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You may turn in your Bibles to 
1 Timothy chapter 5. 1 Timothy chapter 5. Begin reading in verse one. Do 
not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father. Younger 
men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as 
sisters, with all purity. Honor widows who are really widows, 
but if any widow has children or grandchildren, let them first 
learn to show piety at home and to repay their parents, for this 
is good and acceptable before God. Now she who is really a 
widow and left alone trusts in God and continues in supplications 
and prayers night and day. But she who lives in pleasure 
is dead while she lives. And these things command that 
they may be blameless. But if anyone does not provide 
for his own, and especially for those of his own household, he 
has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever. Do not let 
a widow under 60 years old be taken into the number, and not 
unless she has been the wife of one man, well reported for 
good works. If she has brought up children, 
if she has lodged strangers, if she has washed the saints' 
feet, if she has relieved the afflicted, if she has diligently 
followed every good work, But refuse the younger widows, for 
when they have begun to grow wanton against Christ, they desire 
to marry, having condemnation because they have cast off their 
first faith. And besides, they learn to be 
idle, wandering about from house to house, and not only idle, 
but also gossips and busybodies, saying things which they ought 
not. Therefore, I desire that the younger widows marry, bear 
children, manage the house, give no opportunity to the adversary 
to speak reproachfully. For some have already turned 
aside after Satan. If any believing man or woman 
has widows, let them relieve them, and do not let the church 
be burdened, that it may relieve those who are really widows. 
Let the elders who rule well be counted worthy of double honor, 
especially those who labor in the word and doctrine. For the 
scripture says, you shall not muzzle an ox while it treads 
out the grain. And the laborer is worthy of 
his wages. do not receive an accusation 
against an elder except from two or three witnesses. Those 
who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all that the rest 
also may fear. I charge you before God and the 
Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels that you observe these 
things without prejudice, doing nothing with partiality. Do not 
lay hands on anyone hastily, nor share in other people's sins. 
Keep yourself pure. No longer drink only water, but 
use a little wine for your stomach's sake and your frequent infirmities. Some men's sins are clearly evident, 
preceding them to judgment. Those of some men follow later. 
Likewise, the good works of some are clearly evident, and those 
that are otherwise cannot be hidden. Amen. Well, let us pray. Father, thank you for these instructions 
on how we are to conduct ourselves In the house of God, in terms 
of relationship, we pray that you would guide our understanding, 
that you would give us wisdom, give us grace to be obedient 
to the Scriptures, not to just treat them lightly, but to consider, 
to take in, and to act upon the things that we learn from Holy 
Scripture. Do send it your Spirit. Illumine our minds and our hearts. 
Forgive us for all sin. and its darkening power over 
our minds. Grant us grace, we pray, and 
we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Well, we saw last 
week where the Apostle tells Timothy how he is to deal with 
various people groups within the context and life of the church. He speaks with reference to older 
men, to younger men, to older women, and younger women, specifically 
in verses 1 and 2. In verses 3 to 16, he takes up 
the treatment of widows. And then in verses 17 and following, 
how the church is to deal with elders with reference to various 
things that he indicates in this section. We'll look at this teaching 
on widows tonight, part one, the family's responsibility with 
reference to widows, and then part two in two weeks time, God 
willing, we'll look at the church's responsibility. But in all of 
this we see the primary and the overarching thing is the Lord's 
concern for widows. God is pro-widow. God is about helping the defenseless. God is about tending to those 
who have need. God is the overarching one in 
this section who mandates a specific type of treatment for widows. And as I said, verses 3 to 8 
indicate His concern, first of all, verse 3, and then secondly 
the family's responsibility toward widows in verses 4 to 8. So let's 
look at verse 3 first under the consideration the Lord's concern 
