(Note: This is NOT this weeks Sunday School lesson. I did not prepare a lesson this week. Speaking with Martha this morning, she noted that she missed the lesson on this blog. So I dug this up and it goes along with this week's lesson pretty well. This is a talk that I gave at a Sunday Night service a couple of years ago when Kirk was out of town one week. We were starting a new children's Sunday School Program at the time and there are several references to it in this. We call our Sunday School Way C.O.O.L. Sunday School. C.O.O.L. = Children Of Our Lord.)
What will be your most valuable contribution to the kingdom of God?
For many Christians, our best ministry will be training our children or other young people to follow the Lord.
William Farel’s encouragement of John Calvin advanced and expanded the sixteenth-century Reformation.
Susanna Wesley’s guidance of her sons John and Charles eventually affected hundreds of thousands of lives, as John began what became the Methodist movement in the eighteenth century and brother Charles wrote more than nine thousand hymns and poems.
(One a day for 24 years or if he only wrote Monday through Friday it would have taken 34 years)
Thomas Campbell’s influence on his son Alexander began an entire Christian movement in the nineteenth century.
Thomas Campbell, a Presbyterian pastor, left Ireland in 1807 to search for a home on the American frontier. His family was to follow him soon after. However, when they began their journey, they encountered a violent storm on the Irish Sea. Alexander, the oldest son, promised God that he would become a pastor like his father if the storm abated. The ship landed safely in Scotland, but there were no more ships leaving for America. To make use of the time, Alexander enrolled in Glasgow University. When he finally reached America, he was well equipped to join with his father in leading a new religious movement here. He believed that the storm was God’’s way of turning his life around. Several denominations and groups look to Campbell as their spiritual ancestor.
Alexander Campbell was a very able man, and one who exerted a big influence. The New York "Independent" said of him, "There is not a religious body in the United States that has not been modified both in spirit and teaching by the influence of Alexander Campbell"; and General Robert E. Lee declared, "If I were asked to select a representative of the human race to the inhabitants of other spheres, I should select Alexander Campbell, then I know they would have a high impression of what our humanity is like."
These are some examples of great Christians who were greatly influenced by their parents or some other adult teacher or role model.
The development of godly young adults does not happen by accident. Children must be trained to know the Lord and to follow Him from their hearts (see Proverbs 22:6).
RSV Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it.
What can we do to guide our children, grandchildren, or young friends toward a life of service for the Lord?
For reference I have two passages of scripture:
RSV Deuteronomy 6:4-9
4 "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord;
5 and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.
(In Matthew 22 Jesus says that this is the first and greatest commandment.)
6 And these words which I command you this day shall be upon your heart;
7 and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise.
8 And you shall tie them to your finger, and you shall print them on your forehead
9 And you shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
RSV Psalms 78:1-8
1. GIVE EAR, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth!
2. I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old,
3. things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us.
4. We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders which he has wrought.
5. He established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children;
6. that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children,
7. so that they should set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments;
8. and that they should not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit was not faithful to God.
You may not have guessed it, but I’m going to tie this talk on Christian education to Way C.O.O.L. Sunday School.
Several weeks ago Mr. Larry Hartzog shared with us how excited he is about WCSS. The next week Kimberly did the same. Like Mr. Larry and Kimberly, I, too am very excited about WCSS.
I’m excited for several reasons.
I’m excited for Drew. She will, for a time, have the opportunity to take part in something fun, new, and exciting, all the while learning about Jesus.
I’m excited for your children, grandchildren, nieces, and nephews for the same reason.
But, strangely, I think I am most excited for the other kids. Our community is full of children who have no exposure to the Gospel. Because we are trying something new and different, there is a chance that we could attract and encourage some of these Children Of Our Lord.
This new, different, C.O.O.L. program will help us to compete. We compete not only with parents who, for whatever reason, do not bring their children to Sunday School. We also compete with Playstations, Instant Messengers, 200 channels of digital television, music videos, the latest trading card games, recreational sports leagues, swimming pools, the list could go on and on.
We have to show them how fun Church can be. This is true even for us older kids.
What does the Psalm writer tell us here about the responsibilities of teaching the future generations?
