We are exploring the question:  What is a healthy church?  What does “healthy church” look like in the real time of where we live our lives?  We’re looking at Paul’s first letter to Timothy.  Timothy who was pastoring the church in Ephesus.

Last Sunday we began a section of Paul’s letter where Paul is teaching about relationships between generations.  Which even the best of us at times struggle with - as parents - as youth - with people we work with.  We have different perspectives on how life happens. 

One huge reason why our society is coming apart at the seams is because the family unit - ma, pa, and siblings that are related biologically to each other and their parents who are still married to each other - where people in that multi-generational family unit actually sacrificially love each other - all that is a rarity these days.  Lacking to the point where people long for it but have no idea where to find it.

Are we tracking together?

We live together generationally in a culture that is focused on sex and violence - ultimately focused on self.  Me, myself, and I.  The culture we live in values sacrificial love only so far as liking someone’s Facebook post about sacrificial love or if that love is about us.  Youth is exalted.  Seniors are warehoused.

The hope in that is this:  The purpose of the Church - our calling together - is to penetrate the world with the Gospel of Jesus Christ - to display the character of God to the world - for His glory.  No where is the reality of the Gospel more clearly demonstrated - more counter culture needed - more hope inspiring - than when the followers of Jesus Christ express the sacrificially love of God to others - within the congregation - and to those around us who need to know Jesus’ love.

Which is the big picture of where Paul is going in this section of his letter - what we began to look at last Sunday - the big picture of what Paul is teaching here is that counter-cultural - desperately needed - caring and respect - loving on each other between the generations.

How we love on each other as generations in Jesus demonstrates the reality of His gospel in our lives.  Attracts people to the Gospel.  Gives hope to people living in fear and despair.  That’s healthy church in real time.

In 5:1 - Paul began this section by writing:  Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity.

That’s multigenerational respect and caring.

Last Sunday we looked a Paul’s first example of what that looks like in real time.  Paul focused on caring for widows - a significantly vulnerable group of older women.

This morning we’re coming to Paul’s second example - which is about men.  Specifically older Godly men.  Specifically those who have leadership roles in the congregation.  How we demonstrate the love of Jesus by how we treat older Godly men leading in the congregation.

Would you read with me verses 17 and 18:  Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who labor in preaching and teaching.  For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle and ox when it treads out the grain,” and, “The laborer deserves his wages.”

How do we love on Godly men leading in the church - showing respect to them?  Number one:  We need to Honor Them.

Elders translates the Greek word “presbuteros.”  “Presbuterios” was the word that the Greeks used to translate the Hebrew word “zaqen”.  “Zaqen” literally means “to have a beard.”  Meaning someone who is elderly.  At least elderly enough to have a beard.

Meaning that an elder - a “presbuterios” - was someone that had been around the block a few times.  Someone who could be identified by their proven gifts of leadership and wisdom and justice as well has their age.

A “zaqen” was a man.  In Scripture there are no examples anywhere of an elder being a women.  There were leaders - prophetesses and Deborah who was a judge and Esther who played a huge role in Hebrew history - women who for a time gave counsel or took roles of leadership in the nation.  But the elders - “zaqen” - were always men.

A Hebrew man - a “zaqen” - who met the qualifications could be put into a position of leadership in the Hebrew nation that involved things like settling disputes - governing towns - advising the king - even being members of the Sanhedrin - the Hebrew Supreme Court.  A role of “ruling” in the community.

Which are the kinds of qualifications and roles that Paul is focusing on here in his example.  Let’s be clear - Paul is not just talking about pastors.  Older Godly men who have roles of leadership - ruling - authority - oversight - older men who have roles of leadership in the congregation.

Paul writes:  Let the elders who rule well be considered worthy of double honor,

“Honor” has to do with how greatly we value something.

Which is more valuable to you - iPhone7 / Samsung Galaxy 7?

In the that the Greek word for “honor” was used in Paul’s day it had to do with value placed on a slave.  How much would you be willing to pay for the slave based on what the slave was able to produce.

We need to be careful with how far run with that definition.

Paul’s point being that those Godly men who lead well - meaning they live Godly and lead others towards Godliness - who protect and shepherd the congregation - based on what they produce - those Godly men need to be honored - valued.

Sometimes men are in positions of congregational leadership and they talk a good talk but they produce nothing.  We really can’t count on them.  They’re just using oxygen.  Godly men produce valuable godly fruit.