for widows. The Apostle writes in verse 3, 
widows who are really widows, and he will explain or he will 
define what really being a widow means. It means, yes, that a 
woman's wife, or a woman's husband rather, has died, but there's 
other things in view that qualifies her as a real widow, as one worthy 
of support by the Church. But the command to honor doesn't 
just mean to respect them or to esteem them, though that is 
included, but primarily the idea with reference to the word honor 
employed is financially. Provide for them, give them support, 
give them money so that they can buy food. We see that use 
of the word honor in chapter 5 at verse 17. It says, "...let the elders who 
rule well be counted worthy of double honor." Paul's primary 
emphasis there is not that elders get nice parking spaces. They 
don't get signs over a particular spot that reserves it for themselves. That's not the type of honor 
that is in view. Some of you are smiling. You 
know, of course, that there's one reserved out there for one 
of our elders. That's not the honor that's in 
view. What is in view in 517 is financial 
remuneration. He says, let the elders who rule 
well be counted worthy of double honor, especially those who labor 
in the word and doctrine. He cites as a reason for this 
the Old Testament and the New. Verse 18, for the scripture says 
you shall not muzzle an ox while it treads out the grain. What's 
the principle? While the ox is doing his ox 
business, he gets to eat the fruit of his labor. By the same 
token, when elders effectively engage in the work of teaching 
and preaching, they ought to eat the grain. They ought to 
be financially compensated or remunerated. He then cites the 
New Testament, specifically the teaching of our Lord, and he 
says, and the laborer is worthy of his wages. So in 5.17, the 
idea behind honor is financial compensation or remuneration. So in 5.3, the idea of honor 
widows who are really widows doesn't just mean esteem them 
and respect them and rise in their presence, but it means 
make sure that they have food to eat, make sure that they have 
heat in their homes, make sure that they have clothing. Make 
sure that they're looked after. Make sure that they're taken 
care of. Make sure that they don't end up dead because of 
the neglect of family or the church. That's the emphasis. You see a similar usage in Numbers 
22 in 17 and 18 when Balak employs the services of Balaam, he says, 
I will honor you. That doesn't mean he will say, 
Balaam, what a great guy you are. It means he will honor him 
by paying him. Balaam's a prophet for profit 
and Balak promises to honor him with money. So the honor in view 
is material and financial support. The widows who are really widows 
is explained in the context. Essentially they are those who 
have no husband, they have no prospects of remarriage. Paul's 
counsel to younger widows is that they remarry. This particular 
class of widows, being at the age of 60, longevity then wasn't 
80, 90, and 100. It probably wasn't a whole lot 
longer than 60. So her prospects of remarriage 
are greatly reduced or non-existent. And so she is really a widow 
and she doesn't have family to support her. That's when the 
church steps in and takes care of her. So this is what Paul 
is emphasizing. The Lord's concern for widows. 
There's precedence for this. The Old Testament. I cited some 
of these passages last Sunday morning when we considered Acts 
chapter 6. I'll rehearse them again because I think it is good 
for us to understand God's heart toward widows. Deuteronomy chapter 
10 at verse 18. He administers justice for the 
fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger, giving him 
food and clothing." Deuteronomy 24, 17-21. Deuteronomy 24, 17-21. It says, "...you shall not pervert 
justice, do the stranger or the fatherless, nor take a widow's 
garment as a pledge. But you shall remember that you 
were a slave in Egypt, and the Lord your God redeemed you from 
there. Therefore, I commanded you to do this thing." When you 
reap your harvest in your field and forget a sheaf in the field, 
you shall not go back to get it. It shall be for the stranger, 
the fatherless, and the widow that the Lord your God may bless 
you in all the work of your hands." You see a theme here. God is 
about defending the defenseless. God is about tending to the helpless. 
God is there to champion the cause of the downtrodden and 
poor within the covenant community. And as a result, he bids the 
family to look after their own widows. In the absence of a godly 
family to look after their own widows, then the church is to 
take that responsibility. The idea isn't, well, they don't 
have a family. So they're going to just die. 
