I Run to You

Opening

Bus Story

This house will always hold a special place in my family’s hearts.

Back in July of 2019, we moved into this house in Louisville, KY…

and we lived there for about 2 years.

We have a lot of special memories from our time there!

Here is the view from down the street.

You can see our home in the top right of the picture.

Here is the view from down the street...

on one of the scariest days of my life.

It was a beautiful September day,

and I was barbecuing in our back yard.

Our two oldest children were at school,

and our two youngest children were inside

Jessica had gone into town,

but as I saw the bus coming down the street I remembered her words…

“Make sure you go to the road so the bus driver can see you.

They won’t let the kids off unless a parent is there.”

So I walked out to meet the kids at the bus stop.

I waved to the bus driver as she stopped in front of our home.

She usually stopped a little farther down since there were two other children at our stop as well,

but I didn’t pay too much attention to it.

I greeted our boys as they came across the road,

and waved again to the bus driver as she drove off.

As we were walking up our driveway I looked back to see if she was going to stop again and let the other kids off.

And then I saw something I will never forget…

One of the children laying in the middle of the road!

It took me a couple seconds to realize what happened… the bus had hit the young boy.

I immediately ran toward the child,

pulled out my phone and called 911.

I have to admit, I didn’t really know what to do once I got there.

Thankfully, a woman from down the street arrived a few seconds after me…

she happened to be a nurse.

As she cared for the 6-year old boy,

I stayed on the phone with the 911.

As you can see in the photo,

what was normally a quiet street became quite busy.

with a news helicopter was circling above.

I’m not really sure how it happened…

but somehow the bus driver lost sight of this young boy after he got off and crossed in front of the bus.

Thankfully, he was in the center of the bus and not by the tires.

He had gotten a pretty severe cut on his head, but that was the worst of it.

A few days later he was back home…

and within a few weeks, he was back to school.

That experience shook me that day.

For the next few days, I thought a lot about what, or if I could have done something differently.

One thing I knew for sure, was that running toward a hurting boy was the right decision.

I didn’t even think about it… it was just instinct.

I don’t think I’m special…

I think every one of you would have done the same thing.

Transition (Putting Audience in a Hole)

There are times when it is obvious to run toward people who are hurting…

But what about the times when it is less obvious?

What about when someone we know has received a scary diagnosis, or is battling a health issue?

What about when someone we know loses their job, or is experiencing a financial crisis?

What about when someone we know experiences the death of a loved one?

Our heart breaks when those we love go through difficult circumstances…

yet, it’s easy for us to keep our distance.

Far too often, rather than run toward those who hurting, we run away from them.

We don’t do it on purpose, and it’s not because we don’t care…

it’s because:

we feel uncomfortable;

we don’t know what to say, or how to help;

we don’t want make things worse by bringing it up…

My sermon title this morning is:

I Run to You: When life hurts… help!

“I Run to You” is the title of a song by Lady A (formerly “Lady Antebellum”).

It came to my mind this week as I was preparing.

The song is about:

seeking peace and refuge in a trusted partner during challenging times.

Uncertainties and struggles in life will come,

but we can take comfort knowing we have someone we can run to,

and someone who will run to us.

Proposition

What we’re going to see this morning is that:

God’s people don’t run away from hurting people… they run toward them!

Running away is easier because we avoid some of the awkwardness and pain…

But God’s people don’t run away from hurting people… they run toward them,

because ONLY THEN, can we help them…

as we walk with them through the valley.

Scripture

Introduction

Open your Bible’s with me to the book of 1 Timothy.

We have been going through this letter which Paul wrote to Timothy,

who was a young pastor of a church in the city of Ephesus.

Paul was writing to give him instructions for

how he should lead the church, and

how the church should function.

This morning we will be in chapter 5,

where Paul tells Timothy how the church is to deal with widows.

Rather than running away from them and letting someone else deal with them,

they should run toward them to help them.

Reading

1 Timothy 5:1–16 ESV

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. 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 to make some return to their parents, for 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, but 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. 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 and 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.

Prayer

God we thank You for Your Word…

where else can we go to learn about You, and Your ways?

Come write your holy truth upon our longing hearts,

and strengthen us to shine against the dark.

Lord, guard us from the lies the enemy will speak,

and help us to trust Your promises that steady us through life.

Give us ears to hear and eyes to see,

Help us in our doubt and unbelief

Make Your glory known,

through Your Spirit, using Your Word to transform us!

In Jesus’ name, amen.

Transition to Sermon Body

As we begin working through our text this morning,

the first thing we need to see is that as God’s children we should…

Run Toward Hurting Family

The church has a role to play in caring for widows in the community,

but the first line of defence is the family.