“Labor” meaning “labor” - hard persistent - often behind-the-scenes - long hours - of God focused - God glorifying - selfless - work.

Paul goes on - that honoring is especially true for those who labor in preaching and teaching. 

Preaching - by definition of the Greek word - is expository.  It exposes what God’s word is saying.

Meaning the starting point is understanding that the Word of God is THE word of God - each word God inspired by God - by direct revelation through the original writers without error in the original manuscripts.  So that God’s word - the Bible - must be respected - studied - and the meaning carefully and accurately exposed.

Teaching - by definition of the Greek word - is explanation.

What difference does what God’s word is saying - what difference does that make for us in the day-to-day of our lives?  How are we to live together under the authority of God’s word - what’s been exposed?

Which is an essential for a church to be healthy.  Expository teaching - exposing and explaining God’s word.  So that we can learn to live and serve together under the authority of God’s word - the Bible.

Which today is a serious problem in the church in America - if not a near fatal disease.  The word of God - the Bible - is not being taught. 

Many pastors will string together different verses to support their opinions and various understandings of things.  Many pastors will refer to the Bible like it’s one of many equally valid religious texts.  Many pastors preach the politically correct warm fuzzy passages of the Bible and ignore the weightier and more in-your-face challenging passages.  Many pastors don’t even use the Bible and there are number of congregations that seemingly are okay with that.  In many churches the Bible is so buried under church tradition and culture that it’s hard to know which is which.

Which is why so many Christians are spiritually sick and sidelined.  Why so many congregations are sick and sidelined.  They may be large in number and influence.  But they’re dead spiritually - even working against the Kingdom.

The church cannot be healthy without preaching and teaching that exposes what the Bible says and explains how we are to live under its authority. 

In 1 Timothy 3:2 - we saw that one of the qualifications of Godly men raised to the role of overseer - one of the qualifications was the ability to teach.

Paul writes - here in chapter 5 - that elders - in that leadership role - who do this preaching and teaching well - who are devoted - committed - and effective in leading from God’s word - these elders are worthy of double honor - respect - to be valued - because done well that preaching and teaching is valuable.

How?  Paul goes on - verse 18 - quoting from Moses - from Deuteronomy 25:4 - For the Scripture says, “You shall not muzzle and ox when it treads out the grain,”

The backstory on that being that in Moses’ day sheaves of grain were laid out on a level floor.  Oxen were harnessed to a flat sledge and led over the grain.  The oxen dragging this sledge over the grain.  The whole point being to loosen the kernels of grain.

The nations around Israel would put a muzzle over the mouth of the ox so that it couldn’t eat the grain it was threshing.  Pure bottom line economics and profit thinking.  But God commanded Israel to unmuzzle the ox.  The oxen were working so they deserved to eat.

Which was God’s way of teaching His people about His love and concern for them.  And how we ought to be treating each other.

Paul - using the same illustration in 1 Corinthians 9 - Paul asks, “Is God concerned about the oxen?  No, God wrote this for us.” (1 Corinthians 9:9,10)  There’s a principle here. 

The point Paul is getting at comes as Paul goes on to quotes Jesus, “The laborer deserves his wages.” (Luke 10:7)

Church leadership that’s working hard - that’s devoted to preaching and teaching the word of God - and is doing that effectively - as God’s word impacts lives and bears fruit - the leaders should be honored - encouraged - supported. (Matthew 10:10)

A long time ago in a church far far away I had long time member of the congregation tell me - in a not so encouraging tone of voice:  “We pay your salary so you need to do what we want.”

We’re the Body of Christ.  The household of God.  Siblings through the blood of Jesus.  Each of us has a God given role in that partnership - in that multi-generational relationship.  Some roles are more or less noticeable.  But all are crucial.

The ministry of the congregation is displaying God’s character to the world.  As God transforms us.  As God chooses to use us.  As God produces His fruit through us to His glory. 

Elders - like oxen - an interesting comparison - elders like oxen are laboring in their God given role - and they need to be honored.

Isn’t it true that any one of us who works hard - pouring our heart and soul into something - and gets a lukewarm or cold response - or told that somehow were a lesser person - any one of us is going to struggle with discouragement?  “Man, why I am even doing this?  What’s the point?”

Honoring - valuing - encouraging - unmuzzling can take all kinds of different forms.

