E14 - The Pastoral Epistles: Biblical Ministers & Biblical Ministry - Properly caring for the family of God: Part 2

You're listening to Key Life Fellowships pulpit ministry

podcast. We thank you for tuning in as we

learn from God's word together. If you would like more

information regarding Key Life or to speak with one of our

pastors, please visit us at keylifefellow-ship.com.

No man comes to the Father, but by me.

Jesus also says, and if you're in him, you'll have life, life

to the full. It's in Christ that we truly

find alive for our souls, because prior to Christ you were

dead spiritually. Let our anxious hearts, because

we're all prone to that, be reminded of that.

Then in our anxiousness, all we have is Christ.

Let us devote ourselves to Him like never before.

You have your Bibles. If you would turn to First

1 Timothy 5 · chapter mention

Timothy chapter 5. If you don't have your Bibles, I

would quickly just say this. Bring your Bible to church with

you. Bibles are like attorneys around

here. If you don't have one, one will

be provided for you. Open your Bibles to First

1 Timothy 5 · chapter mention

Timothy chapter 5 as we continue walking verse by verse through

the pastoral Epistles. And I'll say this again, if

these have not ministered to you to any capacity, I don't

apologize for that because they have ministered to me and they

have ministered to the pastors and the leaders here of this

church. I know that for fact.

And you're going to receive benefit from that as a church.

You're going to receive the trickle down effect that

Scripture produces as God prepares his leaders to lead you

where it is that God would want you to go as a congregation.

And he does that through his word, just as he does it in our

individual lines. But today we're coming through a

topic as we continue the second part on properly caring for the

family of God. Last week we talked about

properly caring for the older men, the younger, the younger

men, the older women and the younger women, what that looks

like in the church and what we are responsible to do in regard

to each of those people groups. Now there were only two verses

in chapter 5 that were set aside and dedicated to all of that,

and we come to another portion in this section of chapter 5.

Where verses 3 through 16 are dedicated to another group of

people in the church that often no one talks about, no one's

really even interested in. I can probably accurately say

that most churches have never really even taught through this

passage in a way that is clear that people can understand and

practice. In fact, in the.

Self driven self gratification culture that we live in.

Most people would. Said under a sermon about the

topic of widows with no interest at all.

And it's interesting no one's interested about widows and what

the teachings on scripture confirm about widows until 1 is

in fact a widow. It shouldn't be that way.

Must understand the importance of that group of people in the

church. We must accurately define who

they are and we must minister to them with the heart that God has

given us as ministers, both as leaders and as laypersons.

Paul's going to use the term quite frequently in these verses

that we're going to cover today, and that is.

The term really in need, and I want you to pay close attention

to that term. You're going to see it multiple

times. We're going to talk about what

it means to be really in need and who are these people who are

really in need and how do we take off the responsibility that

we do. Have as a church in taking care

of them. How do we take care of the

widows? Who are the widows in this body,

and what does that look like in real time?

What does that look like in the clear teaching that Paul is

going to give there? There are no hermeneutical

obstacles here. He is plain and simple about who

the widows are and how we are to minister to them.

So let's look at this let scripture.

Speak First Timothy chapter 5 and verse 3.

1 Timothy 5 · chapter mention

We learn to care for the widows biblically, he says in verse 3.

Give proper recognition to those widows who are really in need.

There it is. You see it immediately.

But if a widow has children or grandchildren, these should

learn first of all to. Put their religion into practice

by caring for their own family. And so repaying.

Their parents and grandparents, for this is pleasing to God.

The widow who is really in need and left alone puts her hope in

God and continues night and day to pray and to ask God for help.

But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she

lives. Seven says give the people these

instructions to so that no one may be open to blame if anyone

does not provide for his relatives and especially for his

immediate family. He has denied the faith and is

worse than an unbeliever. Verse 9 says no widow may be put

on the list of widows unless she is over 60, has been faithful to

her husband, and is well known for her good deeds, such as

bringing up children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of

the Saints, helping those in trouble, and devoting herself to

all kinds of good deeds. As for younger widows, do not

put them on such a list, for when their sensual desires

overcome their dedication to Christ, they want to marry.

