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Biblical Manhood & Womanhood - 1 Timothy 5:15-25 - Foundations & Expectations of Biblical Leadership · Mount Eaton Church

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Chapter 5. So we really went through quite a
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bit concerning how we as a church should care
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and to help manage and support the needs of the
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widow. And we clarified what the definition of
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a widow is. That's important. So as we finish,
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we're going to go through the last two verses
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of this chapter so we can really understand the
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rest of what God has to say. The rest of the
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chapter in verse 17 through 25 really deals with
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the main issue of the elder and the importance
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of the leadership of the elder. Now, first and
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foremost, there's some things I'm going to clarify
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in this chapter because I want you guys to make
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sure that you understand why Paul uses this term
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for some have already strayed after Satan, meaning
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adversary. So I'm going to clarify that and then
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we're going to move on, okay? So here we go.
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I'm going to start off in verse 8. It says, For
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his relatives, especially for members of his
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household, he has denied the faith and is worse
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than an unbeliever. Let a widow be enrolled if
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she is not less than 60 years of age, having
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been the wife of one husband and having a reputation
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for good works. If she has brought up children,
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has shown hospitality, has washed the feet of
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the saints, cared for the affliction or the afflicted,
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and has devoted herself to every good. work,
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but refuse to enroll younger widows for when
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their passions draw them away from Christ, they
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desire to marry and so incur condemnation for
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having abandoned their former faith. Beside that,
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they learn to be idlers going about from house
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to house and not only idlers, but also gossips
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and busybodies saying what they should not. So
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I would have younger widows marry, bear children,
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manage their households and give the adversary
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no occasion for slander, for some have already
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strayed after Satan. If any believing woman has
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relatives who are widows, let her care for them.
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Let the church not be burdened so that it may
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care for those who are truly widows. Let the
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elders who rule well be considered worthy of
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double honor, especially those who labor in preaching
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and teaching. For the scripture says, you shall
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not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain
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and the laborer deserves his wages. Do not admit
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a charge against. an elder, except on the evidence
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of two or three witnesses. As for those who persist
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in sin, In the presence of God and of Christ
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Jesus and of the elect angels, I charge you to
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keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing
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from partiality. Do not be hasty in the laying
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on of hands, nor take part in the sins of others.
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Keep yourself pure. No longer drink only water.
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but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach
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and your frequent ailments. The sins of some
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people are conspicuous, going before them to
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judgment, but the sins of others appear later.
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So also good works are conspicuous, and even
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those who are not. cannot remain hidden. So you're
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like, why does Paul give Timothy this long verses
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1 through 16 discussion and explanation of the
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importance of caring for the widows? And then
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he turns around and says, concerning you, concerning
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elders, this is the way it should be. I can't
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help but think about what it says in James chapter
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1 verse 27. The religion that God considers pure
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and faultless exists to care for the orphans
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and widows in their distress and to keep oneself
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from being polluted by the world. What you see
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is the man who lives rightly, who's living a
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holy life, who's doing the work of God, don't
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hold him back from doing that. But you as an
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elder must live right. That's what this means.
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So I'm going to give you some clarity on some
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things here. First, let's go up to verse 15 to
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16 and we'll finish the widow. Continue from
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last week. Godly leaders manage the care of the
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widows and purpose to exhort them to cling to
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Christ. Father of the fatherless, protector of
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the widows is God in his holy habitation. We
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as the church and as elders have a responsibility
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to care and exhort those widows. To cling to
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Christ. Now, in verse 15, though, it says something
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quite interesting. For some have already strayed
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after Satan. Now, context means everything. I've
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talked quite a bit about this particular importance
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of hermeneutics and why we use scripture upon
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scripture and context upon context. And why would
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Paul, all of a sudden, in verse 14, say one thing
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concerning adversary and then turn around and
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use the term Satan? in verse 15. Very interesting.
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Contextually, here's what it means. So I would
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have younger widows marry and bear children and
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manage their households and give the adversary
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no occasion to slander. See, the adversaries
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of God love to slander. Why? Why do they slander?
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Why specifically these women? who have lost their
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husband, who have no children, who are young
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widows and have lost the man they love. Why?