No, if they don't have a family, the church must put them on the 
roll and must minister to them because this reflects the mind 
and the heart and the compassion and the kindness and the love 
of our great God. I mentioned Deuteronomy 28 and 
27-19. The curses, if they go into the 
land and they do not do what God the Lord tells them, they 
will receive the curses associated with the covenant. In Deuteronomy 
27, 19, cursed is the one who perverts the justice due the 
stranger, the fatherless and the widow. The psalm that I read 
at the outset of worship, Psalm 68, 5 and 6. God is a father 
of the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in His holy 
habitation. God sets the solitary in families. He brings out those who are bound 
into prosperity, but the rebellious dwell in a dry land. When he 
comes to the prophet Isaiah to indict the nation in chapter 
1, one of the issues that they need repentance in is dealing 
graciously with widows. Isaiah 1, 16 and 17. Wash yourselves. Make yourselves clean. Put away 
the evil of your doings from before my eyes. Cease to do evil. Learn to do good. Seek justice. 
Rebuke the oppressor. Defend the fatherless. Plead 
for the widow. You see, this isn't just mentioned 
once in passing. This is a constant theme throughout 
Scripture that people, believers, ought to care for their widowed 
parents. Believers ought to be kind and 
manifest grace compassion, and love. In the absence of believing 
children or grandchildren, the church is to step up, the church 
is to give, the church is to honor, the church is to help. 
In Isaiah 1.23, Your princes are rebellious and companions 
of thieves. Everyone loves brides and follows 
after rewards. They do not defend the fatherless, 
nor does the cause of the widow come before them. The New Testament 
establishes precedent as well. In the book of Luke, Luke's Gospel, 
chapter 7, there's a beautiful instance where Jesus passes into 
the city of Nain, and He sees there a widow. And He tends to 
her, and He shows compassion to her. Luke 7.11, now it happened 
the day after, that He went into a city called Nain, and many 
of His disciples went with Him, and a large crowd. And when He 
came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being 
carried out, the only son of His mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city 
was with her. When the Lord saw her, He had 
compassion on her, and said to her, Do not weep. That was the 
response elicited when the Lord Christ saw this widow. He looked 
upon her, He had compassion, and He told her not to weep. 
Why? Because He's going to alleviate 
her distress. Verse 14, Then He came and touched 
the open coffin, and those who carried Him stood still, and 
He said, Young man, I say to you, arise. So he who was dead 
sat up and began to speak, and He presented him to his mother. 
Then fear came upon all, and they glorified God, saying, A 
great prophet has risen up among us, and God has visited his people. And this report about him went 
throughout all Judea and all the surrounding region." We saw 
last week in Acts chapter 6. The very issue that necessitated 
the selection of seven men who had good reputation, who were 
full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, was the daily rationing of food 
to the widows. And so we see that God does have 
a concern. James 1 as well indicates what 
pure and undefiled religion in the sight of God and the Father 
is. It is very clear. It is very 
simple. He says, pure and undefiled religion 
before God and the Father is this, to visit orphans and widows 
in their trouble and to keep oneself unspotted from the world. You see, God's heart is manifested 
in these passages. What does God think of widows? 
The Old and the New Testaments tell us. And as I referred to 
this morning, probably behind the scenes, in Paul's choice 
of the word honor is the fifth commandment. Towner makes this 
observation. In addition to the well-defined 
concern for widows that had become emblematic of covenant faithfulness, 
Paul may intentionally echo the similarly framed fifth commandment 
that in Greek translation utilizes the same verb. This commandment 
assumed the responsibility of the children to provide for their 
elderly parents. Its quotation in Mark 7.10 is 
central to the discussion of a problem of withholding support 
from parents. George Knight says, Paul's use 
of the verb here is surely influenced by its use in the fifth commandment. 
Moreover, the only other Pauline occurrence of the verb is a direct 
quotation of this commandment in Ephesians 6.2. And use of 
the verb in the synoptics, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, most often reflects 
this commandment. So when we read in 5.3, honor 
widows who are really widows, what the apostle is essentially 
saying is render evangelical obedience to the fifth commandment. 