Two things:
1. Not only must we tell, the younger generation must listen
2. Of equal importance to telling and listening is the content of the communication: the content must be "my teaching" and "the words of my mouth." The word of God.
LVB 2 Timothy 4:1-4
1 And so I solemnly urge you before God and before Christ Jesus--who will some day judge the living and the dead when he appears to set up his Kingdom--
2 to preach the Word of God urgently at all times, whenever you get the chance, in season and out, when it is convenient and when it is not. Correct and rebuke your people when they need it, encourage them to do right, and all the time be feeding them patiently with God's Word.
3 For there is going to come a time when people won't listen to the truth, but will go around looking for teachers who will tell them just what they want to hear.
4 They won't listen to what the Bible says but will blithely follow their own misguided ideas.
That time may be now.
The urgent message here is to parents: share the heritage of religious faith with your offspring. Tell them about how you came to believe in God; tell them what you believe and why. Explain to them the meaning of religious rites and ceremonies. Involve them in memorials and observances. Inform them of God’s expectations and how one’s relationship to Him is determined by one’s attitude and actions. Illustrate the benefits of trust and obedience and the detriments of living in rebellion and sin. Relate both the faithfulness and the shortcomings of people from the past and emphasize the good and bad results, respectively.
In Christian families, children need to know about God and Jesus from their earliest stages of cognition. This is "home schooling" at its very best. Sunday school can be a wonderful help in this process, but it is no substitute for the "everyday school" as taught by parents and siblings.
Hers is where we have a problem. The problem is not with Christian parents who meet their responsibilities. The problem is that the "everyday school" taught by parents and siblings is not, as the Psalm writer says "my teaching" and "the words of my mouth."
A couple of things that I have heard or read lately have caused me to have strong feelings for the unchurched children of our community.
On Father’s Day, Kirk spoke of research that shows that children who participate in church activities with BOTH parents are more likely to remain Christians throughout their life. The same research shows that if only one parent participated, the father leaves the greatest impression. It is sad to think of the fathers who are missing great opportunities for spiritual growth with their children. It seems that if the parents are not meeting this need, maybe the same results could be possible if grandparents or other relatives, foster parents or other surrogates, or maybe even a church group or Sunday School program stepped in to fill the spiritual void in these children’s lives.
A second statistic that I learned recently bears strongly on my feelings for the children of our community. At our most recent UMM meeting, Dr. Mike Henderson shared the fact that in the United States (Seminole County included) nearly two of every three babies are born to mothers who are not married to the father. We can naturally conclude that if daddy isn’t married to mama, he is probably not living with mama, and he is also probably not bringing Junior to Sunday School.
This is the culture we are surrounded by.
Other pertinent research:
Adults who attended a church as a child are three times as likely to be attending church today as those who did not.
63% of those churched as children take their own children to church.
The majority of Americans make a lasting determination, one way or the other, about Christ by the age of 12.
Less than 10% make a decision about Christ past the age of 13.
Given these sobering figures, can we afford to neglect the teaching of children?
The Psalm writer tells that the instructions he is about to pass on were passed on to him and to others by their ancestors in the faith. He also states clearly that some of what he has to say may not be pleasant, that is he may not say things people like to hear.
The message here seems a bit different from dropping the kids off at Sunday school and then picking them up when its over! Not all parents take this responsibility seriously. Yet these instructions carry the weight of commands from God; notice that the psalmist characterizes his exhortation as "law" (v. 1). It is absolutely imperative that Biblical faith be passed along.
Perhaps some parents are reluctant to put this plan into action because they are ill prepared or "don’t know enough." Remember, however, that the teacher usually learns more than the student in the teaching process. Prepare to share Biblical faith by reviewing the material, reading, and studying the Scriptures. Pray for opportunities to tell what you remember. Most children occasionally ask hard questions; if you don’t have an answer, promise you will try to find one. They probably already know you’re not a genius, anyway! What they really need to know is that you are serious about your faith and the practice of your Christianity.
