The Word of God is Alive and Written for Today

Faithful Interaction

1 Timothy 5

We should understand as Christians we must certainly share in the responsibility for each other in times of need.

Gal 6:10 As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, "especially unto them who are of the household of faith".

Just as we have this responsibility in times of need, we have this same responsibility, "in times of discipline".

The truth of the church is the fact that we are all in the same family, the family of God, the household that has Jesus Christ as the Head!

The one thing we must always remember is, that the preaching and the teaching of the "Gospel" of the Lord Jesus Christ is always the first priority over any so called "social gospel" of its members.

The church must get out of the social gospel business, and the political truth business and get back to teaching the "Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ"!

Those who know the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior, will be more suited in obeying all the Word of God!

Those who are right with God, will know what to do in most all circumstances and all questions will be answered by the Scriptures!

The Word of God is alive and even more true today because it was written for the latter days, the days we now live!

*****1Ti 5:1 Rebuke not an elder, but intreat him as a father; and the younger men as brethren;

1Ti 5:2 The elder women as mothers; the younger as sisters, with all purity.

Paul is still writing to Timothy about church organization and simply "how we are all to act in the house of God".

The "elders" in this Scripture refer to the older Christian men. It is normally true that older Christian believers have more wisdom in dealing with life.

Not only Christian life, but also of the things of this world.

We must also be aware that they may not be right all the time!

We must not forget that a false "Gospel" was being preached in the Church at Ephesus and those doing so, were to be rebuked and excommunicated if need be!

We simply cannot allow those who reject the truth to bring their own false message into the House of God!

Timothy might certainly have to rebuke some elderly men in this church. These elders may have had many years in the Scriptures or very little, but they still had the wisdom of experience more than this young Pastor.

Many say that Timothy was only 23 years old at this time, but he was on fire for God!

In a real sense, Paul was saying to respect those who are older than you, Timothy and at the same time, even some of these may need to be rebuked.

The elder members of any church are never to be ignored, nor neglected, nor bypassed, not overlooked nor ever be set aside as useless!

They should be treated as fathers, with respect and honor.

The church needs to know their opinions and they need to be involved in all decision making.

It is true that many of them may be set in their ways and close-minded to new ideas or new ministries.

The point of the Apostle Paul is that, if and when one of these elders needed to be rebuked, they still needed to be treated as a father and not as an enemy.

We should understand that the Holy Spirit must always be followed!

Lev 19:32 Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honour the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the LORD.

Those that respect their elders will have a better chance respecting our Heavenly Father!

The younger men are to be treated as brothers. It is our younger men and our younger generation who one day will keep the church going so they are also never to ignored or bypassed.

These younger men many times will need direction and they may not accept it, if they have not seen this in the family at home.

The church is to always function as the family of God because we belong to the Lord Jesus Christ freed us from the chains of Satan.

God the Father holds all the answers to the prayer life of the Church!

The Lord Jesus Christ as the Head and the Foundation of the Church, and our Intercessor between each member and Our Holy Father.

The Lord Jesus is the only Advocate to defend us from the continuous accusations of Satan.

The Holy Spirit is the power behind the church because He not only abides in each believer, but He also causes conviction of sin to the lost!

The church is a most powerful weapon against evil when it functions properly! This is where the problems lie today as the church gives in to political correctness, which goes against the Word of God.

Joh 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

Joh 13:35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Just as the elderly men are to be treated as fathers, then the elderly women are to be treated as mothers!

We all have a mother who in most cases keeps our family functional and it will be no different in a working church!

God will hold the church responsible for those who mistreat its mothers!

If some of these need to be rebuked, it must not be done in contempt but in total respect.

Mat 12:50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

Younger women are to be treated as sisters, but in all purity remembering they are also "born again" onto a new life.

There must be no immoral thoughts, when thinking about the physical attractiveness of these younger women!

Not many men will cause harm to their daughters nor their sisters!

They are all to be protected and guarded and nourished with the Word of God, just as all others in the House of God!

It is the church and the family that are to prepare those future virtuous women.

Pro 31:10 Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies.

Pro 31:11 The heart of her husband doth safely trust in her, so that he shall have no need of spoil.

Pro 31:12 She will do him good and not evil all the days of her life.

When there are young and old of each sex, there will many families but as time goes by there will also be more widows!

It seems that the women will normally live longer than the men! We men need to find this secret of longer life, but it matters not to the child of God.

*****1Ti 5:3 Honour widows that are widows indeed.

Many times, there are church mothers who no longer have families outside of the church.

