The Church's Care for Widows

Turn your Bibles first Timothy chapter 5, first Timothy chapter 5 starting in verse three through 16 honor widows who are truly widows, but if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and make some return to their parents. This is pleasing in the sight of God. She who is truly a widow left all alone has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day, she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives command these things as well so that they may be without reproach, but if anyone does not provide for his relatives and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever letter will be enrolled if she is not less than 60 years of age having been the wife of one husband and having a reputation for good works.

If she has brought up children and has shown hospitality has wash the feet of the saints has cared for the afflicted and has devoted herself to every good work, but refused to enroll young widows for when their passions draw them away from Christ. They desire to marry and so incur condemnation for having abandoned their former faith sides that they learn to be idlers going about from house to house not only idlers but also gossips and busybodies saying what they should not.

So I would have younger widows. Mary 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 were widows, let her care for them. What the church not be burdened so that it may care for those who are truly widows spray heavenly father we come to you in the name your son, who is demonstrated by his earthly ministry, a love for widows, whether it's the widow who gave him might or is raising the widow's son, we see that there is a love that Christ has for those that are destitute. Those that are in poverty. Those that are in great need in need support those that are all alone. He points us as the church to support those widows so we pray that this evening we might learn and learn well from your word on how to support those that are in such a need.

We pray that we would be like Christ and grow in our love for the widows within our church. We would support the mothers in our church goddess directors this evening as we go into the text that we might know how to better support those that are in need. Since I we pray. Amen is received to continuing our series to first Timothy we are looking forward into what relationships look like within the local church member that apostle Paul is writing to his son in the faith. Timothy's giving him guidance on how to govern the household of God. We see this in first Timothy three verses 14 and 15.

I'm writing these things to you so that if I delay you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God. A pillar and buttress of truth. So Paul wants to give Timothy instructions on how he might lead as a pastor in the local church at Ephesus so that the church might best glorify God in their doctrine and practice. So far we've gone through false teaching.

In chapter 1 what to look out for chapter 2 we talked about the worship service and instructing men to lead well in the church praying in unity lit lifting hands together and spoke on modesty.

How many women ought to dress in the corporate worship service. Chapter 3 we talk about the moral qualifications of elders and deacons in the local church. Chapter 4 Paul warned about asceticism and apostasy that can occur and how we are to be good servants of Christ Jesus. Now in chapter 5, Paul speaks on relationships in the church and if you're with us last time I preached in first Timothy we talked about the different demographics in the church. Older men being fathers order women being mothers, younger men being brothers and younger women sisters and all purity and Paul's message was that these four groups should not be isolated but we should have strong abiding relationships among these different groups we should have those that we go to for counsel and mentor ship in friendship throughout the different groups within the church is now Paul is speaking on the topic of widows and he wants to instruct us on how we are to help widows, widows, of course, being those that have lost their spouse.

Mothers that have lost their husbands and these widows can be young and old can be with or without children, but ultimately it is a woman that has lost her husband and so, having lost her husband especially back in ancient times women were especially at a financial disadvantage. So Paul is going to give a sort of a template here in this passage on how we can best support those that are in need and also gives us one of the criteria on which who to help and who not to help. There are many books that have been written on Mercy ministries when helping hurts is a book that talks about helping those trying to alleviate poverty trying to do this well so that we can also physically provide but also spiritually provide the gospel that we are not simply just giving away physical resources but also wanting people to the gospel Tim Keller.

Having a strong ministry in New York City had hundreds of homeless that would come to his church and ask for physical needs. So he wrote a book for a couple of books on the diaconate ministry and how to best serve the community that you're in through Deacon work and what is the best way what is the biblical way and were at which we can serve those that are in need.

So tonight as we go into this passage we should look at this is sort of a template or a cheat sheet that we can use to best serve widows ask the demographic it's not just serving anybody and I were talking about widows tonight. So that's our focus this evening.

Not everyone not all widows are eligible for the same sort of support in your immediate thought might be why, why can't we just serve anybody. Are there even qualifications for support. Why do why must we go through some sort of filter grid forgiving someone support.

Why can't we just simply give.

