THE SAINTS MUST CARE FOR WIDOWS: 1 Timothy 5:3-7

INTRODUCTION: The Church of Jesus Christ is likened to a body, a kingdom, a priesthood, the Temple, branches, and a flock. In addition to these, the Church of Jesus Christ is also likened to a family. This last metaphor—the family—is how Paul writes to Timothy in 1 Timothy 5.

CONTEXT: ‭‭1 Timothy‬ ‭3:14-15‬ “I hope to come to you soon, but I am writing these things to you so that, if I delay, you may know how one ought to behave in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, a pillar and buttress of the truth.”

DOCTRINE: The church must command the care of widows by their families as well as command widows to be godly, taking care of those who are truly godly widows.

I. THE CHURCH MUST CARE FOR THOSE WHO ARE TRULY WIDOWS (1 Timothy 5:3)

1 Timothy 5:3 “Honor widows who are truly widows.” (c.f v. 17)

II. A WIDOW WHO HAS LIVING RELATIVES IS NOT TRUE WIDOW; THE FAMILY OF WIDOWS MUST CARE FOR THEM (1 Timothy 5:4)

1 Timothy 5:4 “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.”

Exodus 20:12 “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.”

III. WIDOWS MUST BE GODLY, DEVOTING THEMSELVES TO PRAYER AND THEY MUST REFRAIN FROM SELF-INDULGENCE (1 Timothy 5:5-6)

1 Timothy 5:5-6 “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.”

Ezekiel 16:49 “Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: she and her daughters had pride, excess of food, and prosperous ease, but did not aid the poor and needy.” James 5:5 “You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter.” Revelation 3:1 (Sardis) “You have a reputation of believe alive, but you are dead”

IV. THE CHURCH MUST COMMAND THE CARE OF WIDOWS BY THEIR FAMILY AND COMMAND WIDOWS TO BE GODLY, TAKING CARE OF THOSE WHO ARE TRULY GODLY WIDOWS (1 Timothy 5:7)

1 Timothy 5:7 “Command these things as well, so that they may be without reproach.”

CONCLUSION

Acts 20:28 “Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.”