Verse 5. 5. He established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children;
Woven into this Psalm is the element of teaching, here teaching the law to the children. Throughout Israel’s history, the times of greatest unfaihtfulness came when the people forgot God. Teaching the law and with it the relationship with God is to serve as a safegaurd for the entire future of the nation. Christians live under the New Covenant, of course, and not under this old law appointed for Israel. But Paul tells us the Old Testament provides instruction for New Testament disciples (1 Corinthians 10:11).
LVB 1 Corinthians 10:11
11. All these things happened to them as examples--as object lessons to us--to warn us against doing the same things; they were written down so that we could read about them and learn from them in these last days as the world nears its end.
It thus remains incumbent upon all readers to share and model the faith of their spiritual fathers. Discipling future generations is not optional—it is God’s will.
Can the task of teaching faith to our children be left to the church?
Anyone who thinks that one or two hours of weekly activities can by themselves counter the influence of media and peers fools himself. Within ancient and modern families, God calls adults to "teach their children."
But what about the children who don’t learn at home?
Verses 6,7.
6. that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children,
7. so that they should set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments;
Why do we teach God’s acts and words to our children?
So that this information does not disappear.
Faith often seems not to survive beyond the third generation. But if the instructions of this passage are carried out, many fewer descendants will be lost. Consider young Timothy, whose mother Eunice and grandmother Lois passed along their faith to him. They told "the story" to Timothy, the apostle Paul confirmed it, and then commissioned the young preacher to instruct others who will subsequently teach still others (2 Timothy 1:5; 2:2).
LVB 2 Timothy 1:5 I know how much you trust the Lord, just as your mother Eunice and your grandmother Lois do; and I feel sure you are still trusting him as much as ever.
LVB 2 Timothy 2:2
2. For you must teach others those things you and many others have heard me speak about.
Teach these great truths to trustworthy men who will, in turn, pass them on to others.
The evangelistic implications multiply like compounding interest.
Dr. Frank Laubach, who fought illiteracy was known as the "Apostle to the Illiterates." and "the foremost teacher of our times."
Frank Charles Laubach (1884-1970) was the leading pioneer of the contemporary adult literacy movement. Through his efforts as an educator, communicator and organizer, millions of poor and disenfranchised people around the world were empowered to improve their lives through literacy.
In 1930, Dr. Laubach was a missionary among the Maranao people of the Philippines. He was deeply concerned about the overwhelming poverty and injustice they suffered, and became convinced that the ability to read and write was essential for them to begin to solve their problems.
Using a basic instructional approach, Dr. Laubach found that even the most impoverished people could gain control of the written and spoken word. He discovered the potential of volunteers, as newly-literate Maranaos taught other adult learners through a one-to-one instructional program that became known as "Each One Teach One."
Over the next forty years, Dr. Laubach visited 103 countries in an effort to bring literacy to the "silent billion." A prolific writer and accomplished speaker, he wrote forty books on prayer, literacy, justice and world peace, and inspired congregations and community groups across the United States with his vision of a better world.
My purpose for talking about Dr.Laubach is not so much to acknowledge his accomplishments, although they are significant, but to just get us to think about this concept. "Each one teach one".
How long would it take for all the world to know Christ if each Christian taught just one more?
What if each one taught three?
Verse 8. and that they should not be like their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation, a generation whose heart was not steadfast, whose spirit was not faithful to God.
Do you suppose that any of the ancient Israelites ever told a child, "Don’t do as I do; do as I say!"?
It is possible, even for parents who are careful to speak of religious values to children, to be far less faithful in their walk than in their talk. Probably the majority of Israelites were regular attendees at feast days, ceremonies, and formalities of their religion. But as this verse makes plain, the Israelites’ forefathers were stubborn, rebellious, and inconsistent in performing the will of God; their heart and spirit was not in tune with God’s.
By not being faithful they showed that their relationship to the Lord was only nominal. They went through some of the motions, but rebellious lifestyles betrayed their pretense. They paid lip service to God, supposedly giving Him "honor" by what they said, but in their hearts they were rebellious (Isaiah 29:13).
Isaiah 29 NIV
13 The Lord says:
""These people come near to me with their mouth
and honor me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
Their worship of me
is made up only of rules taught by men.
Most Christians know, of course, that actions speak much louder than words. Our families see us when we aren’t surrounded by church members. They observe our language and behavior in casual and careless moments, in stressful situations, and even when we think no one is paying attention. We may shy away from teaching children for fear they might call us hypocrites. Our children know us well.
