Untitled Sermon (71)

My kids love good comic strips and not sure if you have scene this old peanuts comic strip with Lucy and Linense having a conversation…and Lucy says to Liness…. “Lineness you could never be a doctor because you don’t love mankind enough…..and Lineness kinda throws his hands up in the air

-Intro: Penut Comic

“I love mankind its people I can’t stand.”

….I don’t know about you if you can Residinate with that….See it’s a lot easier to love a cause or nation….than it is to love and honor individual people……I mean……I can pray for a country and a nation, join a cause by supporting them with money for the sake of the gospel…..but what about the people I am around the most…See\

- 1 Timothy 5-6:2b is all about loving and honoring people.

…God calls us to individual relationship with people…and if the church is going to be this amazing household that holds the gospel high…..then the gospel has to permeate ALL of relationships….all of 1 Timothy 5-62 is about showing honor..verse 3, 17, 6:1.. last week we looked at showing honor in your relationship in the church as family, honor your biological family, ….and honor for the widows ( or those who are most in need in church and world)…..this week he is going to continue that theme but in two categories we are to show care, love and honor to…..Elders in the church….and then those in the workplace……FCF: The gospel is hindered in not caring for elders and a lack of honor in the workplace…But gospel is scene as honor is showed in the care for elders, and the honor shown in your workplace…..So let’s dive in…

I. We can display the gospel in how we honor Elders. (1 Tim. 5:17-25)

EX: You know I was thinking this might be one of the most awkward passages for me to preach….but its inspire so lets dive in….basically Paul says to Timothy,

-Elders need to be compensated (17-18), disciplined correctly (19-21), and ordained wisely (22-25).

.vs. 1 Let the Elders ( same men as in ch 3) who rule well be considered worthy of double honor; especially those who labor in preaching and teaching….So Paul says…if the church is the pillar of the truth…then your Elder the one who does the most of the teaching/preaching of the church should labor in Preaching/Teaching THAT truth….the word labor…mean strenuous effort….Preparing sermon I take very serious…Why because this is God’s book….ILL:..I remember in our church assessment…I was asking how much time to spend on sermon prep…multiple answers…most pastor spend between 15-30 hours on the sermon…but one leader who 30 plus years of ministry…looked at me…and said the most important thing I do each week is prep a sermon…APP: Pray for me..in this labor..That I would hold the word high and be protected from the enemy…who want to steal joy in doing it..or not applying it to my heart…because the pastor then in JOY…labor to wash the congregation in the word…so he is caring for them…and as the verse says cares for him..in double honor..dons’t mean double the pay…no in care/respect in word…and pay….vs. for the scriptures says, you shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain….this is from Duet 25:4…and the ideas as a ox was threshing/grinding the grain….he could eat from the same grain he was helping make..as a pastor labors in ruling and preaching care for them…then he quotes Jesus..in the context of Luke 10:7…which note..Paul is already saying that SCRIPTURE was Jesus words…and authoritative…the labor deserves his wages…APP: Keep doing what your doing….your care for us is amazing…and it’s right to care for pastors…Pastor not a Rock Star..OX…….But what about accusation against a pastor/Elders…and how to discipline? (19-21)..Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses…Jesus/OT gives the same reasoning…their has to be multiple reference..and why…to protect the pastor…