Before we get into why that is,

we must first define what a widow is.

EXPLAIN

dictionary.com defines a widow as:

widow a woman who has lost her spouse by death and has not remarried

This is a simple definition for us today…

but in those times it wasn’t so cut and dry.

Based on writings that date back to the 2nd century,

the term widow at that time was also used to describe women who were:

never married; OR

had been divorced.

For this reason, the Lexham Bible Dictionary says…

The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Widowhood in the New Testament)

The Greek and Latin terms for widows expanded to include any woman who did not have a husband through death, divorce, or never marrying

This basically includes any woman who is alone, no matter what the reason is.

In those days, it was not easy for women to provide for themselves,

so extra care needed to be taken to make sure they had support.

Paul tells Timothy that family members are the first line of defence for widows.

Transition

Family ought to care for widows because…

Caring for family pleases God

We see this in verse 4…

1 Timothy 5:4 ESV

But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God.

Paul says that children are to take care of their parents…

because of all they’ve done for them in raising them.

Do you know how much it costs to raise a child?

I read an estimate this week that it costs roughly $200,000 to $250,000 to raise a child to the age of 18.

Many of you know that it takes an incredible amount of sacrifice to raise children.

You give:

your time…

your money…

your freedom…

and sometimes your sanity!

Summary

In view of the sacrifice parents make for their children,

it’s pleases God to see children/grandchildren taking care of their parents/grandparents.

Transition

Another reason family ought to care for widows is because…

Caring for family affirms your faith

In verse 8 Paul says…

1 Timothy 5:8 ESV

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 makes an incredible statement here:

If you won’t take care of your family…

Not only are you NOT a Christian…

You’re WORSE THAN AN UNBELIEVER!

Taking care of your family is so basic to human nature,

that even those who don’t follow God do it.

Interestingly,

Jesus criticized the scribes and Pharisees for allowing people to avoid caring for their family…

Mark 7:9–13 (ESV)

9 And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition! 10 For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’; and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ 11 But you say, ‘If a man tells his father or his mother, “Whatever you would have gained from me is Corban” ’ (that is, given to God)— 12 then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother, 13 thus making void the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down.

Let’s say a son was mad with his parents about something,

and didn’t want to give them any money…

the religious leaders made up a rule,

that they could just dedicate it to God,

and then would not have to provide for their parents.

Since these religious leaders were greedy,

I’m sure they didn’t mind extra money in the pot.

For Paul, anyone who would refuse to take care of his own family was worse than an unbeliever.

True followers of Jesus will obey God’s Word,

and will honour their parents, by caring for them.

This affirms our faith in Christ.

Transition

Another reason family ought to care for widows is because…

Caring for family frees the church

If you jump ahead with me to verse 16,

Paul says…

1 Timothy 5:16 ESV

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.

Paul is going to tell Timothy that it is the churches responsibility to take care of a true widow

a true widow is a woman who has no one…

but if they DO have family,

the family should care for them.

This frees the church to be able to help others who need it more.

Summary

As God’s people,

we ought to run toward our hurting family,

to care and provide for their needs.

This:

Pleases God…

Affirms our faith… and

Frees the church.

ILLUSTRATE

My mom is a wonderful example of caring for aging parents and in-laws.

She sacrifices to:

cook them meals;

clean their houses;

drive them to doctors appointments…

She is a faithful example of running toward family to care for their needs.

I’m sure there are many of you in this room who have had the privilege of serving your parents as they age and need more help.

Maybe you have a parent who is widowed, and you’ve been there for them,

to support them and care for them.

Summary

It’s not always easy, or enjoyable, but…

rather than running away and avoiding the awkwardness and pain,

we must run toward hurting family to care for them.

This is beautiful, and pleasing to God!

APPLY

As we think about how God wants us to respond to this passage…

Do you have any family members that are hurting right now?

Maybe their are widows in your family.

In our day, it is not as common to find widows who need financial support,

because we have pensions, insurance, and other systems to help them.

But what about their other needs?

their need for friendship?

their need for spiritual encouragement?

their need for acts of love and sacrifice?

God has given family members the responsibility of caring for the lonely women in our families.

But I don’t think God wants us to limit our care for family to just widows…

What about other family members?

Do you have

relatives who are sick?

children who are wrestling with their faith?

family members struggling with addiction?

Summary

I’m sure we all have family members who are hurting in some way…

It’s so much easier for us to turn a blind eye to these things, and run away,

but as God’s children,

we must run toward our hurting families to care for them.