Do our failures negate the stories of God’s faithfulness?
We do not instruct our children so they will see how wonderful we are. We want them to know and trust God. In fact, our faults can make God look good. When we are honest with our children and confess that we aren’t perfect, this can highlight the fact that God is always faithful.
Perhaps the younger people know only what we have become but have no idea of the detours we took to get here. They may assume that their weaknesses disqualify them from God’s grace.
Is teaching the faith to children only effective when it is intentional? Or, can it be just as effective when the teaching comes in the form of children simply observing the behavior and habits of adults? I think both are equally important.
How do we best teach God’s ways?
We best teach with loving words and by providing quality examples. God calls us to live in a manner that leaves no question that we know and submit to God. We need to tell stories that remind them that God does not love us because we are good. Instead we love God because He is good.
One commentary I read made the statement that Christian faith is always one generation away from becoming extinct. With that thought in mind, I repeat the question I asked at the start.
What will be your most valuable contribution to the kingdom of God?
After reading this Psalm, how would you respond to a church member who claimed that "we pay the preacher", (or the you youth director, or the children’s director, or the children’s choir director) to pass on the story?
What responsibility do we have, each of us individually, to pass on the story?
One More thing that I read recently that caught my attention. I’m not sure that I agree 100% but it has certainly made me think. This is a paraphrase from a book I read by Dr. Tony Compolo, prominent Baptist preacher and Seminary professor, who will also be a key speaker at next months Mens Rally for Christ in Tallahassee.
Dr. Compolo says that our commission is NOT to change the culture that surrounds us. Our commission is to make disciples. Our greatest opportunity for creating disciples may be to attract and bring in unchurched children, teach them and show them the love of Christ. Every heart we touch may touch others.
They may bring their parents with them. Who knows, maybe one day when they are adults they may bring their children here for the best hour of their week.
If their parents or other family members don’t bring them to Christ, the culture certainly won’t. Maybe WCSS will. I’m praying that it does. I hope you’ll pray too.
Saturday, February 04, 2006
Sunday, January 29, 2006
Sunday School Lesson: Practicing Justice and Mercy
Purpose: To encourage and honor our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Scripture: 1 Timothy 5:1-8, 17-24
In today’s passage from Paul’s first letter to Timothy, Paul offers instructions to Timothy about relationships within the congregation, in particular, information about the honor due widows, special instructions concerning younger and older widows and instructions about elders.
I want you to think outside of the church. What groups of people are treated with special favor or with the most respect in our society today?
From my viewpoint it seems that the ONLY respect shown in our profit-driven society is to whoever we can receive some benefit from. Regardless of our profession or industry - from politicians to sanitation workers - respect is generally reserved for those who control the finances.
What about inside families? Are family members these days generally respectful of each other?
How SHOULD family members treat each other? How far off are we from how we should treat each other to how we actually do treat each other?
When the word "honor" is used, what do you generally think of?
When we "honor" someone today, what does that typically entail?
In our society, to "honor" someone usually carries the same meaning as "award" or "reward" or "distinction". We usually only honor persons of great distinction and accomplishment. In our society "honor" is something that must be earned. How does this differ from the Christian concept of "honor"?
How are the elderly treated by our society?
Does our society offer "honor" to our elderly?
Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father. Treat younger men like brothers, older women like mothers, younger women like sisters, in all purity. Honor widows who are truly widows. 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. She who is truly a widow, left all alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day, but she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives. Command these things as well, so that they may be without reproach. But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
(1Ti 5:1-8 ESV)
Don't be harsh or impatient with an older man. Talk to him as you would your own father, and to the younger men as your brothers. Reverently honor an older woman as you would your mother, and the younger women as sisters. Take care of widows who are destitute. If a widow has family members to take care of her, let them learn that religion begins at their own doorstep and that they should pay back with gratitude some of what they have received. This pleases God immensely. You can tell a legitimate widow by the way she has put all her hope in God, praying to him constantly for the needs of others as well as her own. But a widow who exploits people's emotions and pocketbooks--well, there's nothing to her. Tell these things to the people so that they will do the right thing in their extended family. Anyone who neglects to care for family members in need repudiates the faith. That's worse than refusing to believe in the first place.