I think Jesus would just you and pull out criteria unsay do you fit the criteria Jesus would just simply give Woody not what would Jesus do my thing about a lot of unbelieving critics would probably be critical of us as the church, especially unbelieving critics, but also political critics that are saying to the church wire shall helping more. Why are why isn't the church doing its job in helping anyone and everyone that asks for support. I think especially during the political season how a lot of people cite the name of Jesus. They reduce the Christian faith down to basically being nice to people and approving of every political welfare program, even if it puts our country deep into debt. It's good to help you we should help. Jesus would help. So let's go help. Let's go spend money and help people if you don't do that you don't believe in these programs and policies and laws are being passed and you're not a real Christian is a real Christian would do that Jesus if he was here he would do what does the Bible say about helping does the Bible say that we are to give to anyone and everyone indiscriminately. Are we to give to everyone whatever amount of food any amount of clothing in the amount of money that someone might ask the church if we deny them what they want.

Are we being un-Christlike is it wrong to set parameters on benevolence and is there a limit to material resources that we should give yes there is a limit. There is parameters that we should set anyone who says otherwise is not gone into the text. They've not read the Bible.

They were not studied the doctrine of benevolence or stewardship. We need to be able to go into the text and see what it says we need to understand biblical stewardship. People wonder why our country is and $30 trillion of debt we need to be good stewards of the money that God has given us every single dollar that is in your pocket is in your bank account belongs to the Lord and it has been entrusted and you that you might use it wisely and that we would honor the Lord with our stewardship of this money even as the state might criticize us and tell the church what to do again were blending these institutions. The state is the state they are to govern over the land. They are to enforce civil laws. The church is responsible to preach the word to teach the word to administer discipline and administer sacraments. The family, the institution of the family is obligated to provide for fellow family members. The Bible speaks very clearly on the doctrine of work.

Paul speaks often about his hard work in the New Testament, but this goes back to the Garden of Eden where we are called as Christians and obligated to work and work hard. Genesis 215. The Lord God took the man and put them in the garden of Eden to work it and to keep it.

We are called to take care of ourselves and our families through hard work and if someone in the church cannot take care of themselves.

The family takes care of them and if the family needs help the churches to come in and help as well, but the foundation of Christian living is hard work. So whatever you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Proverbs 16. Three.

Commit your work to the Lord in your plans will be established. Ephesians chapter 4 verse 28 let the thief no longer steel, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands so that he may have something to share with anyone in need. The hope is that were working and were working and working so hard. Hopefully there's a surplus there's extra that those that might be in need that we the church can help one another.

I can share with you.

I have some extra to our human need, we can give out extra to other Christians within the church. Colossians 3 verse 23 whatever you do work hardly as for the Lord and not for men. So what kind of widow receives assistance in the church. Let's find out, let's go to verse three honor widows who are truly widows. There are different categories of widows within the church, one widow, that's not even mentioned in this chapter would be widows that are provided for by their departed husband's the ideal. The hope is that husbands would work and work well and that when they do depart when they do die go to be with the Lord, the hope is that they provide. They leave a sum of money for their wife and their children so that these widows will be provided for. That's the goal that's the ideal model within second, we see this idea of a true widow.

Some translations might say a genuine widow or really a widow.

I like King James, a widow, indeed read verse five we see another verse on this.

She was truly a widow left all alone has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day.

Number one she is left all alone. She is by herself. She's without any financial support. She is in poverty she is and she's destitute. She's in need. We have widows that do not have children that can support them that can help them remember in James chapter 1 verse 27 where James defines pure and undefiled religion, such as keeping oneself on stain from the world. It is visiting widows and orphans, widows, having having lost a husband and true widows having no children orphans having no parents that can take care of them pure and undefiled religion sure Christianity is taking care of those that have no one. Second, she has her hope set on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day, so we know that they have no support, but also they are marked by their prayer life there marked by their piety and their love of God.

They are known among the congregation as women of prayer if she had a family if she had someone to could take care of her. They would be the primary caregivers. Again, the institution of the family. The family must take care of fellow family members.

That is our obligation, but since she does not secondary caregivers would be the church we would step in as a church and see that she is without any help. She has no one.

So we are obligated to help them help these mothers in the church.

These are spiritual mothers. As we see in the first two verses older women as mothers. She is our mother in the church. She's our Christian mother and what we ought to do is care for her, provide for her and honor her. This is the fifth commandment. Honor thy father and mother.

The third type of widow that we see is in verse four. But if a widow has children or grandchildren.