Many of these become desolate when they have no one to help them meet their needs.

Deu 14:29 And the Levite, (because he hath no part nor inheritance with thee,) and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, which are within thy gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied; that the LORD thy God may bless thee in all the work of thine hand which thou doest.

We all think about the blessings of God but when we do not do right in the church, we are losing those precious blessings that we could have had as a church and as a family!

A widow indeed, is a widow who has no means of support outside the church. It is these women of the church that the church is to help.

BUT, this widow should, if able, still be involved in the ministries of the church!

*****1Ti 5:4 But if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to shew piety at home, and to requite their parents: for that is good and acceptable before God.

Just so we are clear, God began the family before He began the Church. Every family is to operate as a miniature Church.

Children are to take care of their elderly parents!

The very first duty of any child, is to honor their parents! Nothing that is done in the church by these who are children of widows can take the place of honoring their parents.

The true believer is to be a Christian at home before he is a Christian anywhere else!

There is no other action by children where is says that it "is good and acceptable before God".

There is also this of the parents. Widowed parents are to live their remaining years above reproach!

They must be true to Christ and still trust in the Lord for their provisions!

God will meet the needs of His older children and His younger children alike!

*****1Ti 5:5 Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, trusteth in God, and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day.

1Ti 5:6 But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth.

1Ti 5:7 And these things give in charge, that they may be blameless.

A true widow is that person male or female who have no relations to provide for them and are wholly devoted to God. These dear people can be the greatest prayer warriors in the church!

A widow, male or female, who has not been faithful to the church all their days should not be considered a "widow indeed"!

We must understand that no matter our age we are still to place our faith in our Savior and every added day can still be a blessing!

We see that Timothy, the new in Pastor in Ephesus, is to preach the whole counsel of God, to whoever sits in the pews of this church, young or old.

It is a sad thing, but many widows seem to feel blessed that they no longer have that partner in life!

It is sometimes understandable when there has been much time with bad health, but the blessing comes from know that they no longer suffer!

These are those who live in pleasure, being released have given themselves over to the world.

The truth is, the world of pleasure is a region of death and a life of pleasure is living in death!

We must understand, that we are to obey these instructions in the church and God gives us a very good reason.

"That we will be blameless" when the Lord returns, and we meet Him at the "Judgment Seat of Christ".

We will all meet Jesus either at the Judgment seat of Christ, or at the White Throne Judgment and we make this choice ourselves!

The church that knows the truth of the Scriptures and makes application of the truth of God, is the Church that is a weapon against the evil of this world!

We will all be held accountable for the things we have done after we are saved! Not for punishment but for the loss of rewards we cannot lose the free gift of our salvation at any time!

It is so easy to lose a reward by the actions we take in the treatment of our elderly parents! Those who are widows indeed have no one to support them!

These things are written to the Church and to the Pastors of those churches!

Those children of the church, who do not take care of their elderly parents, especially those of their immediate family, are denying the faith!

They are worse than and an infidel or an unbeliever which is the truth of God! These are very strong words from the Holy Spirit!

*****1Ti 5:8 But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

Again, we must remind ourselves that God created the family before He created the Church!

The responsibilities of the Christian family are to never cease as long as we are alive.

In the Old Testament all transgressions against the family were severely punished and these things were not to change in the New Testament.

What did Jesus say?

Mat 22:37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

Mat 22:38 This is the first and great commandment.

Mat 22:39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

Mat 22:40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

When we deny our parents, we have denied the commandments of the Lord Jesus Christ, because we have rejected true love!

*****1Ti 5:9 Let not a widow be taken into the number under threescore years old, having been the wife of one man,

1Ti 5:10 Well reported of for good works; if she have brought up children, if she have lodged strangers, if she have washed the saints' feet, if she have relieved the afflicted, if she have diligently followed every good work.

1Ti 5:11 But the younger widows refuse: for when they have begun to wax wanton against Christ, they will marry;

It should be obvious that the early church put those who were "widows indeed" to work in the ministry. I'm sure that there were the children because there are always children in the families but there are always other things these widows could do to spread the "Gospel" of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Once a widow has recovered from the loss of that spouse they could give themselves fully to the ministry!

Today we do not see these things that often, but it does still happen.

Threescore years old would be 60 years of age. In the time of Christ, the life span of the people was not as long as it is today.

You may not be aware of it this number is slipping backwards today and this is because of the trend of Insurance and Medicare to pull back from the care of those over 70 and in bad health. This is the truth of Obamacare, feed them with medications and ignore major surgery of the elderly.

