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Blueprints For Building The Church

Godliness Review // Week 6

Godliness Review: 4:7-16

“Godliness is not a new set of rules, it is a response and a pursuit based on God’s grace!”

• Godliness doesn’t just happen
• Godliness is the only thing that lasts
• Godliness will cost you something
• Godliness starts with a daily decision

1 Timothy 5:1-16

Do not rebuke an older man but encourage him as you would a father, younger men as brothers, ² older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, in all purity.

³ Honor widows who are truly widows. ⁴ But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God. ⁵ She who is truly a widow, left all alone, has set her hope on God and continues in supplications and prayers night and day, ⁶ but she who is self-indulgent is dead even while she lives. ⁷ Command these things as well, so that they may be without reproach. ⁸ 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.

⁹ Let a widow be enrolled if she is not less than sixty years of age, having been the wife of one husband, ¹⁰ and having a reputation for good works: if she has brought up children, has shown hospitality, has washed the feet of the saints, has cared for the afflicted, and has devoted herself to every good work. ¹¹ But refuse to enroll younger widows, for when their passions draw them away from Christ, they desire to marry ¹² and so incur condemnation for having abandoned their former faith. ¹³ Besides that, they learn to be idlers, going about from house to house, and not only idlers, but also gossips and busybodies, saying what they should not. ¹⁴ So I would have younger widows marry, bear children, manage their households, and give the adversary no occasion for slander. ¹⁵ For some have already strayed after Satan. ¹⁶ If any believing woman has relatives who are widows, let her care for them. Let the church not be burdened, so that it may care for those who are truly widows.

Application for Today… Our godliness is evident in:

• The way we handle spiritual needs  (1 Timothy 5:1, Ephesians 4:15)

Confronting in love … humility … biblically justified … relationship

“A sensible friend who will unsparingly criticize you from week to week will be a far greater blessing to you than a thousand undiscriminating admirers if you have sense enough to bear his treatment, and grace enough to be thankful for it.” (Spurgeon: Lectures to My Students)

Confronting and rebuke are a blessing to the Christ-follower

• The way we treat each other as family  (1 Timothy 5:1-2, 2 Corinthians 6:18).                            

• The way we meet physical needs (1 Timothy 5:1-16, James 1:27)

• The priority we give to our own families  (1 Timothy 5:8, Proverbs 27:23, Proverbs 23:22)

Checking our own godliness in light of 1 Timothy…

– Faithful to your spouse

– Known for good deeds

– Bringing up children in Christ

– Showing hospitality

– Washing the feet of the saints

– Helping those in trouble

A Christian is instantly spiritual but not instantly mature