(1Ti 5:1-8 MSG)
Is our church like a family?
Is our church a place where all persons are welcome and treated with respect and dignity?
Is our church representative of the church as a whole?
In verse 2 Paul used the phrase "absolute purity". How would you describe absolute purity?
What is the difference between purity and absolute purity?
In verse 3 Paul used the phrase "really widows". What is the difference between widow and "really" widow?
In first century society, blood relatives were expected to care for widows in their families. "Really" widows were those widows who had no blood relatives and were left to fend for themselves. A widow with no blood relatives would have been at the absolute bottom of the economic scale in that society.
What groups of people in our society could we equate with "widows who are really widows"?
If we skip down to verse 8, we see that Paul uses dome strong language to reenforce the concept of caring for family. Does Paul in verse 8 extend our responsibility to our church family?
In a society that shows a lack of care even for blood-related family members, what treatment can those who are left without family expect?
What role and responsibility does the church have toward the "real" widows?
How is the church meeting it’s responsibility?
Does verse 8 apply only to those who fail to care for their aging parents or can we say that anyone who does not strive to meet the needs of all family members is "worse than an unbeliever"?
If we extend the family reference in verse 8 to our church family, what percentage of our churches would you say are "worse than unbelievers"?
As stated earlier, our society tends to think of honor as some type of recognition or award for some achievement. How could we restate verse 3 and replace the word "honor" with words more suitable to Paul’s intent?
We could say "Support, uphold, and care for widows".
Or -
Think of "honor" as a value or worth that we place on a person and we could say: "Consider the widows who are really widows as valuable persons; persons of great worth; part of our family."
If we value family as we SHOULD value family, then that is a powerful statement. If we think of "honor" in this way, then when we "honor" someone in the church, we are not talking about achievements or awards or accomplishments, but about the value of a person. In the church, as in our families, every person SHOULD be considered valuable beyond any earthly concept of value.
Why does God want Christians to honor one another?
1) The character of God.
2) The nature of the Church’s mission.
God desires so greatly to save all persons that He sent Jesus to offer us salvation. Jesus sacrificed all so that we all could have the opportunity of salvation. If this is how God relates to sinful humanity, how much more ought we as persons who have experienced God’s grace and mercy treat others in the same way. This letter of 1 Timothy stresses the necessity of the church to live as a witness to the world. If Christians do not honor one another, what does this say about the God whom we profess to serve?
Earlier I asked you to think of groups that would equate with "widows who are really widows". Thinking of those groups, what does it mean to honor such persons? How do we honor such persons?
Does this "honor" include financial support?
In what ways could we "honor" these folks other than financially?
While financial support may sometimes be needed, many times fellowship may be of greater help. Our society offers financial safety nets through government programs, pension plans, and insurance that in most cases will help to meet basic physical needs, but nothing the secular society offers will provide for spiritual needs. In many cases the greatest example of "honor" that we can give a lonely person is a visit or a phone call or a ride to the store or to their doctor or to church.
Our Adult Bible Studies Teacher book had an excerpt from Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s classic Life Together. The focus of this book was the Christian community and relations within that community. Bonhoeffer was a pastor in the German Confessing Lutheran Church. At the time of Hitler’s rise to power, Bonhoeffer was teaching and preaching in the United States, England, and Spain. Bonhoeffer could have remained outside of Germany and avoided the conflicts that the Nazis brought upon the German church. Instead Bonhoeffer saw his place inside Germany defending the church from the influence of the Nazi party. Bonhoeffer helped establish an underground seminary to train pastors after the official seminaries were closed or controlled by the government. Bonhoeffer spent his last two years in Nazi prisons and was executed by the Nazis as the Allied troops marched into Germany. Here is the excerpt:
We must be ready to allow ourselves to be interrupted by God. God will be constantly crossing our paths and cancelling our plans by sending us people with claims and petitions. We may pass them by preoccupied with our more important tasks, as the priest passed by the man who had fallen among thieves, perhaps - reading the Bible (as he passed)...It is a strange fact that Christians and even ministers frequently consider their work so important and urgent that they will allow nothing to disturb them.... They do not want a life that is crossed and balked. But it is part of the discipline of humility that we must not spare our hand where it can perform a service and that we do not assume that our schedule is our own to manage, but allow it to be arranged by God.