Thus they bring judgment on themselves because they have

broken their first pledge. Besides, they get into the habit

of being idle and going about from house to house, and not

only do they become idlers, but also gossips and busy bodies,

saying things they ought not to. So I counsel younger widows to

marry, to have children, to manage their homes, and to give

the enemy no opportunity for slander.

Some have in fact, already turned away to follow Satan.

If any woman who is a believer has widows in her family, she

should help them and not let the church be burdened with them, so

that the church can help those widows who are really in need.

Let's pray to God the Father. In the name of Jesus.

We come to you now. We ask for wisdom from your

Word. We know that we have been given

these widows by Your sovereign hand, and we would take care of

them according to Your word. Let us be diligent.

Let us be obedient in that. And Lord, let us not apologize

for those who You have not included on such a list, those

who You would have us to instruct to remarry and to have

children and to manage their homes.

Lord, may we do that, and may we be obedient in that.

And Lord, as we think about our own families, may we take care

of them as we should, so that they not be a burden unto the

church, and so that you would be pleased with how we handle that

situation. Lord, as we learn Your Word, as

you teach us your Word through Your Spirit today, give us the

heart to be doers and not just hearers only to put into

practice that which we receive, Lord, that we, we may do this so

that you could receive the praise for it.

God, I pray for the unbeliever who's here today, who is outside

of the family of God, who has no understanding of what it means

to be a part of your family, to be your child.

God, I pray today that you would have mercy on them as only you

can. You would reveal yourself to

them, Lord Jesus, your sacrifice.

You would reveal to them their need for a Savior because of

their sinful state, that you, by your grace and your mercy, would

usher them into the family of God to receive salvation and

adoption. It's one of your children.

God, I pray that most importantly, your will would be

done in this day and in our lives as believers, that you

would receive all glory and honor and praise.

And we pray these things in Christ's name.

Amen. So we get to chapter 5 and

verses 3 through 16, and we get to a very, very important part

of Scripture that has, for whatever reason, in the modern

church, become not very important.

It is very, very important that we care for widows.

And in doing so, we have to have what Paul says to Timothy is the

proper recognition of the widows.

Verse three he says, give proper recognition to those widows who

are really in need. Now, proper recognition is not

getting them a plaque and saying welcome to widowdom.

It's not giving them a trophy and saying you've arrived.

It is recognizing them biblically, recognizing them

according to Scripture, giving them that proper recognition and

that proper honor that they deserve as those who are really

in need. Paul is instructing Timothy to

do this, and because Paul instructed Timothy to do this,

we as a church in 2026 have the same obligation to recognize the

widows who are really in need in our church.

This is important. This is important that we

recognize them, that we make a distinction.

Now I know we live in a world where no one likes to make

distinctions any longer, right? They don't want to make

distinctions between men and women.

So they have a difficult time in making distinctions.

But let me just tell you this, the Word of God is going to make

a distinction between widows and widows who are really in need.

And we have to pay attention to that.

Why? Because widows who are really in

need are the responsibility of the church.

Widows who are in a position where they have lost their

husband, they are the responsibility of their family

if they are not really in need. And so the word makes the

distinction here that we need to see immediately.

And we need to see that immediately because there are

people who are constantly claiming to be widows in the

church wanting nothing more than just a handout from the church.

And I want to make this ever so clear.

God's Word is not teaching here in regard to widows that we

become a place that is a welfare system, if you would.

That is not what God is advocating.

That is never what God's Word advocates.

In fact, the apostle Paul teaches in another place.

He says if a man wants to eat and he's able to do it, let him.

Work. Let him work.

We're going to see that there are those widows that we have to

recognize who are still able, because they have family, to

meet all of their needs. But there are also those widows

who are really in need who have no one else.