Transition

My second point this morning is that…

as God’s children we should…

Run Toward Hurting Family

Maybe you’re thinking, Joe,

I think you got your slides mixed up…

That’s the same as your first point.

No, it’s right!

And it’s not because I ran out of time preparing my sermon this week.

A family is a group of people related by blood.

Since they are from the same family,

they are naturally committed to one another.

A church is a group of people connected through the blood of Christ.

They are connected because of their love for Christ.

Through Jesus, we are sons and daughters of God… brothers and sisters in Christ…

Since together we make up the family,

we should run toward hurting family,

seeking to help and support them.

EXPLAIN

This is absolutely essential when there are those who have no family…

Especially widows, whom Paul is addressing.

They have no way of providing for themselves,

and they have no one to turn to for help.

So the church steps in to provide for their needs.

So is it the church’s responsibility to help every widow that walks in and asks for help?

The answer may surprise you…

NO!

The church is not a charity that gives handouts to anybody who asks for one.

That doesn’t mean the church can’t do that.

There are times that may be appropriate.

Transition

But God cares about the flourishing of His people,

so in His wisdom, he has given guidelines to follow.

When used appropriately, guidelines are very beneficial.

One benefit is that…

Guidelines help the church show honour

In verses 9 and 10 Paul says…

1 Timothy 5:9–10 ESV

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.

We should not assume that the age of 60 was a hard and fast rule, but a general guideline.

An older widow is:

less likely to desire remarriage; and

less likely to be able to support herself…

and therefore, in need of help.

Paul also gives the guideline of

“having been the wife of one husband”… a “one-husband wife”…

As we talked about with the qualifications for church leaders,

Paul is not saying literally one husband, other wise he would disqualify:

women who had never been married; and

women who remarried.

both of which Paul encouraged.

We read in his letter to the Corinthians…

1 Corinthians 7:8–9 ESV

To the unmarried and the widows I say that it is good for them to remain single, as I am. But if they cannot exercise self-control, they should marry. For it is better to marry than to burn with passion.

So what does Paul mean by a “one-husband wife”?

His point is that if she was married, she must have been a faithful wife.

A church should show honour to women who were godly examples.

That’s why Paul goes on in verse 10 to say a widow can be enrolled if she:

had a reputation for good works

in her home; and

in the church.

Summary

These guidelines help the church show honour to women who are worthy of honour.

This then, becomes an example worth following to others in the church.

Another benefit of guidelines is that…

Guidelines help the church show love

Look at verses 11—13 with me…

1 Timothy 5:11–13 ESV

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 and busybodies, saying what they should not.

At first glance this may not seem loving…

I mean… Paul literally tells Timothy to “refuse to enroll younger widows”!

But as we see Paul’s reasoning, we see why IT IS loving.

It was the churches responsibility to provide for all the true widows

but it is believed that here Paul is referring a specially recognized church ministry.

Rather than just giving handouts to the healthy, capable widows,

it seems they entered into some formal partnership, where:

the widows were taken care of; and

then served the church through various tasks and responsibilities.

It is in regard to this that Paul tells Timothy to refuse younger widows.

This office required some form of commitment,

and Paul’s concern that younger widows would eventually desire to marry,

and then go back on their commitment.

Paul didn’t want them to bring condemnation on themselves,

which shows love for those younger widows.

Paul also sees the danger of having younger widows serve in this role.

It is more likely for younger widows to be capable of work,

but if they are supported by the church they could become lazy,

and spend their time going around gossiping rather than working.

This would not be good for the young women, or the church!

Summary

So God’s guidelines shows love for these young women:

by not putting them in a situation that could bring about God’s judgement.

Another benefit of guidelines is that…

Guidelines help the church show wisdom

We read in verses 14—15…

1 Timothy 5:14–15 ESV

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.

By encouraging these young, capable women to

get married;

have children; and

manage their homes…

they would show the wisdom of God to the world in how a godly home should function.

This would be a witness to the world around them,

and testify to God’s goodness.

In saying that “some have already strayed after Satan”…

it seems that there were already some women,

well-known to the church in Ephesus,

who would be good examples of WHAT NOT TO DO!

Summary

When proper guidelines are set in place,

they help the church

show honour;

show love; and

show wisdom.

Transition

As brothers and sisters through the blood of Jesus,

we must run toward one another when we are hurting,

so that we can support and care for one another.

ILLUSTRATE

There is a pastor that I heard about in the United States,

who has gotten incredibly wealthy through taking advantage of others.

He is known for:

wearing expensive clothes;

driving fancy cars; and

having a private jet.

He expects to be honoured wherever he goes,

but his spirituality is all just a show.

