Sermon Tone Analysis

Limited resources

The church has limited resources and must be a good steward of those resources.

Our passage today will look at a general principle regarding those resources.

Our focus is on widows which has always been important to God.

God’s direction on care (Deu14:29; Act6:1;Jm1:27)

Deuteronomy 14:29 (NASB95)

29 “The Levite, because he has no portion or inheritance among you, and the alien, the orphan and the widow who are in your town, shall come and eat and be satisfied, in order that the Lord your God may bless you in all the work of your hand which you do.

(emphasis mine)

(expand briefly)

And then what we see in Act’s

Acts 6:1 (NASB95)

1 Now at this time while the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint arose on the part of the Hellenistic Jews against the native Hebrews, because their widows were being overlooked in the daily serving of food.

(emphasis mine)

(emphasis briefly)

and then what James said

James 1:27 (NASB95)

27 Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

(emphasis mine)

(Encourage briefly)

Paul’s charge (1Tim1:3)

Precious resources for:

Church has it’s limitations

The family members have their obligations

Even widows have some responsibility too

It will be in little different order this morning but basically covering those areas.

Conduct: Family Care (Widows):

Care by their families (1Tim5:3-5, 8)

Care by the church (1Tim5:9-10, 16)

Care for themselves (1Tim5:11-15)

Care by their families

From the beginning of the church, the church had concern for “believing” widows (Act6:1) following the care that Israel had for the widows too.

Our first point is to look at family care.

First there is honor (1Tim5:3; Exo20:12; Eph6:2-3)

Honor to the widows that are widow’s indeed.

Paul will expand on “indeed” as we go on this morning, but now look at honor.

This honor is a command as seen in (Exo20:12)

Honor commanded in the commandments and regarding family conduct by Paul too to the church at Ephesus

From honor to practiced piety (1Tim5:4)

Piety (noun): the quality of being religious or reverent.

a belief or point of view that is accepted with unthinking conventional reverence.

Practiced piety is honor in practice towards parents, now in our case widow’s.

Practiced piety is a way to pay back, give back, to make some return to your parents.

Think of the sacrifices that parents make for their children, so now is opportunity for the children to give back by practiced piety to the parents (in our case the widow).

Next is the proven faith widow (1Tim5:5)

1 Timothy 5:5 (NASB95)

5 Now she who is a widow indeed and who has been left alone, has fixed her hope on God and continues in entreaties and prayers night and day.

(Emphasis mine)

To the one who has no family (children, grandchildren)

One with proven faith by fixed hope and continual entreaties and prayers (expand; what an example, joy to have these people)

Don’t be a person who denies faith (1Tim5:8)

1 Timothy 5:8 (NASB95)

8 But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.

(Emphasis mine)

Worse than an unbeliever when we do not take care of our own

Now for a time such as it was then, there were circumstances different than today, there was no social security, aid society, etc. it was the family so this was a very serious charge and it should be taken seriously today to honor our father and mother (widow’s).

Even the unbelievers then had instructions to care for their own “Every man should take care of his own family.”

- Cicero (Marcus Tullius Cicero was a Roman lawyer, writer, and orator.

He is famous for his orations on politics and society, as well as serving as a high-ranking consul.

(Transition) With these instructions and the stern warning would we dare do any less for our family?

Care by the church

Paul gives some qualifications for a widow who is to be, or could be cared for, by the church.

Widows put on the list (1Tim5:9; Lk3:36-37; Act9:36-47)

Not less than sixty years old

Most women at this age would not apt to remarry in that day.

The term “put on the list” is a term that is used is very similar to the wording as to enrollment of soldiers.

They were to be servants to the Lord

A couple of biblical examples are Anna (Lk2:36-37) or Dorcas and her friends in Act9:36-47); look at the description of Anna.

Luke 2:36–37 (NASB95)

36 And there was a prophetess, Anna the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher.

She was advanced in years and had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37 and then as a widow to the age of eighty-four.

She never left the temple, serving night and day with fastings and prayers.

(Emphasis mine)

Been the wife of one man

Some link this to the qualifications for Elder, Deacon, one marriage, not divorced.

We know that faithfulness to one’s marriage is important to God

Has reputation for good works (Mt5:16)

Seen works, like Jesus mentioned in (Mt5:16)

Brought up children

Children of her own, or could be raising children of others, or orphans and many commentators believe.

I would lean towards the later vs. the former for they would have had to die to have her added to the list.

Shown hospitality to strangers

This was a common practice (Heb13:2; Act16:15)

With Lydia the seller of purple who took Paul in.

Then there was the Hebrew writer who said this

Served the saints, distressed and has devoted self to good works (Lk7:44-46, 2:36-37)

There is Anna again who was devoted to to good works as we looked at in Lk2:36-37.

And another beautiful example found here

Limited resources of the church, need to be burdened by those who are truly widows (1Tim5:16)

True widows are not looking for a hand out but a hand up, to serve other people, to serve the church.

(Transition) -Limited resources and if we are honest there are many out there who like to use the church while they refuse to work or use their own resources.

When it comes to family care (Widows) we are not talking about temporary care we are talking long term care, so let’s see what Paul has to say.

Care for themselves

Widows in their distress (Jm1:27) is not talking about a widow in grief at death of husband, but long term distress.

There are those (younger widows) that Paul now addresses on how to care for them.

Younger are to be refused (1Tim5:11-13)

Refused to be put on the list, natural tendencies is attraction, hope to get married.

And there is nothing wrong with that at all.

Refused to be put on the list for those on the list have a pledge to stay a widow and not marry and to serve the church.

Refused to be put on the list because they learn to be idle, too much time on their hands, and while the are serving from house to house they can become gossips and busybodies.

Younger are to be encouraged to marry (1Tim5:14-15; Tit2:4-5, 8; Php3:18-19)