And so as we look at this, Paul's giving instructions so

that we can teach people. And this is what we do want to

teach people to live for Christ and his church and not to try

to. Live off of Christ and His

church. Because you see, there's a

difference, isn't there? There's a difference between

that person who wants to live for Christ and his church, even

though they'd be in the state of a widow.

And there are those who are simply just looking for handouts

from the church because their family is not doing what they

are supposed to do, as we will see in a moment, and taking the

burden off of the church because they are their responsibility,

not the churches. And so we have to ask this

question if we're going to properly recognize the widows as

Paul's telling Timothy to do. Who are the widows?

Who are the widows who are really in need, the ones that we

are to properly recognize in the church?

Well, it's hard for us in our culture to answer this quickly

in this text. And in the context of this text,

it's a little more complex than just a short answer.

And the reason is the the term that we see here for widow has

many meanings, many possible meanings.

It could, of course, refer to someone who loses their husband.

We know that that's the obvious one.

In fact, that's the only one that we still adopt.

But more accurately, this term means this one who has suffered

loss or one who has been left alone or abandoned.

And so we realized very quickly that when we're distinguishing

who the widow really is that the church is responsible for, it

gets a little complex there. Who are we talking about?

Well, we're talking about one who has been abandoned or left

alone, suffering loss. Now, abandonment can come in

many forms, can it? The first one is this, wives who

have been abandoned by their husbands because of death.

Simply put, their husbands have passed from this earth.

They have died. And they are in basic need of

provision. Why?

Because in the culture of the day, and I believe in the

biblical culture of what Paul is addressing here, the wives would

be home, taking care of the children, taking care of the

home, and taking care of their husband.

The husband would be out working as the provider for his family.

He would come home as the protector of his family, as the

prophet, priest and king of his home.

And if. That wife was to lose her

husband. She would lose every resource

that she has. She would be completely

abandoned. She would be desolate.

So of course he's talking about wives who have been abandoned by

the death of their husbands. They are all alone, Alone they

are suffering loss on this earth.

But also in biblical times, not so much in our day, because in

our day we we find ourselves not caring enough about others.

So many times in the church. But in this time that Paul is

addressing the Ephesians through young Timothy, he's also talking

about wives who have been abandoned by their husband's

desertion, meaning that he has deserted them.

He's that unbelieving husband who has gone on.

He is as good as dead. He is no longer providing for

his wife. Many scholars believe this.

I don't know if this is 100% accurate, but we could see it in

this context for sure. Many scholars believe that

perhaps Paul is addressing some who are of the Jewish culture

and background who may have had multiple wives and then when

they came to faith in Christ as a knee jerk reaction and in a

Roman culture that did not advocate polygamy, they would

have chosen their favorite wives and then put the other wives.

Away, leaving them to a place where they had no financial

support, they had no protection. In this world, it could be that

case. It could also be that case of

that man who decides that he's done with his wife and he puts

her away, giving her that writ of divorce just because he

decided that's what he wants to do.

Either way, nevertheless, they are left all alone.

They are abandoned. They have no support, right?

Women could not go out and just get a job.

Like a man did in those days. Now here they are, they're in

this situation where someone must care for them.

Why? Because they are really in need.

This is real. If they don't get assistance and

get assistance immediately, they will perish.

Their children will perish, They will suffer greater loss

potentially. And So what God?

Does in His word, being the merciful God that He is, He

provides for them through His Church in this particular

situation, in the particular manner that we are going to see

that He prescribes for taking care of those widows who are

really in need. So who are the widows?

Now? Let's make this simple and and

so that we can have it in our mind.

They are wives abandoned by their husband's death.

That's where we start. But it's more than that.

They are also wives who have been abandoned by their

husband's desertion. For whatever reason, he has

deserted them. He has deserted his family.

He said, well, I can't believe that went on in the Bible times.