In other words, as blood-bought children of God, as spirit-indwelt 
believers, those who have been justified freely by His grace, 
look to the fifth word to mandate and regulate and dictate the 
conduct you are to imbibe with reference to widows in the context. 
of the local church. It is a lawful use of the law 
in its normative sense for the people of God to regulate how 
they respond to those destitute among them. So that's the Lord's 
concern for widows. Notice, secondly, the family's 
responsibility toward widows in verses 4 to 8. First of all, 
the family is the primary provider. Notice in verse 4, but if any 
widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show 
piety at home and to repay their parents. For this is good and 
acceptable before God. The whole section ends with a 
reiteration of this in verse 16. If any believing man or woman 
has widows, let them relieve them and do not let the church 
be burdened that it may relieve those who are really widows. 
You see the logic. There's believers in the context 
of the church, they ought to provide support for their own 
widows so that the church is not burdened and the church then 
can provide support for those who are really widows, those 
who do not have family to provide for them, family to honor them, 
family to take care of them. So that's the overarching concern. The primary means of provision 
for widows is their family. If any widow has children or 
grandchildren, notice, let them first learn to show piety at 
home and to repay their parents. You see, this is an act of worship. It's an act of godliness. It's 
an act of service unto the Lord. The way that we do or do not 
treat our own widows reflects something of our heart disposition 
before God Most High. This is the language that the 
Apostle employs. If anyone or any widow rather 
has children or grandchildren, let them, the children or the 
grandchildren, first learn to show piety at home. In other 
words, we are justified by the grace of God through faith in 
Christ. We are justified by the grace 
of God through faith in Christ so that we can engage in acts 
of piety. And in this context, an act of 
piety is to make sure your mother has food. To make sure your mother 
has clothing. To make sure your mother has 
a roof over her head. That's piety. That's godliness. That is service. It's always 
intrigued me that there are Christians at times that want to do great 
things for God. And I think that's good. We ought 
to want to do great things for God. But in our desire to go 
be missionaries here or go be missionaries there or to do this 
or to do that, we oftentimes neglect the first place where 
we are to manifest genuine piety. And that is in the home. It is 
toward our mothers. It is toward our grandmothers. 
It is making sure that they're not eating dog food. It is making 
sure that they're not huddled in a corner somewhere. It is 
making sure that they have the necessities for life. This is 
piety. This is godliness. This is righteousness. And as the apostle will imply 
or conclude in verse 8, a denial of it is a denial of the faith 
itself. You see, God's concern for widows 
is such that when a man or a woman professes saving faith in Jesus 
Christ, but does not defend the defenseless, does not render 
piety with reference to the home, they have denied the very faith 
they have professed. They have denied the very faith 
that they have claimed as their own. We are not saved by our 
works. We are not saved because of our 
piety, but we are saved unto piety. And when there's a lack 
or an absence of piety, there must be a lack or an absence 
of justifying faith. This is what the Bible sets forth. 
This is what the Scripture testifies. I think Gordon Clark makes it 
very clear when he says this, what passes so apparently as 
good works are not good unless preceded by justification. In 
other words, when a pagan does these things for their unbelieving 
mothers, it's not good works in terms of those things God 
approves upon. I mean, it's good in the sense 
that they should do it. It's good in the sense that this is, 
you know, the decent and the right thing to do. But when we 
use the phrase good works, we're saying those things which God 
looks approvingly upon. And as Clark says, and I think, 
well, what passes so apparently as good works are not good unless 
preceded by justification. He goes on to say, and if a claim 
justification does not inevitably produce good works, it simply 
was not justification. And this is what the Apostle 
draws out in verses 4 to 8 in very, very hard terms. Not hard in the sense it's hard 
to do this, but for Paul it's a very cut and dry matter. If 
you deny your role towards your widowed mother or grandmother, 
you've denied the faith. If she's freezing, if she's suffering, 
and she's hungry, you are not what you claim to be. That's 
the heart of God in terms of widows. George Knight says, since 
true piety encompasses all of life, it will also include that 
which God requires as duties in human relationships. Note the text again. Let them 
first learn to show piety at home and to repay their parents. Note the logic here. Repay their 
parents. Your parents spent a lot on you. Now, it's not a barter system. 
