1 Timothy

From time to time you've seen me write that some teaching or even some teacher was particularly heretical. There should be no room for doubt in your mind that my declarations are not based upon something as ridiculous as personal dislike or even of jealousy. I reserve that judgment for someone who falls within the Biblically defined parameters of a heretic. The Bible calls them false teachers among other more derogatory names. They are individuals who through varying motivations from ignorance on one side of the spectrum to greed or worse on the other side teach with an eye on their own self promotion rather than upon Christ and the Glory of God.
I would like to have you turn back to 1 Timothy again this morning. As we enter the home stretch on this brief letter we will encounter heretics, greed, and some final exhortations.

While the presidential candidates spar about one policy or another, today I want to talk about welfare reform or rather, Welfare as God intended it. Redistribution of wealth through the federal government is not God's plan for taking care of those in need. God's intent from the beginning is that God's people take care of those who cannot take care of themselves. Those who are capable of taking care of themselves should continue to do so for as long as they are able. Please turn to and prepare to read 1 Timothy 5:3-16 where we will be focusing today on verses 3-8 which describes this church's requirement to care for widows. (Read it)

Put yourself into this difficult position. In the course of your day you hear a rumor or know of another Christian who is sinning against the Lord. What do you do? Sadly most of us are so out of touch with godliness that we have an immediate reaction to just ignore it after all, what is it to me if another Christian is living in sin? But the reality of Scripture is that you are your brother's keeper. We are indeed responsible to help others be holy; and when we see that holiness failing we should help to bring about that change with an appropriate rebuke.