It goes on today. Sinners have always been

present. These sins that still exist,

they always will enter. The Lord comes and straightens

everything out. So there will be a need to

minister to this group of people, those who fit the

definition of the widows. So when we're caring for the

widows, giving them the proper recognition of a widow, we have

to distinguish who they are. We also have to distinguish who

they aren't. And Paul's going to give us some

insight into that in just a moment.

But before we do that, let's do this.

Let's ask the question, who are the widows?

And we have done that and we have answered it.

But let's go to question 2. Why are they a priority?

Why are they a priority? Why did Paul use 2 verses to

talk about old men, young men, old women, young women, and how

we're to operate, how we're to minister and care for them in

the church and use 2 verses? But now we have verse 3 all the

way to verse 16, covering this very, very important part and

teaching us how to properly recognize and care.

For the widows, why are they priority?

And shouldn't we ask that in our culture especially, why are

widows priority right? We've already established that

those who are properly on the list of widows are 60 and up, so

they're elderly. And isn't it true in our

culture, Well, the elderly are considered all but useless,

aren't they? Outdated.

Nothing to offer this modern society that knows so much.

And we often discount the elderly as if they're not

important. Now, that was not the case when

Paul is riding to Timothy here. They would bring them into their

homes. They they would become a part of

their family again. They would take care of them

till their dying day. They were important.

They had wisdom that they can offer, offer to the church and

offer to the home. Wisdom that our generation did

not even yet have an opportunity to acquire.

Why are they a priority? Or why should they be a priority

when they're really just elderly people who have nothing else to

offer? Stop thinking like an American.

I'll say it again, Stop thinking like an American.

They have so much to offer. They know how to love.

They know how to forgive. They know how to teach.

They're full of wisdom. They're full of insight.

The question ought to be, why in the American church do we not

glean from the elderly like we should?

Why are they a priority? The widows just an old woman,

right? Used up all of her good years.

Retrain your thinking, seer, for the worth that God says she has,

because she's of great worth. And I can prove that to you

because the Savior makes them priority.

Psalm 68, five, here's what the Lord says.

He says that our God is a father to the fatherless and a defender

of widows. He is there at their defense.

They are important to the Lord. They are priority to him.

Over in Luke's Gospel in Chapter 7, we see the Lord Jesus

applying you this principle. Luke Chapter 7, turn over there

Luke 7 · chapter mention

in your Bibles, verse 11 as Jesus with all the miracles that

he did while he was on this earth according to the will and

plan of the Father, He doesn't bypass this one and watch what's

said about this particular miracle that Jesus does when he

raises the widow's son. Verse 11, it says soon afterward

Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples in a

large crowd went along with him. And as he approached the town

gate, a dead person was being carried out, the only son of his

mother, and she was a widow. Now let me show you how this

works. Her husband took care of her

until she died, until he died. Excuse me.

And when he died, it was now. Her only son's responsibility to

take care of his mother and her only son has died.

That means this. She is really in need.

She needs someone to take care of her.

And if her, her husband and her son are gone from this earth,

she is desolate. She is all.

But dead, he goes on, and he says as they approached the the

town gate, a dead person was being carried out, the only son

of his mother and she was a widow, and a large crowd from

the town was with her. When the Lord saw her, his heart

went out to her, and he said don't cry, don't miss that the

Lord's heart went out to her. Why?

Because he knew the condition of this widow.

He knew exactly that if she didn't have her son, she would

surely perish. And Jesus heart.

Went out to this widow and he said to her, don't cry.

This seems like a pretty insensitive statement for a

widow who has just lost her only son and her only source of

existence on this earth. But Jesus was in complete

control. And isn't he always?

And isn't he faithful to be 714? Then he went, went off and

touched the beer. They were carrying him all, and

that's the sled that they were carrying the dead body on.

And the bears stood still. And he said, young man, I say to

you, get up. And the dead man sat up.

And began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother.

What a heart for the widow. Why should widows be a priority

in the church? Because they're a priority to

Christ. We don't only see it there in

his earthly ministry, we see in Mark chapter 12.

Mark 12 · chapter mention

And I know other gospel accounts include this as well, but Jesus

commends the widow. And what does she do?