Why did Bonhoeffer believe that Christians sometimes neglect others?
What do Christians miss out on when we do not honor our fellow believers?
According to our scripture passage who has the primary responsibility of caring for the needy?
Their family. Let’s talk about some tough decisions that may be faced by families. When an elderly or indigent relative becomes unable to care for themselves, what are some of our options?
They can be taken into our homes or we can move into their homes to help care for them. Under what circumstances would this not be the best choice?
What if we don’t live near each other? How do we decide who moves?
If caring for a family member interferes with our job, should we give up the job?
Many needs can only be met by an assisted-care or nursing facility. This is sometimes the only option if specialized care is needed. Does placing a loved one in a care facility relieve family members of their responsibility for emotional support?
If a person has living relatives who are able to care for them, is the church’s responsibility relieved?
But verse 4 says, "If a widow has children or grandchildren....."
Scripture: 1 Timothy 5:1-8, 17-24
In today’s passage from Paul’s first letter to Timothy, Paul offers instructions to Timothy about relationships within the congregation, in particular, information about the honor due widows, special instructions concerning younger and older widows and instructions about elders.
I want you to think outside of the church. What groups of people are treated with special favor or with the most respect in our society today?
From my viewpoint it seems that the ONLY respect shown in our profit-driven society is to whoever we can receive some benefit from. Regardless of our profession or industry - from politicians to sanitation workers - respect is generally reserved for those who control the finances.
What about inside families? Are family members these days generally respectful of each other?
How SHOULD family members treat each other? How far off are we from how we should treat each other to how we actually do treat each other?
When the word "honor" is used, what do you generally think of?
When we "honor" someone today, what does that typically entail?
In our society, to "honor" someone usually carries the same meaning as "award" or "reward" or "distinction". We usually only honor persons of great distinction and accomplishment. In our society "honor" is something that must be earned. How does this differ from the Christian concept of "honor"?
How are the elderly treated by our society?
Does our society offer "honor" to our elderly?
Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father. Treat younger men like brothers, older women like mothers, younger women like sisters, in all purity. Honor widows who are truly widows. 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. She who is truly a widow, left all alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day, but she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives. Command these things as well, so that they may be without reproach. But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.
(1Ti 5:1-8 ESV)
Don't be harsh or impatient with an older man. Talk to him as you would your own father, and to the younger men as your brothers. Reverently honor an older woman as you would your mother, and the younger women as sisters. Take care of widows who are destitute. If a widow has family members to take care of her, let them learn that religion begins at their own doorstep and that they should pay back with gratitude some of what they have received. This pleases God immensely. You can tell a legitimate widow by the way she has put all her hope in God, praying to him constantly for the needs of others as well as her own. But a widow who exploits people's emotions and pocketbooks--well, there's nothing to her. Tell these things to the people so that they will do the right thing in their extended family. Anyone who neglects to care for family members in need repudiates the faith. That's worse than refusing to believe in the first place.
(1Ti 5:1-8 MSG)
Is our church like a family?
Is our church a place where all persons are welcome and treated with respect and dignity?
Is our church representative of the church as a whole?
In verse 2 Paul used the phrase "absolute purity". How would you describe absolute purity?
What is the difference between purity and absolute purity?
In verse 3 Paul used the phrase "really widows". What is the difference between widow and "really" widow?
In first century society, blood relatives were expected to care for widows in their families. "Really" widows were those widows who had no blood relatives and were left to fend for themselves. A widow with no blood relatives would have been at the absolute bottom of the economic scale in that society.
What groups of people in our society could we equate with "widows who are really widows"?
If we skip down to verse 8, we see that Paul uses dome strong language to reenforce the concept of caring for family. Does Paul in verse 8 extend our responsibility to our church family?
In a society that shows a lack of care even for blood-related family members, what treatment can those who are left without family expect?
What role and responsibility does the church have toward the "real" widows?
How is the church meeting it’s responsibility?