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Well, because in context, when you go up to verse
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11, he explains to you why they should marry
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and why they should bear children, why they should
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manage their own households and learn to manage
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a household. It's because if they don't, they
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become busybodies. Look what it says in verse
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11. But refuse to enroll younger widows. For
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when their passions draw them away from Christ,
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they desire to marry and so incur condemnation
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for having abandoned the former faith. Look what
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it says in 13. Besides that, they learn to be
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idlers, going about from house to house, and
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not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies,
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and saying, what they should not say. In other
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words, the point is, when they're busy doing
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the thing they're not supposed to be doing, if
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they're really not clinging to Christ, if they're
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finding a reason not to live a life as honoring
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to Christ and to unite with a godly man, they're
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just quick to marry anybody, they end up becoming
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gossips and busybodies, and so the adversaries
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have an occasion to slander them. You see, they'll
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say, see this girl, she goes to this church.
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And if this is what this church really teaches,
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is it a good church? That's the idea here. They're
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not living above reproach. And so they bring
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shame on the name of Christ. Now, when we see
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this and we understand in verse 15, for some
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have already strayed into adversary or after
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the adversary. Because the word satanas means
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adversary. So if he says, don't give the adversary
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an occasion. And then he turns around, but some
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of these women already have. That's what it means.
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Literally what it means. But we think because
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the word Satan's there and it's capital S, that
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it doesn't mean adversary. When in reality, the
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Greek is clear, satanas means adversary. So contextually,
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we know that women who do not honor God with
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their bodies, that are busy doing things they
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shouldn't do, that they've lost their husband
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and are finding a reason to live lasciviously.
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They bring slander upon the name of Christ and
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upon his church. How many of you guys have heard
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the term, hey, why don't you go to church? I
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got church hurt. It's the one thing I hate the
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most about this modern day of what we would call
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American church is this definition of church
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hurt. They probably receive more hurt from their
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personal family than they've ever received from
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a church. But it's the excuse. They got to blame
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somebody. If they can't blame the devil, They
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blame the church instead of blaming themselves.
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And so verse 16, if any believing woman has relatives
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who are widows, let her care for them. Why? If
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there's a woman who believes in Christ, who is
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in the church, who is capable, who has the ability
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to care, feed, support, train, walk alongside
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these women, they should. This is one of the
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important reasons why we are Continually striving
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for women in ministry. Man cannot effectively
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support women in women things. We're ineffective.
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If we were effective, God would have no need
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to give us a helper who is fit for us. He needed
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a helper. That is one of the amazing gifts of
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the woman to the man. We don't live life alone.
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We don't live life in a vacuum. We live together.
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And she finds her purpose in fulfilling who she
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is, the nurturer, the life giver. That is a woman,
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the life giver. So women, if we know we have
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women who need support as part of the body of
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Christ, come alongside them and help them, which
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we are doing. I can tell you that. Let the church
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not be burdened so that it may care for those
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who are truly widows. In other words, widows
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who cannot. They have no children. They're gone.
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They have no husband. They're gone. She is left
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alone after giving her entire life to good works
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and to care and to washing of feet. This woman,
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truly barren, truly without care and support,
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like a city with no inhabitants. Now we can move
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on to the next part of this chapter. So I hope
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you guys have a clear understanding of the importance
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of what we must do as a church for the widow.
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What you do for the least of these, you do for
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me. Lastly, this chapter, godly leaders must
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live consistently for all to see. Only let your
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manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ,
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so that whether I come to see you or am absent,
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I may hear of you that you are standing firm
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in one spirit, with one mind, striving side by
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side for the faith of the gospel. Philippians
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1 .27. I use this because it's important to understand
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that we must live in a way that is worthy, live
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a life that is worthy of the gospel of Christ.
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As pastors and as elders, there is no greater
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calling. For any man, all men of God must live
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in this way. Now, look what it says in verse
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17. Let the elders who rule well be considered
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worthy of double honor, respect, and reverence.
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Now, many would say, you know, pastor, you know,
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you're going to be talking about like money and
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stuff here. Should you do that? Yes. I don't
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need your money. You guys take good care of me.
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This isn't the issue here. It's the attitude
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by which you care for your elders. And I want
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you to see that here. And as a church, we must
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live in such a way that we honor the elders,
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the pastors who care and oversee you. That's
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what he says here. Let the elders who rule, elders,
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you see that, who rule be considered worthy of
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double respect, double. especially those who
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exhaust themselves, who get to the point of weariness
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in preaching and teaching. Those men you must
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care, watch, be worthy of, double honor. Those
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men, not only your elders, but the men especially
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that exhaust themselves on your behalf in preaching
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and teaching. For the scripture says you shall
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not muzzle. You must not close the mouth of an
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ox when it treads out the grain. There's two
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reasons why you don't take the ox and shut his
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mouth while he's busy pulling and harvesting
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for you to eat. So this ox, he's out in the cornfields,
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and he's ripping the corn down so you guys can
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eat, and you muzzle him. One, close an ox mouth.