She gives the smallest, offering two worthless coins.

You know what He says about her gift?

Hers was the greatest. Why?

Because it was the greatest sacrifice.

All the others gave from the abundance that they had.

This widow gave that small amount from the little that she

had. It was the greatest sacrifice.

And Jesus recognized that widow. So the Savior makes them

priority all throughout His earthly ministry, fulfilling

that which Psalm 68 five says that he is the defender of the

widow. But they are to be priority to

us not only because the Savior makes them priority, their

situation makes them priorities. Think about the mess that

they're in. I told you if if a woman lost

her husband. And she had no older children to

take care of her, no grandchildren to take care of

her. She was as good as dead in this

culture and the church. Needs to see widows who are

really in need in our day, so that they don't become

destitute, so that they don't lose all hope and become

discouraged and even lose their lives.

Their situation makes them priority because they are

helpless and needy. Now, isn't it true that as a

Christian we ought to take care of everyone who is helpless and

needy when we have the opportunity?

As you understand. The reason that if we are to

take care of everyone, we should also take care of those who

belong to the people of God. Matthew 25 Jesus gives a parable

there in Matthew 25 about taking care of the helpless and needy

and what he does there in this parable he talks about those.

Who took care? Of him.

When he was hungry they gave him something to eat, and when he

was thirsty they gave him something to drink, and when he

was a stranger they invited him in.

When he needed clothes, they clothed him.

When he was sick. They looked after him and took

care of him. When he was in prison, they came

and they visited. He goes to verse 37 and it says

then the righteous will answer him.

Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and

give you something to drink? And when did we see you?

A stranger invite you in or need and clothes and clothe you?

And when did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?

He says in 40. And here's the kicker, to this

the King will reply, Truly I tell you, whatever you did for

one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine,

you did for me. And the same goes for this.

Whenever we don't do for the least of these, we do it unto

Christ. So we see that widows ought to

be priority to us because of their situation.

They're helpless. They are in.

Need. They are really in need, in

fact, again destitute, unless the church intervenes, provides

for them first. John chapter 3 says this in

1 John 3 · chapter mention

verse 16. This is how we know what love

is. Jesus Christ laid down His life

for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and

sisters. If anyone has material

possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no

pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?

That's a hypothetical question. The answer is, it can't.

For us to call ourselves believers and for us to call

ourselves a church, and to see a widow who is really in need and

to do nothing about it should cause us to question our own

salvation. He says, Dear children, let us

not love with words or speech, but with actions and in truth,

echoing what James taught about being not only hearers of the

word, but also doers of that same word.

Galatians 610 says this therefore, as we have

opportunity. Let us do good to all people.

What kind of people should we as Christians do good to?

All of them. We had to consciously and

constantly look for opportunities to do good to all

people. But watch this.

Watch the distinction that's made here, especially to those

who belong to the family of believers, especially those

widows who are really in need in our church.

Yes, one thing to take care of the homeless man who's out on

the street and who needs a meal. You should do that if you have

the means and you have the opportunity to do that.

But you should not feed that homeless man out there in need

and then not come into the body of Christ and consider that

widow who has lost her husband, who has lost all sorts of

financial stability, who has lost any, any sense of any

future. You should not then withhold

your service and your gifts to her.

You should do the same for her, and even more so, especially

because she belongs to the body of Christ.

Now, I know the lost world loves that, right?

They love to say things like, oh, we have to come in to be

treated as good as you. Yes, you do.

And I pray that God graces you and allows you to do that this

very day, to reap the benefits of the death, the burial, the

resurrection of Christ, to reap the benefits of the church that

he has raised up through his sacrifice.

Oh, don't think for a second that you can stay outside of the

church and reap the benefits of the church.

That's foolish thinking, especially, he says, for those

who belong to the family of believers.

Why are they priority? Because of their situation.

Their situation makes them priority.

If we as the Church don't intervene in the lives of widows

who are really in need, recognizing them as those who

are really in need, they have nothing.