Loving God:  Showing up consistently on Sundays and before 10:00 a.m. to worship and serve God.  Being here even on Sundays when we aren’t serving.  But just being here to complete the membership of the Body in our worshiping of God.  To consistently process together God’s word as it’s exposed and explained.  That is hugely encouraging. 

Loving others:  Consistently being a part of a small group or the youth group.  When a leader in the congregation hears how God is at work in someone’s life that’s hugely encouraging.  Or when we share God stories God is glorified and those leading are encouraged.  Hearing how God uses the online sermons and resources - that’s encouraging. 

Serving the Church:  Being committed to God’s ministry here at Creekside.  Being willing to step up and to step out of our comfort zone and serve - to meet needs - to plug away at what needs to be plugged away at.   

Serving the World:  AWANA - survey - Missions Teams - the partnership of that - the realization that others share the same burdens - have the same vision - the same passion - all that is hugely encouraging. 

If leaders are focused on helping the congregation to follow Jesus then doesn’t stand to reason that one of the most encouraging things for a leader is to see that happening?  Honoring when Godly men are thanked for their role in that?  To feel appreciated - valued - for stepping up and stepping forward to lead.

How do we love on Godly men leading in the church?  First, we need to honor them.  Second we need to be Impartial towards them.

Verses 19-22:  Do not admit a charge against an elder except on the evidence of two or three witnesses.  As for those who persist in sin, rebuke them in the presence of all, so that the rest may stand in fear.  In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality.  Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor take part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure.

We live in a society where a person is considered guilty until proven innocent - and even then nobody cares.  The damage has been done.  The Facebook crowd has already moved on.

Are we together?  Current political races being just one example.  Over and over again we seen this.  Someone makes an accusation - it goes viral - the opposition jumps on it - character is assassinated - and the impugned candidate becomes a footnote never to be heard from again.  Who cares if the accusation was true.

A while back I read about a pastor who had been dismissed by the church leadership.  An accusation had been brought against him by a member of the congregation, who, it turned out later, was actually his secretary.

She was angry with him about something and had written a letter that brought some very serious accusations against the pastor.  She’d given this letter to the church leadership as if it was something that had been sent to the pastor.  Later she confessed that she’d written the letter.

But, the damage was done.  The letter had resulted in the leadership calling the pastor in and without any further confirmation removing him from the pastorate. (1)

Jesus said, “If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone.  If he listens to you, you have gained your brother.  But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses.  If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church.”  (Matthew 18:15-17a)

That’s what Paul is getting at.  Refuse to spread or listen to gossip.  Deal with the facts according to the impartial instruction of Scripture.  If things were done that way it would but a serious dent in the gossip and misunderstandings and hurt that goes on even in the best of congregations.  All of which undermines leadership and harms the ministry of the church.

Verse 21:  In the presence of God and of Christ Jesus and of the elect angels I charge you to keep these rules without prejudging, doing nothing from partiality. 

When Harry Truman was President, every morning at 8:30 he would have a staff meeting.  One day the mail clerk brought in a lavender envelope with a regal wax seal and flowing purple ribbons.  Opening it, Harry Truman found a letter from King Saud of Saudi Arabia.  The salutation began, “Your Magnificence.”

Truman laughed, “Your Magnificence.  I like that.  I don’t know what you guys call me when I’m not here, but it’s okay if you refer to me from now on as Your Magnificence.”

Later Truman sent a message to the United Nations supporting admission of 100,000 Jews into Palestine.  Soon afterwards he received a second letter from King Saud.  This one was addressed, “Dear Mr. President.” (2)

The standard of right and wrong is not who donates more money - who agrees with us - friendships - family relationship - giving a little extra allowance for our friends imperfections while coming down hard on others.  The standard doesn’t bend by our ability to expose the mistakes of others to our advantage.

The standard we live by is Scripture.  God, and all of heaven, is looking over our shoulders at how we treat leadership in the church.  With impartiality - patiently - lovingly - thoughtfully - carefully - we need to hold our leadership accountable to the word of God.

Then verse 22:  Do not be hasty in the laying on of hands, nor take part in the sins of others; keep yourself pure.

Meaning do not select leaders based on popularity or viewpoint or clique or standing in the community or because we have slots to fill and only so many people to fill them and they were the only person we could sucker into volunteering.

Don’t be so in a hurry to fill slots that we overlook red flags.  Been there.  Done that.  Not a good thing.