It's not a ledger. My mothers gave me $433,000 over 
my period of life. You ever done that? Have you 
ever wondered how much money actually does go into something if you 
kept a running total so you could tell your kid at his 18th birthday, 
here's your bill. This is what you need to pay 
me back. I'm just kidding. It's not a barter system in that 
sense, but the logic is impeccable. They cared for you. They reared 
you. They sacrificed for you. They 
didn't have a summer home for you. They didn't have boats for 
you. So now, when they're in need, 
maybe you ought to employ some of that same sort of sacrifice 
and make sure they have what they need. Repay your parents. Be there for them. Tend to them. Be kind. This is a demonstration 
of love, kindness, compassion, and obedience to God. They cared 
for you. It is your turn to care for them. It's a blessing. Woe to the believers. I don't want to do that. I don't 
want to part with my money. I don't want to serve them that 
way. You've not learned Christ. He walks into the city of Nain. 
He sees this widow. It's not his mother, but he sees 
her and he has compassion upon her and he tells her, do not 
weep because I'm going to alleviate your needs and your wants and 
your desires. I'm going to raise your son from the dead so that 
he can continue to provide for you. Isn't that beautiful? It's 
glorious. It is a manifestation of the 
heart of God Most High for widows. And then note the theological 
motivation in verse 4. So learn to show piety at home 
and to repay their parents for this is good and acceptable before 
God. This isn't over and above in 
terms of, wow, I'm really excelling as a Christian man or woman. 
No, this is good and acceptable before God. This is what you 
ought to do. This is legit. This is consistent. This is what even unbelievers 
or pagans do. It is good and acceptable before 
God when believers do this. John Calvin says, not to show 
gratitude toward our ancestors is universally acknowledged to 
be monstrous. Isn't it? It's universally acknowledged 
to be monstrous. For that is a lesson taught us 
by natural reason. Again, the appeal to the pagan 
in verse 8 indicates that even unbelievers get this. Even heathen 
or pagans get this. In fact, some of the commentators 
suggest that in the Greco-Roman world, this was just a no-brainer. Of course you looked after your 
widows. Of course you looked after them 
so they were not destitute and turned out on the street. Notice, 
verses 5 and 6, he identifies a real widow. Again, he will 
do this in more detail when we get to verses 9 to 16, when the 
church has to pony up and provide support. There is discrimination 
involved. Because a woman's husband's dead 
doesn't mean that the church necessarily gives her everything 
that she stands in need of. There's a qualification involved. 
The text does not teach that we can't, at times, care for 
even unbelieving widows. The text does not teach that 
at times the church won't tend to younger widows. But when it 
says, do not let them be enrolled upon the list, it means a constant 
regular support. And in order for a widow to make 
it on that particular list for constant regular support, she 
must be qualified. There must be certain things 
met. There's an age requirement. There is a past record of faithfulness 
before God, and specifically, if she's younger, Paul's counsel 
to them is, get married again. Notice here in verses 5 and 6. 
The positive identifiers. Now, she who is really a widow. Now, really a widow probably 
means those who are worthy of support, as the context is one 
of taking care of widows. We shouldn't understand Paul 
to be saying that unbelieving widows ought to be cast away. 