Else, isn't it interesting how God has sovereignly orchestrated

that? He has promised to take care of

them and to defend their cause, and in doing so, He has raised

up His church through the blood sacrifice of Jesus Christ so

that we can show the faithfulness of God to those

widows who are really in need. It should be priority.

Why? Savior makes them priority.

The situation makes them a priority.

And thirdly, the Scriptures make them a priority.

I don't have time this morning. I wish I did.

I don't have time this morning to go through all of the

scriptures and show us that God makes widows priority.

But Deuteronomy 10/18 is where we will begin.

It says he defends the cause of the fatherless, and the widow

loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and

clothing. What does he do?

He ministers to the fatherless, to the alien, to the widow,

giving them the things that they need so that they are not in a

destitute situation. Ezekiel 22.

Seven says in you they have treated.

Father and mother with contempt in you They have oppressed the

foreigner and mistreated the fatherless and the widow.

He's now rebuking them. What is he rebuking them for?

Because they've now oppressed the orphan, the fatherless, and

the widow. God is not for that.

God is not for us oppressing them, right?

And when we turn a blind eye to a widow who's really in need and

not make them priority, you know what we're doing?

We're doing. Exactly what God is rebuking His

people for doing there in Ezekiel 22.

Isaiah 117 says this Learn to do right, seek justice, defend the

oppressed, take up the cause of the fatherless.

Plead the case of the widow. Why are they priority?

Scripture makes them a priority and to not make widows a

priority in the church is to completely ignore scripture.

They are a priority and they must be seen as a priority.

James chapter one in our scripture reading you read it a

moment ago with Doug as he let us it says this verse 27

religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless as

this. Orphans and widows.

In their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by

the world. You know what he does there?

He equates taking care of orphans and widows with your

spiritual well-being. He says.

That pure religion, faultless religion, looks after orphans

and widows. And looks after themselves,

keeping themselves from being polluted by the world.

You take care of yourself spiritually, and you also need

to have the priority of taking care of the orphans and

particularly in this context, the widows.

Now I hate what is going on in modern.

Christianity, right? Because they say things like

this and don't even know what they're saying.

They say I don't need all that religion.

I don't want religion, I just want relationship.

And I kind of get what they're saying, but they're missing the

whole point of us. Being sanctified upon this

earth, the reason that we. Have been sanctified.

Upon this Earth is so that we can practice what James calls

here pure and thoughtless religion, the one.

True religion. Christianity.

You know what most people want to do away with the fact that

Christianity is a religion so they can go.

To heaven and live any way that. They want to live.

But James is saying this if you're truly a.

Christian, you're going to live out pure and thoughtless

religion. And you know what pure and

faultless religion does? Takes care of the orphans, takes

care of the widows and will make sure that they're taking care of

themselves spiritually and not a part of this world any longer.

People say I don't want religion.

I do. Why?

Because in this text that we've seen in James, the text that

we've seen here in First Timothy, we see the word in

Scripture. And so there's something to it.

You know what I don't? I don't want old, dead,

Pharisaical religion. I want true Christianity in my

life. I want to practice the things of

Christ. And would Christ practice these

things, taking care of the orphans and the widows?

Of course he would. You've already seen that he did

it, he gave. Us that example.

He lived up to it, so we too to be aware.

Of the scriptures that. Scriptures make the widow

priority. Savior makes them priority.

The situation makes them priority, and the scriptures

make them priority. That's enough, isn't it?

Isn't it? Now, maybe you came in here

today and you had all kinds of excuses as to why it wasn't your

job as the church to take care of the widows.

All your excuses have been erased, your ignorance.

That you could have claimed. Is gone.

You can no longer say that you are ignorant.

This is what we are to do to properly.

Recognize. Widows who they really are, and

we're going to talk more about that in detail in a second and

why they're a priority. So caring for widows consists

of. 1st, the proper recognition of widows.

Secondly, the proper response to the widows.

The proper. Recognition of the widows.