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When he's busy pulling, he gets tired faster.
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Don't hold the passer down. To the point that
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you muscle him because you'll exhaust him quicker.
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And you wonder why. Do you know what the average
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length of a pastor in a church is in America?
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Five years. Two reasons. The man doesn't know
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how to manage his time. And the church doesn't
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take good care of his pastor, of her pastor.
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And one of the things that's special about our
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church is you guys do take good care of me. And
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that's why in June, I'll be away for 30 days.
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I have my sabbatical coming. Every three years,
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I get 30 days. That was part of the discussion,
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and that was important. And Ben will tell you,
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do I have a choice? I do not have a choice. That's
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accountability, elder to elder. That's what we
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do. So you don't muzzle the ox. You know the
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second reason why you don't muzzle the ox? You
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know what the ox would do when he's busy pulling?
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He would eat whatever would drop. That would
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be his nourishment. He would work longer and
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have more energy to work because he's able to
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eat the corn that drops that they don't pick
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up. Isn't that interesting? You got to let the
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man work. Don't muzzle him. Let him get nourishment.
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Let him get good oxygen in him. Let him walk
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and work hard. Do all that you can to help support
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him so that he continues to pool. That's the
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idea. The second, it says, and the laborer deserves
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his wages. In other words, this word deserves
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is the understanding of equal in value. The man
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should not be paid more than he's worth. So I'm
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going to make this real clear. There should be
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no pastor getting paid a million dollars. It
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doesn't matter if he has 10 ,000 people in that
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church. It's impossible to pastor 10 ,000 people.
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You know what he does with 10 ,000 people? Stands
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behind the pulpit and preaches, and that's all
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he does. Because you can't pastor 10 ,000 people.
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Now, that being said, I've just offended all
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of the megachurch pastors. Don't care. I really
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don't. You better find something else to do,
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right? So here's the point. A man is equal to
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the value of his work. That's what he deserves.
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He deserves no more, and he deserves no less.
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If he gives you less, he's got to go. That's
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the point. If the man is giving you good word,
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he's preaching and teaching is really good, he's
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worthy double of the honor. If he's an elder
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of the church, like we have here, we have several
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elders, they are worthy of double honor. And
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you take care of the man that God has placed
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over you or the men that God has placed over
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you because it's the right thing to do. They're
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equal in value of the work they do. No more,
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no less. And this is what it says. Next, do not
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admit a charge against an elder except on the
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evidence of two or three witnesses. In other
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words, if you feel like an elder has done something
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wrong, do not charge him unless you have an absolute
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proof that he is guilty. Turn to Deuteronomy
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chapter 19, verse 15. And this is where this
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comes from. A single witness shall not suffice
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against a person for any crime. Do you hear that?
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In Deuteronomy, it says, If someone comes to
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you concerning an individual, a judge, concerning
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an individual, and he comes alone, not good enough.
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I wonder what our legal system would look like
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if we actually had witnesses, real true witnesses.
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Too many men, too many women have been accused
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of a crime based on a witness. One person, not
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two or three. So it says, a single witness shall
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not suffice against a person for any crime. or
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for any wrong in connection with any offense
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that he has committed. Do you see that? This
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is God's law. This isn't man's law. God says
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this is the way it should be. As a matter of
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fact, our Constitution would call that circumstantial
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evidence. Only on the evidence of two or three
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witnesses shall a charge be established. So can
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you imagine if you're a pastor and somebody just
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doesn't like you? They come to the elders and
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they say something about that pastor. And all
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of a sudden, a whole entire church split happens
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over an accusation of one man or one woman. Not
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sufficient here. Biblically, the eldership should
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say, do you have another witness? No, then we
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can't help you. If there is a wrong, then you
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need proof. And if you have proof, then you need
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to show that proof. That's important. Why? It
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protects the church from false accusations. That's
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the point. Not saying that that person didn't
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do something wrong, but it protects the church.
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That's the point. Look what it says next, though.