Again, that's not the point of the passage. The point of the 
passage is to underscore and highlight our responsibility 
toward a specific class of widows within the context of the local 
church. The description and contrast 
between the two types of widows is connected to formal and ongoing 
support. Now, everybody should understand 
this. If somebody walks to the door of the church and they need 
something to alleviate misery, and we may never see them again, 
we have the right, the prerogative, and the privilege to meet that 
particular need. But if somebody needs constant, 
ongoing, regular support in the context and life of the local 
church, there are certain qualifications that must be in place. The church 
isn't Hong Kong Bank. The church isn't a mortgage and 
loan company. The church doesn't have endless 
resources. The church can't alleviate every 
widow in Chilliwack. The church has to exercise discrimination, 
not based on race, not based on gender. Well, in this case, 
yes. Not based on any of those sorts of things. But there must 
be put into place a criteria. And that's what Paul is highlighting 
here. Now, notice his description in 
terms of positive of a real widow. Verse 5, now, she who is really 
a widow and left alone. She's left alone. She does not 
have children. She does not have grandchildren 
for the church's support. Obviously, here in verse 4, she 
has children and grandchildren there to provide for. But Paul 
is describing for us the kind of the class of widow that we 
ought to be looking to assist. She is left alone. She no longer 
has a husband. She no longer has someone providing 
for her on an ongoing basis. She trusts in God. No matter 
what may happen, she still has this living faith in the living 
God that he will tend to her. And then she evidences or manifests 
this trust in God in the way that she conducts herself. She 
continues in supplications and prayers night and day. She's a woman of prayer. She's 
a woman of scripture. She's a woman of the public means 
of grace. In many respects, she looks like 
Luke 2, 36 to 38 with Anna. Anna is described as one who 
did not depart from the temple, but served God with fastings 
and prayers night and day." And so what Paul is saying is that 
there are two types of widows. You need to understand this. 
And if you ever do ministry in old folks' homes, you can see 
this sort of thing. Not every dear old doll with 
blue hair is a godly, righteous woman who trusts in the Lord. Are they? You can meet some that 
aren't that way. Again, we've got to exercise 
discernment. This is what Paul is saying, exercise discernment. 
She who is really a widow and left alone trusts in God and 
continues in supplications and prayers night and day. Note negatively 
in verse 6, but she who lives in pleasure is dead while she 
lives. If she lives for pleasure, she 
is not really a widow. Yes, her husband may be gone 
and dead, but she's living for pleasure. She's not living for 
God. She is not engaging herself in 
devotions through supplications and prayers. She is not trusting 
in the living God to provide support. She has means. She doesn't 
trust God. She does not continue in supplications 
and prayers. The woman who is really a widow 
seeks first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. The woman 
who is not really a widow seeks first her kingdom and her pleasure 
and her joy and her carnality. So Paul is saying you don't have 
evangelical responsibility to that one. Now the text does not 
deal with the situation and this is something I've been struggling 
with over the last several days as I've wrestled with it. Believing 
children with an unbelieving mother whose husband departs. 
The text does not say you must cut her off. The text does not 
say you must get rid of her. The text does not say or stipulate 
what you are to do in that eventuality. And quite frankly, I believe, 
as I understand life in the world around us, if pagans deal with 
their unbelieving pagan parents, we should still render some sort 
of assistance to these particular people. But I think the overarching 
theme is that Paul is appealing to the church as to when and 
how they are to step in with reference to her support. She 
thinks she is living it up. She thinks that pleasure is everything. She thinks that everything is 
going her way. But as Paul tells us in verse 
6, she who lives in pleasure is dead while she lives. So this is the difference between 
the kind of woman, a kind of widow that the church should 
step in to deal with, and the difference between the kind of 
widow that the church should not step in to deal with. In 
terms of a primary responsibility, The church shouldn't step in 
at all if she has believing children or grandchildren. They should 
be there to pony up on her behalf to make sure that she does not 
die physically. And then notice in verses 7 and 
8, the necessity of obedience. Paul says in verse 7, these things 
command that they may be blameless. The grammar could reflect the 
widows. The grammar could be, these things 
command, that the widows may be blameless. But the context 
indicates it's the grandchildren and the children. In other words, 
instruct the people in your church, Timothy. Instruct the believers 
in Ephesus, Timothy. Instruct the children and the 
grandchildren of widowed people that they need to take seriously 
this responsibility so that they may be blameless. In other words, 
blamelessness before God Most High in terms of our relationships 
to our mothers is to make sure that they have what they need. 
