Sermon Tone Analysis

“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.”

[1]

The congregation of the Lord is a family.

Throughout contemporary churches, an exaggerated emphasis upon individualism that is foreign to the New Testament is promoted.

The family relationship, or household concept, is used on multiple occasions when Paul is turning attention to the congregations.

Consider the following instances.

“As we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith” [GALATIANS 6:10].

“The household of faith” appears to be a favourite term for the Apostle whenever he is writing about the relationship of believers.

We do have a relationship, gathered as we are to worship the One True God, whom we call “Father.”

“You are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God” [EPHESIANS 2:19].

Overarching the Apostle’s idea advanced in this case is the thought that believers are under the oversight of God.

We are members of His household.

Thus, we share a vibrant and vital relationship with one another in Christ Jesus.

A final passage to consider is this one from Paul’s Letter to the Ephesian Christians.

“I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named” [EPHESIANS 3:14, 15].

The word translated “family” in this instance is the Greek word “/patriá/.”

The word could be translated “fatherhood”: the emphasis is upon the lineage of successively related persons to which the referenced Person—in this instance, God the Father—belongs.

[2]

Too often, modern Christians fail to realise the truth of the family relationship we share as believers; we ignore this relationship to our own impoverishment.

Individually, we are members of the Family of God; and the local assembly ideally reveals this familial relationship.

However, just because we are family does not mean that we know how to interact with one another.

One of the responsibilities pressed upon the preacher is to instruct the congregation in family relationships within the congregation.

We bring our own personalities into the assembly, and those personalities are not always winsome.

Some among the people of God are not lovable; and if the elder is not careful, these unlovely individuals will be ignored.

Other individuals invite us, even unconsciously, to form cliques.

We each have favourites among the members of the assembly; and because we do have favourites, there is always the danger that we will ignore some or even treat them with disrespect.

Such should never happen, and it need not happen.

To this point in this letter, Paul has focused on providing specific instructions to Timothy on the conduct of his ministry before the Lord.

The tenor changes precipitously as the Apostle addresses broader relationships within the congregation.

What is interesting is that Paul is not providing instructions to the groups involved—older men, younger men, older women, younger women, fellow elders, slaves and finally to those disseminating error; Paul is now instructing Timothy how he is to relate to these various groups within the congregation.

I believe it beneficial to interject at this point that we should not seek subgroups within a congregation; our purpose is to recognise the unity of the Faith rather than emphasising our differences and acting as though the Faith were incidental.

The Faith we share is central and essential to all other relationships.

Our gender, age, race, cultural backgrounds, educational levels and financial situations are all incidental to the Faith and thus, incidental to our relationships.

I do not wish to deny obvious differences within the assembly, and thereby deny the different interests we hold as individuals.

Rather, I am convinced that we must emphasise the unity arising from the Father whom each of us claims and the Faith He has delivered to us as His people.

Our focus must be Christ and His Word.

The relationships we share must flow out of this shared faith in Christ and the practise of the Faith that we share in common.

Before initiating the message proper, it is appropriate to ask why it is important for the church to know how elders are to relate to the various groups.

The people of God need to understand the relationships so that they will respond in an appropriate manner to the man of God.

It is too easy to become critical when we imagine we are ignored or imagine that we aren’t receiving the attention we imagine we deserve.

Understanding the demands placed upon the minister will assist in avoiding petulance when we feel slighted.

The congregation needs to be able to assess the conduct of the minister’s life.

Elders do need correction at times, and they need encouragement at other times.

Realising the balance the man of God is striving to maintain will permit the congregation to share in the ministry.

Also, it is important to note that though the instructions are addressed to the man of God, they are applicable to each believer if he or she anticipates maturing in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

*FAMILY?

OR CHURCH MEMBERS?* — “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.”

You have no doubt heard the old adage, “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”

Well, older men are not dogs; we aren’t teaching new tricks, but we may find it necessary to modify behaviour or instruct in the truths of God’s Word.

We are confident that sound instruction will prove beneficial and it can bear rich results.

The Apostle continues by defining the general attitude to be demonstrated toward younger men, older women and younger women.

In each instance, Timothy is enjoined to maintain the family relationship.

This is vital information for our relationships with one another.

The church is not an organisation which you join (and leave) at your discretion.

We are born from above and into the Family of God.

Similarly, we are placed in the particular congregation for which the Spirit of God has gifted us so that we may build, encourage and console our fellow members [see 1 CORINTHIANS 14:1-3].

Perhaps you join the elks or the Kiwanis, or perhaps you respond to an invitation to join the masonic lodge; however, God works in each life, preparing us for uniting with a particular congregation.

God prepares us, equipping us to fulfil a definite responsibility within that special assembly, and then He appoints us as He desires.

We formally declare our desire to unite, confessing our faith and willingly accepting biblical baptism; nevertheless, we know that God Himself has worked to set us where He wills.

Too often forgotten in our desire to belong is the teaching of the Lord that we are family.

Jesus spoke of our love for one another.

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another.

By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” [JOHN 13:34, 35].

The Master made this expectation more emphatic still when He taught, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.

You are my friends if you do what I command you.

No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.

These things I command you, so that you will love one another” [JOHN 15:12-17].

Growing out of the love we have for one another is the knowledge of familial relationship.

If we love one another, we will confront sin and accept those who confront us in love.

If we don’t much care about one another, we will ignore evil actions, even when we disapprove of them.

Perhaps you saw or read a news report about a family in Nebraska who was teaching a three-year-old child to swear and curse, mouthing the most vulgar terms.

The uncle of the child had videotaped his depraved efforts, posting them to YouTube.

[3] This is not the first time such videos have surfaced.

[4] The incidents can be multiplied!

What is tragic is not merely that this degenerate behaviour is foisted on innocent children, but the numbers of individuals commenting who are amused!

People laugh at these situations for one of two reasons: either they are perverted to the point that the mind is utterly debased, or they have no relationship with the children.

Those who have a relationship with the children will be grieved at the degradation of innocence in pursuit of gratifying the wanton humour of the one perpetuating and displaying the debauchery of little ones for the amusement of others.

All that Paul commands of the elder grows out of the Christian love relationship.

Those who love as Christ loved respect those whom they love.

Consequently, they will treat them with respect and courtesy as would be expected of those whom we love.

Younger women will be treated with purity, showing consideration and courtesy in relationship.

Older women will be treated with deference as we would our own mothers.

Younger men will be treated as brothers—holding them accountable when such is called for, but always doing so with respect and seeking to maintain their dignity.

Older men will receive the consideration their years deserve.

The need to respect each of these classes of fellow saints is obvious from Paul’s instructions.

I am deeply concerned at the loss of respect witnessed in this day.

We speak of civic leaders in terms that make it obvious that we have scant respect for them, if we respect them at all.

Whether the Prime Minister, the Leader of the Opposition, the Premier or local civic leaders, we use their names in dismayingly casual terms and even speak of them in derogatory terms.

No Christian should be guilty of such treatment of those who give their time to lead us.

Tragically, this casual attitude filters into daily life.

We no longer use earned or conferred titles for those we address.

Perhaps this neglect first began as an exaggerated demonstration of our equality, but the cost to us as citizens of a free country is that we are quickly losing respect for the various offices that exist for our benefit.

When I came to faith, I would never have thought to speak to my Pastor as “Jim”; he was “Doctor Higgs,” or “Pastor Higgs.”

When I served in the First Baptist Church of Dallas, I would never have addressed the Pastor as “W.

A.”; he was “Dr.

Criswell.”

The President of the college in which I taught was not “Paige”; he was “Dr.