September 30, 2010
1 Timothy 5
Pastor Paul Turbedsky
As we read 1 Timothy 5, we find Timothy in his 30's, a young man in ministry charged with leading the church at Ephesus. Paul was nearing the end of his life, having experienced prison, shipwreck and a number of physical beatings. The books of Timothy and Titus are grouped into what is known as "The Pastoral Letters," written by Paul with explicit instructions on how the church should operate and deal with life’s challenges.
When Jesus was asked about the greatest commandment, He responded with a “Part A and B” - love God and love others. 1 Timothy 5:1-2 speak to loving others: "Do not rebuke an older man harshly, but exhort him as if he were your father. Treat younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, and younger women as sisters, with absolute purity." They speak to believers on how to live in community. If each of us were to really work at getting this right, our lives - and the lives of those around us - would be different.
Outside of your immediate family, how do you treat the older men and women in your life? How about the younger men and women? Maybe we should also examine how we exhort our elders and have brotherly/sisterly love for the young ones in our families.
Take some time to reflect on these questions. To what degree are you experiencing authentic community in your family, as well as non-family relationships? If you have identified relationships that need improvement, go to the Lord and ask for guidance, wisdom, and instruction on how to proceed.
You and I make up the church, and we are the church. It is not solely the pastor's job to promote and model community. It is the call of every believer. What I model and teach as a pastor doesn't end with me, but continues with how you live your life in Christ. I encourage you read Paul's encouraging "Pastoral Letters" as a reminder of why God gave us the church and as a living exhortation of how to live for Christ.
Pastor Paul just began his 13th year as part of the Grace Covenant Church staff, having worked previously in administration and sports medicine.