-The enemy goes for the lutnentes

….and every pastor I know…and many stories of Elders..have had false, gossip criticism…start about them…Calvin said For none are more liable to slanders and [a misrepresentation intended for harm] than godly teachers.… Although they perform their duty correctly, so as not to commit any error whatever, they never escape a thousand criticisms…..you want to be an Elder…their is going to be at times heat…APP: But what this means for us…is don’t be quick to accept any accusation of anyone (pastor Elders will fall as we will see)..but be careful….spreading things that you have’t scene..or..witnessed…is dangers….But 20-21…those who persist in sin…..meaning….this isn’t you catching your elder/pastor jaywalking…but an outright unrepentant and continually walking in sin…you are to rebuke them….means to expose..not harshness or measles but expose…the sin…like an MRI…that expose what’s really going on for their good…and this sin if not turned from in by one on one…then need rebuked by the rest of the elders..like Paul rebuking Peter in Gal 2 publicly…and why so that the Elders…and the rest of the church may stand in fear…..ILL:: So recently my favorite pastor Matt Chandler….had a public rebuke…He was misusing social media…and blinded to how he was interacting on it….Video he gets up confesses…and then an elder..gets up and talks about how Matt is going to step away for a little bit….MY response…was this…wow…sin is sneaky…powerful…and it was a grace they did it that way for there congregation…..because verse 21 says rebuke elders without prejudging or partiality…..don’t just sweep the elders sins and pastor sins under the rug because you really really like them..and they are Matt Chandler…Why because verse 21 says Timothy how you handle your church is in the presence of God, and angels and of Christ Jesus….you have to give an account so do it wisely….exposing sin and correcting others…is always always grace when done in this way because we fall then on his great great love and mercy…..And this is why he gives us the final way we display the gospel by caring for elders by ordaining wisely….verse 22-25…do not be hasty in the laying on of hands (that is ordination..putting into office elders)…nor take part in the sins of there; keep yourself pure…Paul then has a has like a squirrel moment—Rem moment of distraction…no longer drink only water but use a little wine for the sake of you stomach and your frequent ailments…Paul could be hinting at that Timothy was falling into the same asterism that he was correcting..that is ok to have a little wine…not just water…also, don’t fall off the other side Timothy..I just said to keep pure so only little moderation….….verse 24-25 picks back up on this idea of not being hasty…he says…the sins of some people are conspicuous, going before them to judgment…He says ok some elders shouldn’t be appoint because their sins are completely obvious…apparent…while others appear latter….thats why its wise for a congregation to take time…also notice tough not just sins are obvious and hidden but so are good works……Some elder you will just be able to see the fruit in their lives now…and say wow..while others you won’t always see immediate…but be patient they will be notice…APP: So for us…no that there are times elders get put into place and then sins are found out…listen God is gracious…redeems that…He is building his church…..but also…what level are you..are your sins clear, are you trying to hide them….Jesus knows…they will be revealed and he doesn’t want you to walk that way…..but for you to bring it to him…so he can forgive you….Because being hones with sinfulness…allowing God to transform that and then moving back out in good works…bring glory to God..others like yes..

II. We can display the gospel in how we honor each other in the workplace. (6:1-2a)

EX: Now before we get to these passage…we have to do some ground work..on Slavery in the Bible because Paul is addressing a bondservant..which is someone working for another…under their master…slave….Now I will gladly talk to you about this more…but let me give you quick…response…when the Bible talks about Slavary much different then when we think about slaves…slavery was not based on race, slave could own slaves, it wasn’t permeant, and it wasn’t suppose to be harsh treatment…Paul himself condones enslavers..this type of slavary by force..and most put themselves into servantood so they wouldn’t fall into economic downfall…however relationship are mentioned int he bible…parent child, husband, wife..God gives reason for these relationship based off Genesis 1:2…this is how it was suppose to be…he doesn’t ever do that with slave master…Paul wrote a whole letter in Philemeon on how the gospel is suppose to change the way you think about slavary so that it would slowly be complete disassemble.. by the way the NT spoke of humanity……… lot more..but what can we learn form these verse…well master/ slave relationship was the primary economic relationship…so relationship between boss/ employees in primary economic relationship…any work you do this applies to you…verse 1 regard their masters as worthy of all honor…WHY…so that the name of God and the teaching may not be reviled…

-Showing honor to those you work with reflects the name of God and the teaching of the gospel.

……. So every time a Christian makes a delivery, turns in a project, hands in an expense account, makes a decision at a board meeting, pushes to get a sale, closes a deal, takes care of a patient, mops the floor, grades an exam, or decides it is time to leave work and go home, he or she is making some kind of statement about who Jesus is. A Christian who gives anything less than the very best effort puts Jesus Christ in a bad light……Your work…even if that means stay home now….or looking for one..and interviewing…is your mission field…..and what he says in verse 1 is it doesn’t matter if you don’t have a Christians boss….serve well anyway…and very 2…he says if you do have christian boss/ coworker you should serve all the more and not take advantage of the situation because you think they will just be gracious….See let it be known if your work who is your king…Jesus…and then let your work reflect him…and as you do you reflect the gospel….CON::As I close this section on relationships…and honor…the secret to honoring those in the church brother, sister, family, those in need, elders/pastor, those in the work place..is are you honoring Jesus…

-If you are honoring Jesus it will spill over into all relationships

….One pastor said it’s like when you go to a buffet…and you have been eating and eating…your not going to fight over that last piece of cake with the people you ate with..your like you eat…I have so much…I am so full…..Listen Jesus did all these relationship perfectly..cared for his family, most his ministry for this in need, he is the Chief shepherd..elder…and he a made himself a servant slave to all…going to the cross…so we can live.….Feed on him…and as you do..you are glad for the relationships show them honor but you don’t become dependent on them…because He is all you need.