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Notice right after he says this, in verse 20,
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he says something that's quite remarkable. He
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says, as for those who persist in sin, rebuke
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them in the presence of all so that the rest
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may stand in fear. It's not like this pastor
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or elder hasn't done something wrong. Because
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what we end up reading at the end of the chapter,
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verse 24, is the sins of some people are conspicuous,
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going before them to judgment. The sin will come
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out, and you will be vindicated. Just do it the
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right way to protect the church. Now, that being
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said, let's keep reading. So if this person persists,
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continues to live in sin, rebuke them in the
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presence of everyone, in the presence of all,
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so that the rest... of the congregation may stand
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in fear, especially the elders. No elder is above
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God's word. You've heard this. No one is above
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the law. Now, in the presence of God and of Christ
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Jesus and of the elect messengers, that word
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is angels, I charge you to keep these rules without
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prejudging. Do nothing from partiality. In other
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words, you, Timothy, must keep these rules. with
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no partiality, and not presuming something that's
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not there. So in the same way that someone must
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come if they're going to bring a charge against
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an elder, must have two or three witnesses, you,
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Timothy, must not use these rules in a way that
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would bring judgment or prejudgment upon someone
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because you have favoritism over another. This
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happens a lot in churches. Why? Because there
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are pastors who will build up a consensus. That's
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why churches run with deacon boards instead of
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elderships. Deacons run the house. Why? Because
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the senior pastor can manipulate and control,
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since he's the one of authority, over the deacons.
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But if he has elders, men that he is equal to
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in authority, differ in responsibility, he doesn't
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like that. You see, there's something very important.
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There's a reason why. It's because God's economy
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is not a democracy. God's economy... is a theocracy.
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He chooses who will lead, and he puts them there.
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That's a theocracy. Interesting. What's the most
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common word we use today? Every nation wants
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to be a democracy. Do you know what the last
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empire was who added democracy? Do you guys know?
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Called Rome. Rome was the last true democracy.
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And what happened to Rome? It went away. Oh,
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no, it did not. Rome looked like it had a lethal
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death shot. But Rome is alive and well today
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in the democracy of the world. Rome is risen.
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And if you don't think it's risen, just look
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at Ukraine and all of the other nations that
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are becoming democracies. Democracies are rule
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without God. Man rules man. God has no rule.
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I hope you see that. It's a little clue for you
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Revelation people who are going through Revelation
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with me. Rome is alive. The head that was wounded
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is busy. This day. That being said, why should
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we be careful? Because we represent a king. And
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that king has placed upon us as stewards. What's
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the word I want to look for? A governorship.
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We have the responsibility to answer to the king
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for the care and the provision and the protection
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of his people. We do what the king says. We don't
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do what we think is best. God tells us what is
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best. And in doing so, he says this, verse 22,
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do not be hasty in laying on of hands, nor take
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part in the sins of others. Keep yourself pure.
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Again, as men of God, we are to be different.
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We must live consistently, not perfectly, because
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we are going to fail consistently. Our striving
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is to be perfect because he is perfect. We strive
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to be holy because he is holy. But either way,
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we must purpose to keep ourselves pure. In other
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words, we don't defile ourselves with things
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that we know defile. And we don't be hasty laying
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hands on those and giving them authority by which
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they haven't suffered long enough. What do I
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mean by suffer? They haven't put the time in
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and the work. They haven't struggled. We have
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too many pastors that want the notoriety of being
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a pastor, but they don't want the work to put
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in. It's interesting. That's what Paul's dealing
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with here. You know what pastors want today?
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They want Harleys parked on the stage or fast
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cars and tell you stories about how wonderful
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you are and that God has made you awesome. When
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in reality, we should be striving and driving
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God's people to be holy, to live and honor him
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in everything we do. To understand the stewardship
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by which God has given us as elders to care and
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walk alongside the hurting. So, verse 24, the
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sins of some people are conspicuous. The word
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conspicuous means to be openly evident. The sins
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of some people are openly evident, going before
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them to judgment. But the sins of others appear
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later. They come as they walk. They follow after
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them. What's that saying? Your sin will find
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you out. And so, verse 25, so also good works
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are conspicuous. They're openly evident. And
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even those that are not cannot remain unhidden.
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Even the good works that God's people do will
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eventually be out for everyone to see. Why? Because
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God will get the glory. God doesn't need our
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glory as we read. God receives glory because
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he is glorious. That being said, here's the last
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statement I'm going to give to the elders, to
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pastors. I know they feel uncomfortable with
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that term, but that's what they are. And also
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to the men being the pastor of your house. I
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think we can use this principally as fathers.
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And I want you to understand that, even though
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this is talking specifically about overseers.
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In principle, as fathers, you can apply these
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things to you too. Therefore, I testify, Acts
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20, 26 through 31. Therefore, I testify to you
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this day that I am innocent of the blood of all.
