1 Timothy 5:17-21
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New Member Class.
Children’s Ministry Meeting.
Plan to Finish chapter 5 today, do chapter 6 in total next time to finish 1 Timothy. 18 Sermons - - - If you have topics/ cultural or otherwise, you want me to preach on . . .
Instructions for Local Church - Practical
Honor Widows You: Care for Your Family
Church: Care for the Neglected
Honor Widows You: Care for Your Family
Church: Care for the Neglected
HONOR SHEPHERDS/TEACHERS
HONOR SHEPHERDS/TEACHERS
Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.”
Honor - also Financial - “price” elsewhere - brings us to a matter that has become a matter of debate, JWs, but one that shouldnt be a matter of debate, it isnt grey, its black and white.
I have been a minister here for 11 years, preaching at increasing volume from the beginning, and I don’t think I have ever from the pulpit said anything about paying ministers/teachers, it makes me uncomfortable, but as often happens, preaching through books of the Bible like this brings me to passages that I would have otherwise avoided, and that is good, my insecurities shouldn’t keep you from hearing what God has to say in this regard
This is actually an incredibly clear biblical teaching, which I think most of you will agree with readily. I have included many passages on your outline . . . we will just look at the simplest one.
1 Corinthians 9:9–12 (ESV)
For it is written in the Law of Moses, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain.” Is it for oxen that God is concerned? Does he not certainly speak for our sake? It was written for our sake, because the plowman should plow in hope and the thresher thresh in hope of sharing in the crop. If we have sown spiritual things among you, is it too much if we reap material things from you? If others share this rightful claim on you, do not we even more?…
Paul makes the point several times that he hasn’t made use of this right because of their immaturity, but that paying the teacher is the better way of doing things
Do you not know that those who are employed in the temple service get their food from the temple, and those who serve at the altar share in the sacrificial offerings? In the same way, the Lord commanded that those who proclaim the gospel should get their living by the gospel.
I’ve included some other passages on your outline if you want to look into this more (Luke 10:3-7, 2 Thess 3:7-9, Phil 4:16-18, 2 Cor 11:7-9, 9:6-15, Gal 6:6, 2 Tim 4:3, Heb 13:7, Ac 6:1-4)
I don’t believe this Rene guy, he’s just money hungry, you got me, that’s why I went into ministry – honestly if you ever think that I am, you should fire me, that would disqualify me
In the Middle-East, Muslim Teachers, Imams, by and large get paid by the state- they are spokesmen for the state, the state sends them their message for the week
In Christianity, since the beginning, the local body of believers supports the teacher so that he can give himself entirely to the study and proclamation of the Word, as well as the care over the body, as well as supporting teachers who are missionaries that aren’t paid by who they are teaching.
WHY? WHY is this important?
Why do you pay me - The Church pays me - which is bigger than You, but you give and I get paid out of that giving - Why? Its Biblical - yes, but lets ask Why
Because you value the Word of God.
If the elders asked me to preach/teach without pay or w/ half pay, I would of course be required to get a job - 5 kids - I would work at that job in a way that glorifies God, meaning work hard and giving myself to it, I would also still work hard at being a good Husband and Father, which . . . . takes time, and then with whatever time I had left, if any, I would give to you and the Word.
Instead, the church pays me so that I can give all of my self to the Word and to the ministering of that Word to you, whether it be through preaching, teaching, praying, counseling, visiting, evangelizing. . .
You value the Word of God too much to allow it to be the last thing on the list for your teacher each day.
If I stop feeding the Word sufficiently to you, fire me. You don’t pay for me, you pay for the Word.
Dever “If you want to make sure there is no Christianity in 60 years in your city and state, make every minister bi-vocational . . . The church is best fed and made healthy by men who can show a faithfulness to the calling that Christ gives them by giving the central portion of their time to studying the Bible instead of by neglecting their other responsibilities . . . If we are going to be stingy with providing for the word to be taught, we are dooming our children and grand-children. . . The Great Commission has and is largely being fulfilled by local Christians setting aside part of their money to pay someone to teach them God’s Word”
This church has always done a great job of this, but who knows what the Lord has for you and for me, I hope I am your minister forever but who knows - if God calls you away or me away and you find yourself looking to hire a teacher - if you think he is there for the money, don’t hire him, but if he loves the Lord and is a gifted teacher and is biblically qualified, pay because you value the Word of God.