Scripture gives us qualifications to look for in those that God is raising up to leadership in His church.  Church leaders should be Godly - not almost Godly.  Not because we say their Godly.  But because God says they’re Godly.  If we suggest or elect people to leadership who are not qualified by God then, Paul writes, we participate in their sin.

First, we’ve been disobedient to God’s instructions.  Then, wherever they lead or stumble we go along for the ride - a roller coaster ride of gossip and accusations and hurt and missed opportunity.  All of which could have been avoided with some impartial discernment in the first place.

There are reason why God instructs us to set the bar high.  Any leader of God will be accused of any number of sins and failures.  For the sake of respecting that leader, and the health of the church, we need to handle the accusations with impartiality and to make sure that those in leadership are qualified to be there in the first place.

Honor, impartial, and third Paul writes that respect involves being Sensitive.

Read with me at verse 23:  (No longer drink only water, but use a little wine for the sake of your stomach and your frequent ailments.)  The sins of some men are conspicuous, going before them to judgment, but the sins of others appear later.  So also good works are conspicuous, and even those that are not cannot remain hidden.

It’s really hard to know why Paul writes what he writes in verse 23.  Most commentators struggle to connect this verse with the rest of the teaching.  It is intensely personal - directed at Timothy - and it just doesn’t seem to fit with the rest of Paul’s teaching.

Is Paul talking about grape juice or fermented wine - or something in between?  To drink or not to drink?  For so many that is the question.  Churches have divided over secondary issues like that.

But the question here is not what to drink, but why?  Why does Paul - in the midst of talking about respect for older Godly men in church leadership - suddenly go off talking about Timothy’s upset stomach and ailments?

Ephesus was a city given to public drunkenness.  The reaction of the Church may have been to abstain from drinking any alcohol or at least maybe they looked down on it.  Timothy - as a church leader - may have been expected to abstain from alcohol.  To set an example for the rest of the Church.

Probably the water supply - meaning water with all kinds of strange things in it - the water in Ephesus may have been causing Timothy stomach problems - maybe dysentery and other illnesses.  A little wine would have gone a long way to help with all that.  But what would people think?

We’ve seen that there were men in the Ephesian Church who desired to be thought of as elders - to be seen as older - more mature spiritually - to be held in high regard as leaders and teachers in the church.  Men who were teaching all kinds of ungodly teachings - including abstaining from marriage and certain foods.

Men who seemed to have a following within the church.  Think pro Timothy and anti Timothy.  Men that - it seems - made an issue out of Timothy’s youthfulness.  Men who were constantly on Timothy for his character and actions and teaching.  Maybe saying that Timothy wasn’t qualified to lead as an elder.  Timothy isn’t qualified to be pastoring at Ephesus.

Men that Paul instructed Timothy to stand up to - to rebuke - and in contrast to what they were teaching to teach God’s truth so that others would reject their heresy. 

That’s a recipe for stress.  Isn’t it?

It isn’t much of a stretch that the stress of Timothy’s pastoring the Ephesian church was probably being taken out on his intestines.  Between the water and the church Timothy was probably having all kinds of problems. 

To drink or not to drink - that is the question:  Whether ‘tis nobler for the Christian to suffer the ailments of the stomach or to take wine against a sea of stomach troubles.

Paul’s instructions have got to come as a relief for Timothy.  Given the community total abstinence may be the better way to go.  But, its not a black and white religious requirement.  Forget the expectations of everyone around you.  Mix a little wine with your water and get better.

What Paul writes next may be a clue as to how all this fits together.

Which is his point in verse 24: The sins of some men are conspicuous, going before them to judgment, but the sins of others appear later.  So also good works are conspicuous, and even those that are not cannot remain hidden.

Jesus put it this way:  “For nothing is hidden that will not become evident, nor anything secret that will not be known and come to light.” (Luke 8:17)

Meaning that God knows and judges how we live in the secret places of our lives.  God knows what’s really going on in Timothy’s heart.  God knows what’s going on the hearts and lives of the wannabe leaders.  God knows what’s going on in the hearts and lives of the elders and widows and youngens.

Nothing gets by God - who treats all of us with love and mercy and grace and justice.  Good stuff will come out.  Bad stuff will come out.  And God will deal with it.

With Timothy - church leaders - with all of us in the church - we need to be more concerned with what God thinks than the expectations of others who are clueless to the deeper issues we struggle with.