These would only be those who are already active in the church before the loss of their spouse.

These are those who had lived in a lawful marriage whether it be with one person or more successively but even that person has died.

These were to be women of good character and there is no one more special than that godly woman who has stayed by the Lord even when all her family were gone.

These are the same widows who treat the children of the church as their own.

These are the same ones, who can comfort all those in the church because they know what to be comforted really means.

These are the same ones who come to help others when there is a need.

Mat 25:35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in:

Mat 25:36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

Mat 25:37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

Mat 25:38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

Mat 25:39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

Mat 25:40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

These are the same ones that the young people of the church should look up to as those who have stuck by the Lord since the time of their salvation!

Heb 13:16 But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

The Holy Spirit suggest that those under 60 years old may not devote themselves to the Church because they are looking for someone else to wed, whereas those above 60 years old may not be interested in seeking another spouse.

The older widow would find all comfort in just God Himself and devote herself to Him.

The younger widow may also find all comfort in the Lord and devote herself to just the Lord but as time goes by she finds a new spouse it would be as if she had broken a vow to the Lord.

Deu 23:21 When thou shalt vow a vow unto the LORD thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the LORD thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee.

As we see, it could be very hard for a young widow keep a vow she has made to the Lord.

We will see that this is the sin of the Church in Ephesus in the end, leaving their first love.

*****1Ti 5:12 Having damnation, because they have cast off their first faith.

When we pray in faith for the Lord to come into our heart and save us, we are making a vow to the Lord and when we break that vow we will suffer the consequences as the Scriptures have said.

This does not mean we have loss our salvation for that is impossible. We may forsake the Lord, but He will never forsake us, and He will never leave us because this is also what the Scriptures teach.

1Pe 4:17 For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?

1Pe 4:18 And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?

1Pe 4:19 Wherefore let them that suffer according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls to him in well doing, as unto a faithful Creator.

The best thing that can happen to these younger widows is that they remarry but only in the church!

*****1Ti 5:13 And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not.

1Ti 5:14 I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully.

First, it is not wrong for anyone who has lost their spouse to stay single, but it is sometimes hard to do so without sin!

These younger widows, if supported by the church, would soon find the work of the church boring as they go from house to house in visitation.

These visits would become more about gossip, than contributing to the work of the church.

The Jews called these "gadding widows", having nothing else to do but gossip and tattle everything they learned of people.

They would always have some news to tell about others as they try to interfere in matters which did not concern them.

These things would not be written if they were not true!

We must understand God knows more about us then we can know ourselves!

Idleness is not good for anyone and the purpose of the church is not to be involved in such things and certainly not to support those widows caught up in those things.

They would go from being useful to becoming useless in the work of the church. Those outside the church would take notice of these things and ruin the name of the church. The church must never support such things as these!

These women had become widows through no fault of their own and certainly they would need some help.

The Holy Spirit says that they should remarry, bare children and be the head of that household and this would keep them busy enough to stay out of temptation.

Notice here we have another place where God does not condemn a second marriage in the church but actually encourages it.

Above all the things we do, let us never give occasion for Satan to exploit the church or the work of the church!

It is also a sad thing that many widows will leave the church when their spouse dies. Some just get mad at God and reject their salvation and reject their Christian life.

*****1Ti 5:15 For some are already turned aside after Satan.

We should understand Satan is that roaring lion, walking about to see who he can destroy and when we get mad at God we open the door for Satan to step in.

Eze_16:49 Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.

We seem to forget that God simply does not do bad things, and He will never tempt us to do evil.

Jas_1:13 Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:

Jas_1:14 But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.

As Paul is inspired by the Holy Spirit, he says some in the Church have already turned aside after Satan and there are some of these in most every church.

It is we who give into the works of Satan. Keep the inner doors of your heart to the outside world closed and locked always and do not provide even a crack where Satan can enter in.

2Pe 2:20 For if after they have escaped the pollutions of the world through the knowledge of the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, they are again entangled therein, and overcome, the latter end is worse with them than the beginning.

2Pe 2:21 For it had been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after they have known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered unto them.

It is the Church family that is to come to the rescue of the widow whose only help is the church while they are still living.

*****1Ti 5:16 If any man or woman that believeth have widows, let them relieve them, and let not the church be charged; that it may relieve them that are widows indeed.

If you believe in the truth of the Scriptures, then we are to take care of the widows in our own families and never send them to the responsibility of the church!