MASSIVE SHORTAGE IN MINISTERS, tons of churches who just cant find. . . right now there are many more openings than there are candidates, and this often leads to churches hiring unqualified and ungifted men because there just aren’t options . . . food stamps part of the package (this man had a seminary degree)
We should be praying for God to raise up young men, the harvest is plentiful but the workers few - the men that choose that path, may we not punish them with financial pain.
Judge Rightly
Judge Rightly
As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear. In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality.
In our past, because of our legalism and self-righteousness, we needed to focus heavily on the call of Matthew 7
Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
But in our proper fear of and running away from legalism and self-righteousness (we’ve done a good job of), we have often swung the pendulum so far in the opposite direction that we think we aren’t supposed to do anything, certainly not to judge at all!
The Word Judge biblically can mean Analyze/Evaluate, it can also mean Condemn - Jesus is criticizing those who condemn, but of course we are supposed to analyze and evaluate! Jesus isn’t saying not to judge each other in the sense of holding each other accountable, making judgments about one’s walk for health, he is saying not to put yourself in the place of God and make those sorts of ultimate self-righteous judgments.
1 Corinthians 5:12–13 (ESV)
For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge?
Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.
You are called to judge, if you don’t judge me, you aren’t being a good brother or sister to me.
If I am sinning, giving myself to sin, eyes turning from the Lord, the CRUELEST LEAST LOVING thing you could do . . . FOR THE SAKE OF MY SOUL, hurt my feelings
(One of reasons more careful with membership - when we say you are a member, we are saying we believe you to be SAVED - if we make members anyone who just wants to be, we share in the danger of them leaving or stopping attending, thinking themselves saved when they aren’t - “Member” - part of the body)
One of the BASIC FUNDAMENTALS of being a Christian with brothers and sisters is holding each other accountable because we love each other!
Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.
Proverbs 27:17 (ESV)
Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.
Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him,
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.
Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up!
The Bible talks about us like parts of a body
For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.
For the body does not consist of one member but of many.
if your arm starts bleeding, you’re going to do something about it. Maybe you’ll leave it for a bit to see if it’ll stop on its own, but when it doesn’t you act to stop the bleeding . . .
Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.
Call here not only to hold each other accountable, but to be unlike the rest of the world and be open to the accountability of others - one of the most repeated things in Proverbs -
Proverbs 10:17 (ESV)
Whoever heeds instruction is on the path to life, but he who rejects reproof leads others astray.
Proverbs 12:1 (ESV)
Whoever loves discipline loves knowledge, but he who hates reproof is stupid.
If a parent is speaking to another parent (older kids), and says, “Our teen is just in that phase where he knows everything” they nod “Yep” . . . Know-it-all teenager (Alanus Driving) - every teen in here thinks they’re a great driver...
Proverbs 15:31–32 (ESV)
The ear that listens to life-giving reproof will dwell among the wise. Whoever ignores instruction despises himself, but he who listens to reproof gains intelligence
Thats what we’d all prefer to do, ignore instruction, but that is the pathway to stupidity, and you DESPISE YOURSELF
Ecclesiastes 7:5 (ESV)
It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise than to hear the song of fools.
But when we are judged by the Lord, we are disciplined so that we may not be condemned along with the world.
Church membership can be defined simply as a formal commitment between an individual and a local church to mutual discipleship – to help each other grow in Christ-likeness and lean on each other for my own growth. This OF COURSE includes accountability. If you DON’T want accountability . . . and it isn’t from some big authoritarian . . . your siblings that love you!
How do I know if it is Right Judgment?
How do I know if it is Right Judgment?
(Wayne’s going to be so proud)
Without Prejudging/Partiality - Know the person/situation, not based on assumptions or without listening to your side - this is them getting involved with you and bearing burdens, not standing afar off and pronouncing woes
Word as Primary - Umpire - Rules Illustration
Worthiness of Person? - Heb 13:7
Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.
Biblical pattern of older Christians leading the younger in the areas where the Bible isn’t explicit . . . do you see fruit in their life that says they have the Holy Spirit? Better listen.
Way it is Presented - 1 Tim 5:1-2
Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity.
Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted.
Value the Word
Value Each Other
Accountability here should be natural because if you’re a Christian, you know you are only here by God’s grace, and you need A LOT OF WORK