Put another way - respecting Godly leaders - rather than adding on all of our expectations - whether they’ve met our needs or done things the way we expect them to - we need to encourage and support them with great sensitivity as they struggle with deeper issues in their lives - as they first seek to live in obedience to God and then to lead us as they obey Him.  We need to keep pointing them to God.

Just like Timothy - a Godly leader will already be sensitive to our expectations because he loves the people who have those expectations.  But, leadership is a lonely place to be.  It’s the front lines of spiritual warfare.  It’s a place of personal struggle and great temptation.

Being sensitive in real time that can involve things like prayer for our leaders - for their needs and protection - their wives - their families.  That can mean walking alongside them through the difficult stuff of life.  Asking them how they’re doing spiritually.  Listening to them without judging them and keeping our mouth shut about what they say.  It can mean providing opportunities for them to get more education or go to conferences of just get away regularly with God.

I greatly appreciate hearing from people that they faithfully pray for me and my family.  We need to be praying Andrew and Laura and for our Church Council.  For the AWANA leaders.  For those that are teaching in the nursery and Children’s worship.  We should be praying for our youth as they grow in leadership and the roles that God is calling them into.

Our adversary hates our guts.   He’ll do whatever to tear us apart - and he has - repeatedly.  At some point we need to covenant together that that ain’t gonna happen no more.

We all need physical and spiritual and emotional protection.  We need to keep following after God’s will for our lives.  We should be praying that God would continue to raise up Godly leaders in His congregation.  I hope your praying for that.

I hope that you’ll share a word of word of encouragement with them as well - a card - a phone call.  Let them know that you’re standing with them.  Let them know that you’re praying for them to follow God’s will for their lives.  Pastor appreciation month is great.  But God has so many others here who also need us to be sensitive to their needs - sensitivity to pray for them and to encourage them.

Honor - impartial - sensitive - and then we need to respect their God given Authority.

Read with me 6:1,2:  Let all who are under a yoke as slaves regard their own masters as worthy of all honor, so that the name of God and the teaching may not be reviled.  Those who have believing masters must not be disrespectful on the ground that they are brothers; rather they must serve all the better since those who benefit by their good service are believers and beloved.

In Paul’s day, half of the inhabitants of the Roman Empire were slaves to the other half.  Its an illustration that - in Timothy’s day - its an illustration that everyone was familiar with.  They saw it lived out daily in their lives.

Masters had absolute authority over their slaves who had no rights.  Hard to imagine what that must have been like - being in a service of worship - with masters and slaves sitting side by side worshiping God - brothers and sisters in Jesus.  Diversity on steroids.

That’s the illustration of the church - the application for us.  Masters and slaves is an extreme.  But leaders and those called upon to respect them.  To the degree that we do this the Gospel is displayed in the world.

Notice that Paul moves from believing slaves honoring non-believing masters so that God’s character is displayed - Paul moves from the dynamic of that relationship to believing slaves and believing masters.  Encouraging believing slaves not to disrespect their believing masters - just because we’re brothers I can get away with not doing what you said - respect - service needs to happen all the more - since ultimately we’re all serving the same master.

Most of us don’t naturally submit to authority.  Relationships that involve authority usually come with complications and drama.  Many in authority haven’t earned the respect that comes with that position.

But that isn’t Paul’s point.  Respecting the God given authority of the person in leadership is.

The only way that slaves and masters could worship together - that there could be such unity - such respect - such a display of the character of God - the only way that works is if both the masters and slaves worked together with reverence for God who is the ultimate judge of our lives - of how we treat each other - of what we produce together.

We all need to work together - to be open together - respecting each other’s unique gifting and calling and roles within the Body of Christ - to encourage each other to be all that He has created us to be - to allow God to work in us and through us to accomplish His purposes for us here in Merced and beyond.

We’re together?

Processing all that…

The number one need of a women is what?  Relational security.  Paul’s teaching about caring for Godly widows provides for that.

The number one need of a man is what?  Respect.  Paul’s teaching about honoring Godly men provides for that.

Which is Paul’s big picture.  Real time examples of ways that we can love on each other across generational lines in ways that display God’s character to a world - to a Merced - that is desperate for the hope found only in Jesus Christ.

_________________________

1. Ray Stedman, 1 Timothy 5:17-25, “Help For Elders”

2. Clifford Clark, BSF, Respect

Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®  (ESV®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.  Used by permission.  All rights reserved.