Does verse 8 apply only to those who fail to care for their aging parents or can we say that anyone who does not strive to meet the needs of all family members is "worse than an unbeliever"?
If we extend the family reference in verse 8 to our church family, what percentage of our churches would you say are "worse than unbelievers"?
As stated earlier, our society tends to think of honor as some type of recognition or award for some achievement. How could we restate verse 3 and replace the word "honor" with words more suitable to Paul’s intent?
We could say "Support, uphold, and care for widows".
Or -
Think of "honor" as a value or worth that we place on a person and we could say: "Consider the widows who are really widows as valuable persons; persons of great worth; part of our family."
If we value family as we SHOULD value family, then that is a powerful statement. If we think of "honor" in this way, then when we "honor" someone in the church, we are not talking about achievements or awards or accomplishments, but about the value of a person. In the church, as in our families, every person SHOULD be considered valuable beyond any earthly concept of value.
Why does God want Christians to honor one another?
1) The character of God.
2) The nature of the Church’s mission.
God desires so greatly to save all persons that He sent Jesus to offer us salvation. Jesus sacrificed all so that we all could have the opportunity of salvation. If this is how God relates to sinful humanity, how much more ought we as persons who have experienced God’s grace and mercy treat others in the same way. This letter of 1 Timothy stresses the necessity of the church to live as a witness to the world. If Christians do not honor one another, what does this say about the God whom we profess to serve?
Earlier I asked you to think of groups that would equate with "widows who are really widows". Thinking of those groups, what does it mean to honor such persons? How do we honor such persons?
Does this "honor" include financial support?
In what ways could we "honor" these folks other than financially?
While financial support may sometimes be needed, many times fellowship may be of greater help. Our society offers financial safety nets through government programs, pension plans, and insurance that in most cases will help to meet basic physical needs, but nothing the secular society offers will provide for spiritual needs. In many cases the greatest example of "honor" that we can give a lonely person is a visit or a phone call or a ride to the store or to their doctor or to church.
Our Adult Bible Studies Teacher book had an excerpt from Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s classic Life Together. The focus of this book was the Christian community and relations within that community. Bonhoeffer was a pastor in the German Confessing Lutheran Church. At the time of Hitler’s rise to power, Bonhoeffer was teaching and preaching in the United States, England, and Spain. Bonhoeffer could have remained outside of Germany and avoided the conflicts that the Nazis brought upon the German church. Instead Bonhoeffer saw his place inside Germany defending the church from the influence of the Nazi party. Bonhoeffer helped establish an underground seminary to train pastors after the official seminaries were closed or controlled by the government. Bonhoeffer spent his last two years in Nazi prisons and was executed by the Nazis as the Allied troops marched into Germany. Here is the excerpt:
We must be ready to allow ourselves to be interrupted by God. God will be constantly crossing our paths and cancelling our plans by sending us people with claims and petitions. We may pass them by preoccupied with our more important tasks, as the priest passed by the man who had fallen among thieves, perhaps - reading the Bible (as he passed)...It is a strange fact that Christians and even ministers frequently consider their work so important and urgent that they will allow nothing to disturb them.... They do not want a life that is crossed and balked. But it is part of the discipline of humility that we must not spare our hand where it can perform a service and that we do not assume that our schedule is our own to manage, but allow it to be arranged by God.
Why did Bonhoeffer believe that Christians sometimes neglect others?
What do Christians miss out on when we do not honor our fellow believers?
According to our scripture passage who has the primary responsibility of caring for the needy?
Their family. Let’s talk about some tough decisions that may be faced by families. When an elderly or indigent relative becomes unable to care for themselves, what are some of our options?
They can be taken into our homes or we can move into their homes to help care for them. Under what circumstances would this not be the best choice?
What if we don’t live near each other? How do we decide who moves?
If caring for a family member interferes with our job, should we give up the job?
Many needs can only be met by an assisted-care or nursing facility. This is sometimes the only option if specialized care is needed. Does placing a loved one in a care facility relieve family members of their responsibility for emotional support?
If a person has living relatives who are able to care for them, is the church’s responsibility relieved?
But verse 4 says, "If a widow has children or grandchildren....."
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