These things command. The ones commanded are the family 
members addressed in verse 4. The responsibility of believers 
to their family is commanded by God Himself and the believer 
is to pursue blamelessness before God. Remember back in 1st Timothy 
3, verse 2, the elder is to be blameless. It's not just the 
elder that is to pursue blamelessness, it is every Christian person 
is to pursue blamelessness when it comes to this particular command 
of the living and true God. And then he summarizes in verse 
8 by speaking of a condemnation upon the disobedient. This is 
the negative of what he states positively in verse 4. If any 
widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show 
piety at home and to repay their parents, for this is good and 
acceptable before God. Impiety is seen in verse 8. 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. Again, this language leaves us 
no place to wonder. This language does not leave 
us in any doubt whatsoever as to the gravity of the situation. 
In other words, when God commands evangelical obedience to the 
fifth commandment vis-a-vis providing for our widowed mothers or grandmothers, 
For us to not do this is a denial of the Christian faith itself, 
and it is to take a plunge into being worse than an unbeliever. 
Because I think the logic is this, unbelievers tend to their 
unbelieving parents. If the pagans and the heathen 
in the Greco-Roman world tended to their mothers when their husbands 
passed away, and when those in the church who profess the true 
religion neglect their widows, they are a step below the unbeliever 
themselves. Reinecker and Rogers say, he 
is worse than an unbeliever, because unbelievers perform their 
duty, both Jew and Gentile, and because he has not only the law 
of nature, but the law of Christ to guide him. Provision for widows 
is part of everyday kinship and has become for Paul the crowning 
expression of genuine faith in action within the Christian household. Turn back for just a moment to 
1 Corinthians chapter 5. Paul uses a similar argument 
there in order to highlight the absolute wickedness of the church 
in Corinth. Verse 1, chapter 5, it is actually 
reported that there is sexual immorality among you and such 
sexual immorality as is not even named among the Gentiles. You 
see the argument there? You people in Corinth have taken 
a step further than the Gentiles surrounding you. That's bad, 
isn't it? when the church is more debauched 
than the pagans surrounding them, it is not good in Zion. It is actually reported that 
there is sexual immorality among you, and such sexual immorality 
as is not even named among the Gentiles, that a man has his 
father's wife." Now notice, the issue was that a man did this, 
But compounded with this is that the church knew about it and 
didn't deal with it. That's what verse 2 indicates. 
And you are puffed up, and if not rather mourned, that he who 
has done this deed might be taken away from among you. What's the 
implication? That the church in Corinth knew 
that one of its own was engaged in sexual immorality that out-Gentiled 
the Gentiles, and the church understood and knew about it, 
and instead of dealing with it and putting that man out of the 
church, they were puffed up. There was an arrogance about 
it. Perhaps they had the mindset, well, we've been washed in the 
blood of Jesus. It really doesn't matter what we do. They might 
have had that Roman six idea going on in Corinth. What shall 
we say that? Shall we continue in sin that 
grace may abound? Well, if this man does this thing 
that's actually worse than the Gentiles, it'll be a vehicle 
or an avenue for God to pour out even more grace upon us. 