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Paul's saying this. For I did not shrink from
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declaring to you the whole counsel of God. The
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whole counsel. I don't get the choice of what
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I preach or, well, let me say it this way. I
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get the choice of preaching what book I think
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we could preach or talk about. I don't get the
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choice of how God determines and demands and
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commands for me to teach it. I either teach the
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whole thing or I shouldn't teach. That's the
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idea. I don't shrink. From declaring to you the
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whole counsel of God, Paul says. And neither
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should we as pastors. If you're shrinking to
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declare the whole counsel of God, then you shouldn't
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be a pastor. Pay careful attention to yourselves
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and to all the flock. Pay attention. Watch. Keep
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an eye out for yourself. That you're not pulled
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away. And to the entire flock that God has entrusted
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to you. In which the Holy Spirit has made you
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overseer. Don't want you to hear that. Pastors
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don't choose to be pastors. Pastors are called
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to be pastors. It is a God -given call to be
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an elder. The Holy Spirit has made you the overseer
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to care for the church of God. Church, assembly,
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assembly, family. God has made you the caregiver
24:47
of his family. Not yours, his. You just happen
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to be a part of that family. And he's giving
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you now the responsibility of stewarding that
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family. Do you hear that, dads? Now, look what
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it says next. Holy Spirit made you overseers
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to care for the church of God, which he, Christ,
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obtained with his own blood. The payment for
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the church is his life. That's the idea here.
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Now do you see why Paul tells Timothy these things
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in chapter 5? We belong to the family. The family
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does not belong to me. I am part of that family.
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It's God's. He paid for her. I know that after
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my departure, fierce wolves will come in among
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you. Now we know why he says, pay careful attention
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to all the flock and to yourself, because there
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will be wolves that will come in and will not
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spare the flock. I know this because our church
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has gone through a couple of those guys many
25:44
years ago, and God in his goodness and faithfulness
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has kept her. Lord knows I've heard some stories.
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And you'll be honest with you, if it wasn't for
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the men that God had given before the Lord has
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called me and my family here, you should praise
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God for those men. They took good care of you,
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good care of the church. Good job, Ben. That
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being said, look at what else it says. And from
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among you, from among your own selves will rise
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men speaking twisted things. There will be men
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who will come in as if they're believers and
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they will say some crazy things. They won't tell
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you, hey. You should read this scripture. You
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don't bend it all kinds of ways. You must spend
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time in the word. You must seek the truth of
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God's word. Why will they come in speaking twisted
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things? Because they would want to draw men away,
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the disciples after them. They want to make followers.
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They want to split the church to create their
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own little gathering. Now, it also says this.
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Therefore, be alert. As pastors, as elders, we
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must be alert, remembering that for three years
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I did not cease day and night to admonish everyone
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with tears. As elders, as pastors, we want to
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admonish you. That should be one of our greatest
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desires is to build you up in Jesus. We must
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teach the full counsel of God's word. We must
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pay careful attention to ourselves and the flock.
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Be overseers. As we care for the church, we must
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know that there will be people that will come
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in and we must pay attention. And we must make
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sure that even the men that are among us live
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rightly, not to deceive or teach things that
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are twisted to pull men away. The responsibility
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of godly leadership is to hold to the full truth
27:38
of the word of God. So when you read the end
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of chapter 5, you understand why Paul writes
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this to Timothy. It is not a simple task to be
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a man of God to lead God's people, nor is it
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a simple task to be a father to lead the small
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flock that God has given you. So next week, Joe
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Cavanaugh, Karina, will be coming to share. My
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son is having his installation service, and I've
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been given the privilege to give him the pastoral
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charge as he is installed as an elder and officially
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an ordained pastor at his church. So I'm excited
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about that. I will be back. The 30th, by which
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we will start chapter 6. And excited about that.
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And then 6th, we'll move into, hopefully, move
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into 2 Timothy chapter 1. So we're going to be
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going through the apostolic letters probably
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for the next year or so into next year. So 2
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Timothy, Titus, 1 Peter, 2 Peter, 1 John, 2 John,
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3 John. That's our goal. Okay? These letters
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are written specifically in a way that not only
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as Christians we should live, but as men and
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women we should live. And that's why we're doing
28:45
it. Biblical manhood, biblical womanhood. Okay?
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All right. Father, I want to thank you so much
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for your goodness and faithfulness. Thank you,
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Lord, for your word. To you be honor and glory
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forever. You are king and you are the head of
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the church and we are thankful to be your people
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as stewards and as shepherds and overseers of
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your people. Help us to be good stewards, to
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be wise, and to live rightly for your glory and
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honor. In Jesus' name, amen.