He is actually known for preying on widows,

knowing that they are more vulnerable.

He gains their trust,

and tricks them into donating everything they have to him,

including their homes!

Each week, after the service, this pastor calls on the people in the crowd to give money.

He calls on them to have faith in God, and trust that He will bless them if they give.

I read the story of one widow at a recent service,

who gave her last $10 to this pastor.

NOT!

That story I just told you is a true story,

but I changed the details a little bit.

Some of you may have recognized the similarities,

but it is based on the story Jesus tells of the poor widow who gave her last 2 copper coins.

Oftentimes it is pointed out that she had sacrificial faith, which is true,

but what we fail to call out is the religious system that took advantage of her!

Self-righteous leaders, motivated by greed,

required this poor widow to give all she had to live on!

Just before telling of this woman’s sacrifice,

Jesus condemns the leaders…

Mark 12:38–40 ESV

And in his teaching he said, “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.”

Rather than having compassion on widows and taking care of them,

these scribes took advantage of them and preyed on them.

APPLY

That is not God’s plan!

God wants His church to function like a family,

where we

love;

care for; and

serve one another.

As a church, we are committed to serving and meeting needs.

I have been serving in leadership here for over 10 years,

and I can remember many times we have met financial needs that have come up.

We continue to be committed to meeting needs that arise in our church.

But I believe the application of this passage goes far beyond that.

Each and every one of us should desire to care for one another.

If we are followers of Christ, saved by His grace,

then we should recognize others in this room as our family in Christ.

We have been united through His sacrifice!

Our desire should be to run toward one another,

especially when someone is hurting,

so that we can help them!

Obviously, there is no way you can meet every need,

but is there someone you know of who is going through a difficult time?

Pray for strength to run toward them,

and offer to help in any way you can.

Maybe you’re hesitating to run toward someone who is hurting because you don’t know how to help.

When I ran toward the young boy who has hit by the bus,

I didn’t know how to help,

but I did what I could,

which was to call 911!

Maybe you don’t know how to help,

or don’t have the means to help in many or large ways,

but you can offer to call out to God for them!

Praying together with them,

and praying regularly for them is powerful,

and we can have confidence, as God’s children,

that He will hear and answer our prayers!

Closing

Paul (Nursing Mother)

There were many places Paul spread the gospel during his lifetime…

One of those places was the city of Thessalonica.

As he shared with them the good news of Jesus,

they turned from their sin;

turned from worshiping idols; and

put their faith in Jesus.

After being forced to leave through persecution,

Paul wrote a letter to encourage the church in Thessalonica.

Wanting them to remember how he cared for them when he was with them,

he wrote…

1 Thessalonians 2:7–8 (ESV)

we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.

The picture of a nursing mother is one of the most intimate, beautiful examples of sacrificial love and care.

A mother doesn’t:

put a newborn baby in a crib,

give it a bottle of milk,

tell it to take care of it itself and walk away…

She:

draws near,

pulls the baby close, and

gives of her very self to nourish and care for it.

This is the picture Paul gives of how he served the believers in Thessalonica.

He was gentle and caring,

as he ran toward those who were hurting,

who needed the gospel,

and was willing to share the good news of Jesus with them,

while also giving of himself and his own resources.

Transition

This is the picture of how God’s children love and serve others.

God’s people don’t run away from hurting people… they run toward them!

We look for those who are hurting in our families,

as well as our family of faith,

and we run toward them!

We look for ways to meet needs they have…

We look for ways to encourage them and give them hope…

But most importantly…

we just sit with them in the mud…

Oftentimes we can’t fix their brokenness,

but we can be there for them to sit in the pain and sadness with them.

Point to Christ

We do this, because this is how Jesus loved us!

We were lost in darkness and sin,

headed for destruction…

suffering the effects of this fallen world…

But…

Jesus did not run away from us… He ran toward us!

He was willing to become like us

enduring the same temptations and struggles we face,

But Jesus DID fix our brokenness!

He died in our place, paying for our sin…

He rose again, giving us hope beyond the pain of this world…

He gave us His Spirit, giving us the strength to obey God.

Praise God, all our hope is found in Christ!

It is through His Spirit that we follow His example,

and run toward those who are hurting,

offering them true hope in Jesus!

Let’s pray.

Prayer

Father,

we thank You that through the blood of Jesus, we are Your children.

Together, as the body of Christ, we are family.

Through the power of Your Spirit dwelling inside of us,

help us to run toward one another,

following the example of our loving Saviour, Jesus Christ.

So that we may reveal Your wisdom,

by serving one another in love,

shine Your light in this world.

In Jesus’ name we pray… amen.