Was verse 3 now in verses 4 through 16 is going to give us

the proper response? To the widows.

How are we to respond to this, Paul?

Is going to give us clear and concise instructions on how to

do this. Again, this is not difficult to

interpret, though there are some things that culturally we're

going to have to talk about as we walk through this to give you

understanding. It's not hard to interpret.

You don't have to have a seminary degree to do this, so

pay attention to this. The proper response to widows

ought to be first and foremost from their families, from their

families, he says in verse 4. But if a widow has children or.

Grandchildren these should learn first of all to put their

religion there it is into practice by caring for their own

family and so repaying their parents and grandparents for

this is pleasing to God. It's pleasing to God, the.

Family of the widow is. Her first line of defense they

are to care for her first if the widow has children and it even

says grandchildren that can assist her they.

Should it is your responsibility?

I love how Paul tells you why he says.

Because this is. Right, this is putting your

religion into practice. This is what pleases God, taking

care of people from your own family, repaying their parents

and. Grandparents look at the

terminology he uses repaying them.

And I know in our culture we say what are we repaying them for?

Because we're all entitled. You know what you're.

Repaying them for. Every dollar that it costs to

feed you when you were a child, even when you were a teenage boy

eating everything. You're to repay them for every.

Tear that they've wiped from your eye, every wound that they

have somehow provided first aid for, every cut that they have

bandaged up, every dirty, filthy diaper that they ever, ever

changed for you. I hear people say things like

that. Oh man, I can't bear the thought

of when my pants get old. You're changing their diapers.

You need to get used to it. You need to bear the thought.

It's going to come full circle potentially, and it's your

responsibility as a child or a grandchild to do just that.

But isn't that what they did for you?

Instead of seeing it as a burden, you know.

What you ought to say I get to. Repay them back.

Just a little because you're never going to repay them back

for all that you would owe them. I get to pay them back just a

little for everything that they have done for me, that they did

for me when I was growing up. The love that they showed me,

the mercy that they showed me, the grace that they showed me,

the compassion that they showed me.

I get to show those things back. That's exactly what Paul's

saying here. And I want you to understand

that because. Oftentimes, you know what

happens when somebody becomes a widow and they're elderly.

You know what they do? They dump them on the church

immediately. OK, your responsibility, Church.

Responsibility. Take care of the orphans and the

widows. I'm going to go live my life and

not let that old person interfere.

Be a burden to me. Now Paul says the opposite.

He says you as family members of these widows, you take care of

them. If you have means and you have

resources, you are their primary caregiver.

Now the church can come in and the church can supplement that.

But the church should only be a supplement unless they are

really in need. And really in need means that

they have no one else. They don't have children and

grandchildren to repay them for all that they have done.

For them. They're left alone.

So the family of the widow ought to take care of her first.

The family of the widow is to ease the burden of the church,

refuse to neglect their own family.

Why? Because it pleases God, pleases

God. Verse 7 says this, and we'll get

back to the other verses that we're going to skip over.

But to keep it all together, watch this.

Give to the give the people these instructions too, so that

no one may be open to blame if anyone does not provide.

For his. Relatives, and especially for

his immediate family, he has denied the faith.

That's a big statement. He has denied.

The faith and. Is worse than an unbeliever.

The family especially. Those who are Christians, they

ought to be. Eager to help that widow who is

their mother or their grandmother.

They ought to get an extra job if they have to, because they

are that eager to give back to those who have given so much to

them. Why should we do that?

Well, again, to ease the burden of the church, the church can.

Quickly become overwhelmed taking care of widows who have

families who could take care of them.

You say, Well, the church could. Be.

Overwhelmed by widows? Yeah.

Go back to Acts chapter 6 and you see a very interesting thing

Acts 6 · chapter mention

happened there. In Acts chapter 6, the church

Acts 6 · chapter mention

was. Birthed and then there.

In Acts chapter 6, we see the church learning how to be the

Acts 6 · chapter mention

church. And it says this in verse 6 of.