We must always keep in mind that it is the family that God created first and the actions of that family are to carry over into the church.

When believing families do not obey God in these things certainly the church cannot function as it should!

The family is to operate as a church within the church for the church to be the true "Bride of Christ"!

Isa 1:17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.

*****1Ti 5:17 Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine.

1Ti 5:18 For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn. And, The labourer is worthy of his reward.

1Ti 5:19 Against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses.

We began this lesson talking about elders. Those were mainly just the aged.

Here as we begin this Scripture we see the elders of the church, those who preach and teach in the house of God and deacons and other who hold offices in the church.

We must remember that after Christ Jesus ascended back to Heaven, the 12 Apostles chosen by the Lord were the foundation of the Church!

The Church of today is still to preach the Apostles Doctrine, given to them by the Lord Jesus Christ.

Act_2:42 And they continued stedfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers.

Since these 12 men chosen by the Lord are now in Heaven, it is the job of the elders of the church to assist the Pastor in teaching the Apostle's Doctrine.

We must also remember these words of Jesus:

Joh 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed;

Joh 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

The modern-day church is now rejecting the Apostle's Doctrine because these words do not set well with those sitting in the pews nor does this doctrine fit in with the political correct societies of today.

It is these elders of the church (Pastors, Teachers, Leaders) that will be held accountable for the words they teach!

Act 14:23 And when they had ordained them elders in every church, and had prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord, on whom they believed.

Those elders who have been faithful stewards of the true Word of God and have proven to above approach, should be counted worthy of a double honor and respect, but only if they rule well by the Scriptures.

It is the job of these men to be on guard against any error of the teaching of the Word of God!

Each one will be held accountable at the Bema Seat of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Of course, any who are not saved will go to Hell having no excuse for not believing of the truth.

When we see this word "honor" we should understand that means payment to that Pastor that and it says double honor or double the salary!

God will always deplore the money grabbing Pastor:

1Ti 3:3 Not given to wine, no striker, "not greedy of filthy lucre"; but patient, not a brawler, not covetous;

God also deplores those churches that do not take care of that Pastor financially, when they are able to do so.

Every true Pastor is called and approved of God, if he preaches the whole counsel of God then he should be rewarded for his effort!

Deu 25:4 Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn.

Those that labor in the Word of God and preaching, making sense of the Word of God, should be as that ox and taken very good care of.

The true Pastor is a treasure to any true church!

1Co 9:9 For it is written in the law of Moses, Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. Doth God take care for oxen?

1Co 9:10 Or saith he it altogether for our sakes? For our sakes, no doubt, this is written: that he that ploweth should plow in hope; and that he that thresheth in hope should be partaker of his hope.

1Co 9:11 If we have sown unto you spiritual things, is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?

No doubt the church that has such a Pastor, that Pastor could be accused of wrong doing in an attempt to be rid of him.

God says there must be two or three reliable witnesses to that wrong doing or it should not be brought before the church!

And if these accusations are found to be true, they need to be brought before the church!

*****1Ti 5:20 Them that sin rebuke before all, that others also may fear.

We should clearly understand the instructions of the Lord should be followed at all costs or the church will be just as guilty as that one who had done that evil.

Disobedience is disobedience no matter who does the evil!

We should keep in mind, Timothy is going to Ephesus to root out false teaching!

We should also remember that we all are sinners only saved by the "Grace" of God.

If the honor of the true Pastor is being double value, then the rebuke of the false Pastor should also be of double value!

Then those who have heard and even approved of that false teaching may then repent and be restored to the truth of God.

*****1Ti 5:21 I charge thee before God, and the Lord Jesus Christ, and the elect angels, that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality.

We will all stand before God one day and be judged for the things we have done since being saved by the "Grace".

Each Pastor is to minister without showing partiality in the church and to rebuke without showing partiality.

With Timothy being so young, Paul cautioned him to not shrink back from reproving men of weight and influence, which means those who were of high standing outside the church.

This may the biggest problem in the church today, Pastors who refuse to preach all the truth of God because of influential men in the pews.

Timothy like all Pastors will answer to the Lord when He returns.

When Timothy stepped up to the podium and looked out over his flock, he must not immediately judge his congregation, he was to preach to them what God had laid on his heart.

Our first thing to do in the church is to worship the God of the Bible, in Spirit and Truth because this is the only worship that God will accept!

God says many times that He does not show partiality and we are to do the same!