Let them learn first to show godliness to their own household and make some return to their parents for this is pleasing in the sight of God. This widow, like the first widow is in poverty. She does have immediate children that can care for her. She has Christian children and grandchildren that are available to aid her to the family again is still their primary caregivers are the ones that can come in and care for her and so if a widow does have real material needs.

The first group that cares is that immediate family and the extended family when they do this when they do come in and serve her and care for her.

They are providing financial relief upon the church because otherwise if they were not there to care for her. The church would have to come in with church funds and support her and ultimately that would take away from money that would take money away from the true widows who have no one so when children care for their mother and grandmother. It allows the church to do the real work that they are called to which is caring for these widows with no one. These true widows as they're called in this passage, but if her Christian family were to neglect or the church again would have to step in and be the primary caregiver to this widow due to the neglect of this widow and doing so though these Christians. Christians are not helping their own family members. What does Paul say in verse eight, but if anyone does not provide for his relatives and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. Paul is putting the 10 Commandments right in front of us and he's pointing us directly to the fifth commandment, a saying this is not a suggestion from the Lord.

This is a commandment you honor your father and mother what you are doing when you deny your mother, your aging mother who is a widow who has no one except you and then you step out of the way she is now without anything she's destitute in your behavior is worse.

It's lower than the pagans.

We are blood bought Disciples of Christ that need to look at these 10 Commandments and look at the cross of Christ and look at the words of Jesus who said, if you love me you will keep my commandments. This law that you broke every day are no longer condemned by because of the work of Christ, we were dead in our trespasses and sins.

We been made alive in Christ we have new life in Christ.

Now, how shall we live. We look to this law that guides us on how to live. You are commanded to care for your widowed mother, but this neglect is unrepentant sin, breaking the fifth commandment and even grounds for church discipline because this is lower than the pagans. You're acting like you're not in the faith. Perhaps they're not. Perhaps they're leaving the faith. Paul's calling into question whether not they are apostates.

Have they abandoned their faith. Matter of fact you're not any better than the Pharisees, the Christian who denies their widowed mother is no better than the Pharisees in Mark chapter 7 verse nine he said to them, you're a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition for Moses said. Honor your father and mother, and whoever reviles father mother must surely die. You say, if a man tells his father, mother, whatever you would've gained from me is Corbin that is given to God, and you no longer permit him to do anything for his father and mother, thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you handed down in many such things you do the money that would've gone toward this Pharisees, aging parents, Pharisees sand on. I know I gave it to the church, therefore, that money that would've fed them, clothe them, they don't have and so we see that passage about devouring widows houses they have to sell their home. Have to get rid of their home to provide for themselves because these Pharisees would give away the money that was designated to take care of their parents say no. I gave the money to God instead of using the money for what it's meant for witches to take care of them to feed them to clothing to care for them in their late age thing today. It might sound more like why I is my money's been tied up in all these investments I'm trying to say for a new car, a new house while their widowed mother is without food without clothing without shelter pulses again in verse 16, if any, believing woman has relatives who are widows, let her care for them. Let the church not be burdened so that it may care for those who are truly widows. So as a Christian has relatives or widows. We must personally care for them. The Christian obligation, even if our widow or widowed mother is not a believer, the obligation on the Christian is to provide care for those in need. Another type of widows in verse six we see this woman who is self-indulgent.

This is a woman that is not godly but drawn in by pleasure seeking self-indulgence through contrast to the woman in verse five he was known for her prayer known for holiness. We see this is a woman that is drawn in by a self-indulgent lifestyle. Paul warns us in verse seven command these things is going well so that they may be without reproach.

Let this be an example to you and not be an reproach like this woman. Don't be in disapproval like her as she commits herself to a hedonistic lifestyle.

Don't carry the reproach that she does she is dead and her sense. She is dead even while she lives. Verse six look at the woman who is in verse three and five.

The woman is committed to the Lord, committed to holiness committed to prayer in verse nine we see women being enrolled little widow be enrolled if she is not less than 60 years of age having been the wife of one husband this enrollment or new King James version might say added to the number these women that are enrolled, they take a pledge or an oath to be a widow in the church.

