrong with that. But we need to be sure we are striving to be the type of men who’s faithfulness to her causes her to be faithful to us.

x)      When the Christ-relationship is right it rights all the others.  So, before the church enrolls the widow it needs to be asked if her Christ-relationship is right and if it affected her other relationships.

d)     Third requirement is she has to have a reputation for good works

i)        What we do is a witness to what we believe. The root of this word ‘reputation’ is the word ‘witness.’

ii)      A witness testifies and a witness convicts. The true widow is a woman who’s life would convict her of being a lady who does good things.

iii)    Verse 10 gives us a list of good things, “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.”

iv)    Ladies, you thought Proverbs 31 was hard enough now we go and tack that list on top of it.

v)      This is a fleshes out what it means to not be self-indulgent.

vi)    Bringing up children carries the idea of raising them up physically and spiritually.

vii)  It’s not the church’s job to disciple your children while you put a roof over their heads.

viii)            A godly woman is a woman who cares for the body and soul of her children and does all the good to them that she can.

ix)    The church is here to help you in that process. The church is the parent’s assistant in raising kids. The parents are the ones responsible.

x)      The godly woman is a woman who has shown hospitality.  Hospitality is opening up your home to the needs of others.

xi)    Part of honoring widows means the church opens up their homes to the needs of the widow.

xii)  If she hasn’t done that; if she has shirked her hospitality duties as a Christian then the church is not required to enroll her on it’s widow’s list.

xiii)            God is not saying we do not help her in the same way that God is not saying we do not help women who are younger than 60. Instead, God is telling us that our help should look different.

xiv)            The woman who doesn’t show hospitality isn’t a Christian and so before you honor her as a true and godly widow she needs to be saved. She needs to become and pursue godliness.

xv)  Next, she has to have washed the feet of the saints. She has to be a servant willing to go the extra mile when others won’t.

xvi)            Again, should she expect others to go the extra mile for her when she won’t for them?

xvii)          I’m not saying you should serve so that you will be served. I’m saying sacrificial service is a mark of a true believer. If she’s not a believer don’t honor her as one.

xviii)        Fourth, she has to have cared for the afflicted and devoted herself to every good work.

xix)            She’s honestly concerned, faithfully involved, and obviously dedicated to serving Christ and loving others in His name.

xx)  Men, we’ve got to want this for our wives knowing that if she does and becomes this it will cost us.

xxi)            If she’s caring for others like this she’s not going to be at our beckon call to make a pie or bring us another cold IBC.

xxii)          We’ve got to love Jesus and serve Jesus to the extent that we love to see our wives and daughters love and serve Jesus.

xxiii)        You know how costly it is to live for him but since you know the enduring joy of living for Christ you work so that others know it too.

xxiv)        If that’s the type of woman we are to honor verse 11 begins the description of the type of woman we should refuse to honor.

xxv)          If the goal is to be a woman who’s hope is set on God

II) We must avoid being a woman drawn away from Christ

Read verses 11 and 12

a)      We must honestly evaluate and seek God’s grace to change the desires of our hearts

i)        Don’t be confused here. It’s a good thing to get a husband, raise kids, and grow old in godliness.

ii)      If you have a strong desire, or a passion to marry, there is nothing wrong with that.

iii)    What is wrong is when our passions draw us away from Christ and into doing things the wrong way.

iv)    It is wrong to want to get married at any cost. 1 Corinthians 7 and 2 Corinthians 6 make it that it is a dangerous thing to marry an unbeliever.

v)      It’s natural to want to please your spouse and if your spouse is an unbeliever his desires will not be godly.

vi)    Your desire to please him will draw you away from Christ. 1^st Timothy 5:14 makes it clear that it’s a good thing for younger widows to remarry.

vii)  What must be avoided is abandoning the faith to get a man. If you give up Jesus in order to get a man you will be sorely disappointed.

viii)            What you need is Jesus and so if you want a healthy God-honoring marriage you need to find a man who wants to be live for Jesus.

ix)    Anything less will leave you unsatisfied.

x)      Don’t sale eternity for a few years with a warm body. Pursue Christ and keep your eyes open for a godly man.