You can't argue that way. That's wicked. That's the devil's 
logic. But the same sort of idea here in verse one of chapter 
five in first Corinthians. is at work in chapter 5 verse 
8 in 1st Timothy. He says, if anyone does not provide 
for his own and especially for those of his household, he has 
denied the faith. It is a denial of the Christian 
system of truth. The faith is objective there. It is Christianity as a system 
under God. And for those who profess and 
then do not care for their widows. They have denied the faith and 
is worse than an unbeliever." So as I said, God willing, in 
two weeks time we'll take up 9 to 16 under the church's responsibility 
for the widows. But in conclusion tonight, first 
of all, we see the Lord's care. You can't miss this. If you don't 
have a widowed mother, it probably isn't something you think about 
very often. Someday you might. Someday you might. Within the 
context of the local church, as people get older, it is inevitable 
that people die. Typically, women outlive men. It's just the reality. At least 
if Bible studies at old folks' residences are any indicator, 
it looks like about a 10 to 1 ratio. The church is going to have responsibility. If these widows do not have children 
and grandchildren to tend to them, then the church must be 
there to provide for them. This is tangible evidence of 
Christian piety when we engage in such things. If you are a 
child, an adult child, or an adult grandchild, of an aging 
mother or father. You should be storing away. You 
should be looking how you can assist. You should be realizing 
and planning for this eventuality. More than likely, your parents 
aren't the ones that are going to avoid death. And you're going 
to have to be called upon to engage in this sort of charity 
and in this sort of compassion and love and mercy. Secondly, 
the responsibility of the family. Paul emphasizes this very thoroughly 
in verses 4 to 8. He reiterates it very thoroughly 
in verse 16. What's Paul's point? Verse 16 
tells us, if any believing man or woman has widows, let them 
relieve them. Do not let the church be burdened 
that it may relieve those who are really widows. The idea isn't, 
don't let the church be burdened so they can buy gymnasiums and 
more property and build bigger buildings and have more campuses. 
but that they'll have resources to provide for those who are 
really widows indeed, that don't have family, that don't have 
children, that don't have grandchildren. So the family is the primary 
agent of responsibility with reference to this particular 
task. And notice, interestingly enough, what party is absent 
in 1st Timothy chapter 5 verses 4 to 16. The Apostle Paul traffics 
in terms of the family and the church in the care for the widow. 
He doesn't throw them on the state. He doesn't say, send them 
to Caesar, send them to the emperor, send them to the welfare agency. He says, family, look after them. 
If there's not a family church, look after them. No mention whatsoever 
of the governing authorities in 1 Timothy 5, 4-16. I'm not 
here to talk about all the instances where the state and the government 
do actually have Social Security and all that. It's not my part 
and parcel tonight to deal with all of that. But the point of 
the passage is not get rid of them by having them go join the 
state system. Responsibility of family. And 
I think a legitimate implication of verse 8 ought to be drawn 
out as well. If anyone does not provide for 
his own and especially for those of his household, Yes, his mother. Yes, his grandmother. Certainly his wife. Certainly 
his kids. Certainly those closest to him 
in terms of family obligation and relationship. Householders, 
men of God, ought to be those who pursue good jobs, who pursue 
hard work, who labor diligently so that they can provide for 
their own. This is mandated in God's law. This is required. This is what 
the Lord says concerning this whole issue of provision. If you do not provide for your 
own, especially those of your own household, you have denied 
the faith and you are worse than an unbeliever. And then finally, 
we need to reiterate, we are not saved by caring for widows. We are saved in order to care 
for widows. It is the gospel of Jesus Christ 
alone by which we are saved. It is the death and the resurrection 
of the Savior that brings us into eternal life. It is the 
glory of Christ and His cross that brings us into God's favor. And as those who enjoy God's 
favor, we ought to be full of charity and benevolence and love 
and compassion and kindness, and to go and seek to alleviate 
those who are in need and exercise charity, especially for those 
of our own household, mothers, grandmothers, those destitute, 
and those in need. Well, let us pray. Our Father, 
we thank you for your word, and we thank you for its clarity 
in these matters, and I pray that you would just help us to 
see your heart to see your concern, to see your mind revealed in 
Scripture concerning the widow. We ask now, Lord God, that you 
would go with us in this coming week. We pray that you would 
watch over us, bring us together on the Lord's Day, bring us together 
so that we may worship you in spirit and in truth. And as a 
church, God, help us to be ready, to be there to assist those who 
have need. And we ask this through Christ 
our Lord. Amen.