A true widow that is serving the church in mercy ministry as a widow celibate and committed to the Lord. So it's a commitment, sort of in a little group of older women that serve in mercy ministry provide care divides service to those that are in need and they have a little prayer ministry there at the local church. This is especially popular back in ancient church and it was committed was among true widows committing themselves to prayer and service is older widows had to meet certain qualifications to be added into the number first aid to be 60 years old that is mature and age, and mature in faith, wife of one husband while they were married when their husband was alive.

They were known for her for faithfulness to that husband and also having a reputation for good works.

She was known for loving the Lord and showing love among the church in acts of service within the church. If she is brought up children has shown hospitality as mean that she has to have children. But if she had children. Hopefully there walking with the Lord there is evidence of their faith, but also did she love the children in the church. It should express love to covet children and raise them in the faith issue show hospitality. Thinking back to like Lydia of five Tyra.

She opened her home to Paul and the apostle she heard the gospel she was converted her entire household was baptized but furthermore she said stay here for a bit. She helped launch them for a time, she expressed hospitality has wash the feet of the saints, washing feet is a lowly and menial task in considering the time in which most people walked in sandals and how dusty and gross feet would be. It is a gross task, but it's also lowly. It's a humble thing to wash someone's feet.

Thinking back to the Lord's supper was instituted in the upper room, we saw Jesus expressing such humility.

Getting down and washing the feet of his disciples, caring for the afflicted.

Thinking back to the Old Testament. We had a widow, Ruth caring for another widow, Naomi, her mother-in-law both enduring much hardship but still Ruth would go out and she would harvest crops from the gleanings. If you go back to Leviticus 23. This concept of the gleaning principal farmland would be cut in a square and they would harvest in a circle so a circle within a square you have the corners of the square would not be harvested.

So if you had someone that was traveling through town, they might just be passing through and they might ask you mind if I get some your gleanings and you can say sure yet.

We go ahead and what they would do is sort of form of welfare for the travelers and they would go out and they would harvest food off the corners of the crops and feed themselves provide for themselves and so Ruth, the widow, herself, stayed with her mother-in-law, Naomi providing for her caring for her enduring with her caring for her as she is afflicted and devoted herself to every good work. These qualifications of Paula setting out for these widows are enrolled as servants in the church there serving the local church.

What about the young women verse 11 refused to enroll younger widows for when their passions draw them away from Christ. They desire to marry and so incur condemnation for having abandoned former faith. First of all, this is not a condemnation of remarriage that can be how the passage reads but let's lean a little bit more here.

This enrollment, the pulse talking about. It's a commitment to the church in the Lord. If you're added into the number if you're enrolled as a widow in the church basically saying I'm 60 years old.

Most likely, I'm not to be remarried. I've had a full life, being married to my deceased husband. So now what I want to do is commit my remaining years from 60 onward to serving the church after a lifetime of marriage and commitment that husband growth and sanctification. Hopefully that Christian husband has been leaving her in the faith and she's grown personally and sanctification, not to mention she's older so this temptation towards the sort of youthful passions would be less likely of a problem she would be okay with celibacy serving the Lord in serving the local church so there committing themselves to singleness the service younger women at a much greater chance to be remarried. You think of a woman that might well be married at 20, her husband goes to war is killed in action and it 25 years old. She's going will widow.

What do I do now. What's my next step forward, and she might be tempted to think, well, I'll join the widows of the church and serve the Lord and commit myself to the Lord but they could do 25. They have the rest of their life, they should consider remarriage Paula saying you still have the rest of your life seek out a new husband and you can be supported by new husband and have children and manage a home, but also due to your youthful passion God has given marriage as an outlet for our natural affections, so signing up as a widow it 25, you would be enrolled as a widow in your immediately among 60-year-old women that are served at the end of their life. She's at 25. Considering I could be remarried knowingly to serve the Lord, the possibilities, I could go out and seek out husband Paul is saying don't get into this number don't get into the enrollment because you're gonna be tempted with youthful passion. Be tempted with second-guessing, you can commit yourself to the church by being a faithful wife to a new husband. Don't feel like because you're a widow you have to join these true widows that have been added into the number don't make the pledge at all because if you go and make the pledge and then you break that pledge. That's what verse 12 is referring to about condemnation you're abandoning the faith innocence don't make this commitment God and get to be a celibate widow. That's a commitment. It's a binding obligation with the Lord. So the sand before you do that, consider verse 14. I would have younger widows remarry bear children manage their households and give the adversary no occasion for slander and this younger woman might be very discontent if she's enrolled as a widow and it might draw her away from Christ, might become better with her status as a widow and actually make her discouraged in her Christian faith. Verse 13 says they learn to be idlers going about from house to house, and not only idlers but gossips busybodies saying what they should not ever widows are just less mature simply just by their age there less mature than the older widows in their 60s. They've had less time in the Christian life.