xi)    Refuse to enroll a younger widow because it’s near a sure bet that she’s going to eventually want to remarry.

xii)  Instead of taking her in as a dependent it’s better to train her up and help her be the type of godly woman a godly man would like to marry.

xiii)            Here’s what happens if the church takes in women as dependents who can really care for themselves.

xiv)            Read verse 13

b)      What a woman says is the first sign that her passions are drawing her away from Christ

i)        It is so true that idle hands are the devil’s workshop.

ii)      We’ve got to be wise when it comes to helping people because help in the wrong way at the wrong time teaches people to be lazy.

iii)    A little free time and some spending cash in the wrong hands can cause great damage.

iv)    In the case of a woman being helped at the wrong time it makes her lazy and all she does is go around from house to house talking about stuff she shouldn’t talk about.

v)      Instead of giving herself to service in the name of Jesus she’s gossiping and trying to look busy when she gets caught.

vi)    So what’s the remedy?

c)      Involve yourself in things that require you to rely on Christ

i)        Read verse 14

ii)      If you desire to be more Christ-like and if you want to live a life that counts invest in others.

iii)    Get married, have kids, and run the house. Included in this idea is adoption or caring for the orphans.

iv)    Paul’s not telling 59 year old women to get married and start having more kids.

v)      If you are young enough and able to become pregnant than do it. If you are a little older or not able then adopt.

vi)    Instead of becoming a dependent that the church cares for look for a dependent that you can care for.

vii)  As I said last week, “it’s when we care for those people who need us that we learn how much we need Jesus.”

viii)            When you’re striving to be a godly wife, a godly mother, a godly friend, and a godly member of the church it removes so many opportunities for Satan to get in and slander you.

ix)    You don’t have time to gossip or have an affair or just look like you’re busy. You will be truly busy with plenty of crucial things to talk about and you’ll have a godly man who cherishes you.

x)      We all have seen what happens when a woman or man gets wrapped up in a situation that allows for sin.

xi)    Verse 15 says, “For some have already strayed after Satan.”

xii)  This is not a first century problem. This is not a problem just in the unbelieving world.

xiii)            In the church there are those who follow their passions, abandon their faith, and stray after Satan.

xiv)            Some stray after pictures on the internet or in a magazine. Some stray into chat-rooms.

xv)  Some have an affair. Some turn to their jobs, some turn to the books, and some turn to their garages.

III) Our response is to care for one another

Read verse 16

a)      To care means literally to ward something off from a person. It is to supply what they need to give them aid.

i)        Care comes in the package of helping people avoid what will harm them and attain what will help them.

ii)      Care for the widow who cannot care for herself.

iii)    Care for the afflicted who are poor or persecuted.

iv)    Care for the Christian who has strayed.

v)      One of the greatest blessings of being a preacher is I get to tell people that in Jesus Christ there is abundant grace to keep you headed in the right direction.

vi)    We can’t get to Christ on our own strength. We can’t be godly men and women by trying hard.

vii)  Jesus Christ pours out on us all that we need for life and godliness. Through the Spirit-filled word we have all that we need to follow Him and please Him.

viii)            There is grace to remain and there is grace to restore.

ix)    After Peter denied Christ, after he did the worst possible thing a man in his position could do, after Peter strayed after Satan what did Jesus do?

x)      Jesus restored him. Jesus put him pack on track.

xi)    Jesus asked him, “Do you love me?” If so, get in the game. Jesus told Peter to go and feed his sheep.

xii)  Go and care for others. Give them what they need.

xiii)            For those on the verge of straying I pray this morning you will see Jesus as the glorious fountain of grace to keep you.

xiv)            I pray you will find other godly people who will pray for you and hold you accountable.

xv)  For those who have strayed I pray this morning you will see Jesus as the glorious foundation of grace to restore you.

xvi)            I pray you will find the restoration in Christ that brings spouses back together, teenagers and parents back together, and widows and care-givers back together.

xvii)          There is grace for marriages and families and churches to grow strong together.

xviii)        Let’s pray for grace.