September 10, 2012
DON'T OVERDO IT.
1 Timothy 5
Isaac Mann
Central Truth
The pastors must run the church wisely and keep the members of the church from being taken advantage of.
Key Verse | 1 Timothy 5:16
[T]he church must not be burdened . . . . (1 Timothy 5:16b)
1 Timothy 5
Instructions for the Church
1 Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, 2 older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity.
3 Honor widows who are truly widows. 4 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. 5 She who is truly a widow, left all alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day, 6 but she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives. 7 Command these things as well, so that they may be without reproach. 8 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.
9 Let a widow be enrolled if she is not less than sixty years of age, having been the wife of one husband, 1 5:9 Or a woman of one man 10 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. 11 But refuse to enroll younger widows, for when their passions draw them away from Christ, they desire to marry 12 and so incur condemnation for having abandoned their former faith. 13 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. 14 So I would have younger widows marry, bear children, manage their households, and give the adversary no occasion for slander. 15 For some have already strayed after Satan. 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.
17 Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching. 18 For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.” 19 Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses. 20 As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear. 21 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. 22 Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor take part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure. 23 (No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.) 24 The sins of some people are conspicuous, going before them to judgment, but the sins of others appear later. 25 So also good works are conspicuous, and even those that are not cannot remain hidden.
Dive Deeper | 1 Timothy 5
"Don't overdo it?" Now, I've heard those words many times myself, but it has usually been about potentially bad things: putting too much chocolate sauce on my ice cream or driving too fast. Seriously, is there such a thing as too much chocolate sauce? Come on, Mom.
What is Timothy supposed to tell his church? Don't over do it? Paul is telling Timothy to not let the church support more people than it should. He's essentially saying, "If you let these people, they might give more than they can." In 1 Timothy 5:3-16 we learn that they had a church initiative for supporting helpless Christian widows. Paul was concerned that people would be enrolled in this charity program who didn't belong there. One of Timothy's tasks would be to decide who did or didn't really need charity from the congregation.
Stop and think about that. I've seen lots of churches and Christians who are careful about whom they give to, but I've met very few who actually need to be told to be more careful. Can you imagine if one of the elders made the announcement on Sunday morning, "You all are doing a great job of being generous with your money and time, but we as the pastors of the church are concerned that you're giving away so much money that you're even giving to people who don't need it, and you're volunteering your time way too much. You need to slow down! Don't overdo it."
I'm not saying we don't give. We do. We sometimes meet the needs that are put before us. But do we give with such passion and self-sacrifice that our pastors need to restrain us? We do need to be wise in giving, but my tendency is to err on the side of self. We shouldn't excuse stinginess or materialism in the name of wisdom. Jesus gave His life for us. It's a small price to give our possessions to others. Let's give until the pastors tell us to stop!
Discussion Questions
1. Do you give more than you should? Has anyone ever stopped you from giving?
2. There are people around you with needs. Do you know who they are, and are you willing to help them?
3. Do you give only what you "have to" to feel good, or do you give all you can?
4. How could you spend less to give more?
WEEKLY FAMILY ACTIVITY
September 10-14 (1 Timothy 5 – 2 Timothy 3)
Read 2 Timothy 3:10-17.
• What all had been happening to Paul?
• What does verse 12 tell you?
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What are ways that you might be persecuted today?
• Reread verses 14-17, what do these verses tell you about God's Word?
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Why is it important to know and believe that the Bible is absolutely trustworthy?
• When Paul was being persecuted, do you think God's Word helped him?
• How can it help you when you are being persecuted?
Activity: Go to kidsofcourage.com and read one of the stories about others suffering because of their faith in Christ. Then take time to pray for them. Do this each day, reading a different story and praying.