Deu 1:17 Ye shall not respect persons in judgment; but ye shall hear the small as well as the great; ye shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is God's: and the cause that is too hard for you, bring it unto me, and I will hear it.

Deu 1:18 And I commanded you at that time all the things which ye should do.

The Church should never make decisions or choices because some powerful man in the church insist on it!

The Pastor must preach all the Word of God without being partial to a few in the church.

The Pastor must not accept the favor of men just because of their wealth or their standing.

The Pastor must not give his attention to one group of people above another.

Pro 24:21 My son, fear thou the LORD and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change:

Pro 24:22 For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both?

Pro 24:23 These things also belong to the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.

Pro 24:24 He that saith unto the wicked, Thou art righteous; him shall the people curse, nations shall abhor him:

Pro 24:25 But to them that rebuke him shall be delight, and a good blessing shall come upon them.

The Pastor must at all costs keep himself pure!

*****1Ti 5:22 Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men's sins: keep thyself pure.

When Timothy gets to this church in Ephesus, it is very probable that he does not know who is distorting the Word of God until he has been there for a while.

The laying on of the hands was used to ordain Pastors and maybe some elders.

Paul is teaching Timothy that he should spend some time there before he could be able to ordain a Pastor, or Deacon, or other man by the laying on the hands.

We also know that the laying on of the hands is done for the sick.

There is no power in "the laying on of the hands" because the power is in that prayer that is made during the laying on the hands!

The best example of one who is partaking of another man's sins would be Paul himself at the death of Stephan.

Act 7:56 And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

Act 7:57 Then they cried out with a loud voice, and stopped their ears, and ran upon him with one accord,

Act 7:58 And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul.

Act 7:59 And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.

Paul was just as guilty of the death of Stephen, as was those who threw the stones that killed him.

This church in Ephesus was a young immature church that probably did not have a mature Christian in their group.

The truth is God will hold us responsible for the failures of unfaithful workers and any false teachers we have approved!

Each Pastor is to keep himself pure not only inside the church but outside the church!

According to some, these passages also prove that a fallen Pastor can be restored to his ministry or at least to some ministry in the church.

Again, let’s look at that word "wine".

*****1Ti 5:23 Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities.

This is one of the most favorite passages for those who insist that God approves of drinking alcohol.

I personally disagree that this wine was used as a medicine, when combined with water.

Those who traveled outside of America have found that the drinking of water will cause terrible stomach problems, and this is what was happening to Timothy.

The fruit of the grape, grape juice, was made drinkable buy mixing one-part grape juice to two parts water to drink when traveling in those days.

The Roman soldiers would take the left over from wine that had turned to vinegar and had no alcoholic value and add water to drink in every nation for this same reason.

The Lord said not to even look at wine:

Pro 23:31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright.

The point Paul is making is, that it was very important for each Pastor to take good care of their health.

Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

What would Timothy expect to see in this church?

*****1Ti 5:24 Some men's sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after.

1Ti 5:25 Likewise also the good works of some are manifest beforehand; and they that are otherwise cannot be hid.

Paul told Timothy that many of the men in Ephesus did not hide their sinful ways and certainly none of these should be chosen to serve in the ministry.

Timothy was not to judge them, except to know that they were not fit to serve the Lord at this time!

It is God Himself who will judge the sinner and He already has:

Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Why would we even try to judge anyone who is already sentenced to death?

Timothy was to also expect to find men who would try to hide their sin. This is what we all have done in our past!

These men would not be able to hide their sin for very long once Timothy preached the whole counsel of God.

We should also understand that the good works of some are clearly seen, while others have good works that are not known to others or to just a few.

As we live in the church family we still cannot see into the hearts of other believers, it is their actions that we can see.

The only judgment we can make on others is by the Word of God and even then, we must be certain.

It is God who will Judge this world and even then, He can only judge by the Written Word because this is what He said Himself!

What was Paul saying to Timothy?

Rom 14:13 Let us not therefore judge one another any more: but judge this rather, that no man put a stumblingblock or an occasion to fall in his brother's way.

We can also know that there some of God's people who would work in a ministry but are just never able for some human reason, but God knows these also and they will still receive a reward.

1Ki 8:17 And it was in the heart of David my father to build an house for the name of the LORD God of Israel.

1Ki 8:18 And the LORD said unto David my father, Whereas it was in thine heart to build an house unto my name, thou didst well that it was in thine heart.

King David truly wanted to build a Temple but because of David's bloody hands, God would not allow it.

But it was well that it was in the heart of David to do so!

Amen

Let's Pray!