They're just not as sanctified as younger women. These older women know what marriage is and have lived that life and now they're 60 and qualifying and ready to be supported in the ministry of the church. Paul says in verse 15. Some have actually already straight after Satan is that some of the younger widows. It was the case in Ephesus that there were younger widows were being drawn away from the faith drawn into these false teachings that were going around in Ephesus. We see it in second Timothy verse chapter 3 verse six and seven for among them are those who creep into households and capture week women burdened with sins and led astray by various passions, always learning and never able to arrive at the knowledge of the truth so these women are being drawn into new teachings. New draw doctrines. False teachings with these leaders that are sort of seeking the truth but never finding the sort of humility. There that you're seeking the truth. You want to know the truth you're trying to find the truth. Where is the truth. Pulse coming in San I'm giving you the truth I'm giving you the truth of the gospel look to Christ look to the Bible, believe in him they're going known or know I'm still seeking I'm trying to find the truth actually Paul saying that's arrogance.

You've got the truth of the Bible in front of you and yet you won't submit to and this is arrogance. You must submit to the word look to Christ, believe in him so. In doing this, they're essentially denying the truth they're denying the gospel. Thankfully, today I think most of our widows today are more fortunate. I think we live in a great time where we have disability Social Security life insurance investment accounts. We can set up our widows financially in a good way and we should use and be thankful for all the sort of financial helps, but we cannot forget to visit our widows to care for our widows and take responsibility. As Paul has instructed here to care for the true widows that are in the church we are called to work as foundational to everything everyone should work and work hard. First Thessalonians chapter 4 verses 11 and 12 and to aspire to live quietly in the mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one men, I implore you to work and work hard, work with all your might. Wives and mothers Artie know they work hard to live with one and we have a 16 month old.

That is a full-time job. I would go as far as to say I hope men that you can work and work hard enough that you can allow your wives to work full-time, taking care of children to the widows and the congregation. You might ask, what do I do as a widow. Hearing about into the number in enrollment and we don't really do that.

What does widowhood look in the church we do lavishly as we see in verse five in verse 10, you'll commit yourself to prayer to service to caring for the afflicted seeing what mercy ministries might be available that you can do. If not serving, just in any sort of practical, hands-on way in the church. If you are a true widow the true widows are in need. First hood we go to we go to hard work if or not and if a widow is not able to work they go to their family and if there is no family go to the church that the church might provide for the true widows as you are spiritual mothers in the church. Again, this is not all just physical material support. This is also mental, emotional and spiritual needs of the church. We are the body of Christ we are the household of God.

We need to support each other but even as we talk about getting what do we give we give money do we give food. Paul tells us in first Timothy six verses seven and eight for we brought nothing into the world and we cannot take anything out of the world. If we have food and clothing with these we will be content in closing, I want you to recall your own spiritual state before you were in Christ before you were believing consider our own state has the Bible tells us that we were poor we were needy.

We were lost and we were destitute. It was Christ that came in and provided this bread of life.

This well of living water, so as we go out and do not only ministry to widows, but even a broader mercy ministry. Let us provide for those that are in need.

Considering clothing drives and food drives anyway that we can provide physical means to others and then speak to them about the one who has provided the bread of life. We can talk to them and serve them physically and spiritually. Paul tells us that this pleases God and bears witness to the love of God that we have experienced in Christ. It's the offer to others of this gospel message was perfect.

Heavenly father, we look to Christ as the one that has provided all for us is done so much for us and yet daily. We stumble in sin, we repent of arson and we ask that you would forgive us as we looked he was a heavenly father that we would be sons and daughters that have been adopted into the family guy we've been blessed with great riches in Christ remind us of these blessings every day that we might honor you.

We might continue to serve others with love, we might be ultimately serving as deacons that his servants of others that we would love others continue to remind us every day of your gospel truth. Your sons and we pray