Generations in Christ | 1 Timothy 5:1-2
Age. It is something that may haunt us. It is something that we may think about. Lord willing, we all get old. We are getting older by the second as we sit here this morning and worship God together. Whether we like it or not; we live in world filled with old people and with young people. We have different generations. We have boomers, Gen Xers, Gen Z’ers, and Gen Alphas (we love categories and names).
Funny stories about older and younger people working together.
"I had an intern refer to the '90s as 'the late 1900s.' It's true, but it makes my teenage years sound like The Oregon Trail or something."
"Some coworkers complained about how hard and awkward it was to meet women on dating apps. I asked if they've ever had to call a girl at home and had her dad answer the phone. They were horrified. Another time, one of my guys asked what a payphone is.”
"When I fell down the last couple of steps on a stairway. No one pointed and laughed like I expected. Instead, my coworkers helped me up and asked me if I was okay. That's when I knew. I was old.”
"We were talking about where we were on September 11th, and one of my coworkers went quiet. He hadn't even been born yet."
Some of us in this room may have funny stories to share about being old and being young and working together—I know some of our leadership has some funny stories about working with a younger pastor within the last year and a half. God knows about age and has intertwined instruction on the importance of age and generations within His word.
- God calls the young and old to work together—to be God’s people together.
Paul addresses “Age” in 1 Timothy 4:12.
“Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but show yourself as a model to those who believe in word, conduct, love, faith, and purity. Until I come, give attention to the public reading of Scripture, to exhortation and teaching. Do not neglect the gift within you, which was given to you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the council of elders.”
--1 Timothy 4:12-14
νεότης neótēs, from G3501; newness, i.e. youthfulness:—youth.
Timothy isn’t a new convert (1 Tim. 3:6) but he is a young elder, a bishop, a young pastor. There was 10-15 years from Timothy’s initial conversion where he became a disciple of Paul’s (Acts 16:1-3). Timothy isn’t new to Christ but he is still new to the world! (Life expectancy ranged from 40-mid 60’s in the Greco-Roman World).
Paul tells Timothy to win the church’s respect by leading by example, standing on God’s word, and teaching God’s word properly. He encourages to use his gift which was confirmed in him by the elders (older men) of the church. God’s people carry God’s word, God’ commands, God’s gospel to the world—they are light shining on a hill.
“Then Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying: ‘Speak to all the congregation of the sons of Israel and say to them, ‘You shall be holy, for I, Yahweh your God, am holy. Every one of you shall fear his mother and his father, and you shall keep My sabbaths; I am Yahweh your God. Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves molten gods; I am Yahweh your God.’”
--Leviticus 19:1-3
“You shall keep my sabbaths and fear my sanctuary; I am Yahweh…you shall rise up before the gray-haried and honor the aged, and you shall fear your God; I am Yahweh.”
--Leviticus 19:30, 32
“A wise king winnows the wicked, And turns the threshing wheel over them. The breath of man is the lamp of Yahweh, Searching all the innermost parts of his body. Lovingkindness and truth will guard the king, And he upholds his throne by lovingkindness. The honor of young men is their strength, And the majesty of old men is their gray hair.”
--Proverbs 20:27-29
God continually teaches, in His word, that old and young people have a role to play in His family. Old and young people must work together, must learn from one another, must point each other to God’s gospel. Older people have wisdom from their experience, even from their matured faith. Younger people have the honour and the ability to move, to work hard, to go farther in their youth—an older person’s wisdom and a younger person’s tenacity go well together.
“Do not sharply rebuke an older man, but rather plead with him, as a father, to the younger men as brothers, the older women as mothers, and the younger women as sisters in all purity.”
--1 Timothy 5:1-2
“Rebuke”
ἐπιπλήσσω epiplḗssō, ep-ee-place’-so; from G1909 and G4141; to chastise, i.e. (with words) to upbraid:—rebuke. To severely criticize.
- The Church must preserve with the wonderful gospel of Christ. They must pass Christ’s hope to the next generation.
“Take pains with these things; be absorbed in them, so that your progress will be evident to all. Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; preserve in these things, for as you do this you will save both yourself and those who hear you.”
--1 Timothy 4:15-16
The transition from 1 Timothy 4-1 Timothy 5 is notable. Paul is focused on instructing Timothy in how he ought to preach/ teach and how he must command God’s authority even though he is young. Paul then shifts to the rest of the church, Chapter 5 and 6 are going to be instructions in conduct for the entire church. Paul gives them a picture of what a healthy church looks like when it is operating properly by preserving on God’s Holy word—how Christ’s light will shine through them.
- Younger people listen the wiser older people in your church. (1 Tim. 5:1-2).
- Take care of widows but don’t let younger widows take advantage of charity—rather encourage them to remarry to a godly man. Take care of the widows who are older, who have been committed to the church, who have lived a godly life and who can’t take care of themselves. (1 Tim. 5:3-16).
- Take care of your own families first before taking care of strangers. Take care of the church before taking care of non-believers. (1 Tim. 5:8).
- Honor and serve the elders of the church. The preachers and teachers of God’s word. Rebuke them properly when they continue to live with unrepentant sin, hold them to account, feed them, house them and reprove them when necessary. (1 Tim. 5:17-24).
“But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine. Older men are to be temperate, dignified, sensible, sound in faith, in love, in perseverance. Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may instruct the young women in sensibility: to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their own husbands, so that the word of God will not be slandered. Likewise urge the younger men to be sensible; in all things show yourself to be a model of good works, with purity in doctrine, dignified, sound in word which is irreproachable, so that the opponent will be put to shame, having nothing bad to say about us.”
--Titus 2:1-8
The church isn’t called to live for God ALONE. God has given us this sacred community. He has brought people together to worship Him, to live Holy lives for Him, to relentlessly share his gospel to each other to those around them. So Follow Christ. Live like the true Church of God. Make God’s community He has given you one of your priorities.
One of the greatest examples of this message today is found in the relationship between Moses and Joshua. Moses discipled Joshua, mentored Joshua and Joshua became the next leader of the Israelites.
A). Joshua was selected for mentoring because he showed good potential (Exodus 17:8-16).
B). Joshua was given the opportunity for further service and training following the victory over Amalek (Exodus 24:12-14).
C). Joshua showed love for and dedication to the the Lord and the tabernacle of the Lord (Exodus 33:9-12).
D). Moses prepared Joshua to receive the baton of leadership (Numbers 27:12-23).
E). God did amazing things through Joshua including leader God’s people into the promised land, Conquering Canaan including Jericho, and the miraculous crossing of the Jordan river. Joshua also renewed God’s covenantal promises with God’s people in his final address at Shechem. (Joshua 24)
“’If it is evil in your sight to serve Yahweh, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve Yahweh.’ And the people answered and said, “Far be it from us that we should forsake Yahweh to serve other gods;”
--Joshua 24:15-16
But Joshua didn’t do something crucial that would hinder God’s people after he passed away. He didn’t raise up a new leader. He didn’t mentor. He didn’t disciple. When Joshua passed away there wasn’t a leader to take over his position and the Israelites devolved into depraved sin, disobedience to God and lawlessness.
“Then the sons of Israel did what was evil in the eyes of Yahweh and served the Baals, and they forsook Yahweh, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods from among the gods of the peoples who were around them and bowed themselves down to them; thus they provoked Yahweh to anger. So they forsook Yahweh and served Baal and the Ashtaroth.”
--Judges 2:11-12
“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven. “’Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.’”
--Matthew 5:14-17