Verse one, excuse me, of chapter 6, says in those days when the

number of disciples was increasing to Hellenistic Jews,

those of Greek background among them complained against the

Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in

the daily distribution of food. Our widows are being overlooked.

They were overwhelmed. With this.

So the 12 the. Apostles gathered all the

disciples together and said it would be not be right for us to

neglect the ministry of the Word of God in order to wait on

tables. This is where we see the birth

of what I believe to be the Deacon waiter of tables.

Says brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you

who are known to be full of the spirit and wisdom, and we will

turn this responsibility over to them and we'll give our

attention. To prayer and the ministry of

the word what was happening the church was becoming overwhelmed

by all the widows and. In that.

They said we got to do something, we have to put

something in place. And So what they did, they put

in place what I believe. And as I said, the Deacon who

would take care of the physical needs of those who had those

physical needs in the church, they would have been the ones

responsible for deciding, is this person on the list?

Does this person meet the criteria?

Is this person truly and really in need?

Or do they have a family who could be taking care of them,

but instead of taking care of them, they're doing what they

tried to do in tricking Jesus and saying, you know what?

I put this money up for religious reasons, so that gives

me a reason not to take care of my family.

And Jesus rebuked that attitude. Why?

Because. True and pure.

Religion is going to use that money to take care of the

orphans. And the widows?

So we see that the family has a great.

Responsibility in this first and foremost.

Going all the way down to verse 16, it says if any woman who is

a believer has widows in her family, she should help them and

not let the church be burdened with them.

That's going beyond even children and grandchildren.

If you got a second cousin who can help take care of the widow,

that second cousin needs to be in there doing it.

Why? He says clearly.

And not let the church be burdened with them so that the

church can help those widows who are really in need, those who

have no one. So if you're here today and you

have a widow in your family, you have a widow who is your mother

or who is your grandmother, let me make this as clear as I can.

Do not dump. Them off on the.

Church, do not put them out as if they are some stray dog who

wandered up on your porch. You have the responsibility to

take care of your own families first, I think.

Paul makes that very clear. Now what if we go beyond that?

Well, there is responsibility that the Church has.

They're to respond just as the family.

Is to respond. The church is going to give that

response to those who are really in need.

The church should focus on widows who do not have any other

resources. Again, really in need.

Those who have been completely abandoned by their husbands,

whether that was through death or desertion, they have no one

else. Now.

Church has to use wisdom and insight in doing this.

It's very important that the church does respond to widows,

whether they are widows who meet the list or widows who are now

young enough to do what Paul's going to tell the church to do,

and that is to remarry and to have children and to manage

their homes. But the church has a

responsibility in. This as well in certain cases.

The church is 1st to take care of the widows that scripture

mandates that they take care of. Watch this because many people

don't understand this. I I know this because I've

pastored long enough that they say blanket statements like

this. My aunt's a widow and nobody

from that church has tried to take.

Care of her. I'm sorry, could you tell me

your aunt's name again? Has she ever been to this?

Church. Well, no.

But it's the church's job to take care of the orphans and the

widows. Now am I?

Saying we're not going to help. This person's aunt.

Nope. But I am saying we're going to

examine everything by Scripture and we are going to decide if

this is someone who would meet the qualification for us to help

them. Watch this.

Here it is. Now you can get mad at me all

you. Want.

But I'm going to read directly from the Word of God so that

there is no discrepancy here. You know this comes from God,

not from Curt. Paul plainly says in verse 9, no

widow may be put on the list of widows unless she is over 60.

Everybody write that down over 60.

That means if you are 59 or 60, you are still young according to

the word of God. Rejoice.

In that the. Closer I get, the more I

rejoice. He says unless she's over. 60

Watch has been faithful to her husband and is well known for

her good deeds, such as bringing up children, showing

hospitality, washing the feet of the Saints, helping those in

trouble, and devoting herself to all kinds of good deeds.

So let's look at these. Biblical qualifications of the

widows that the church is responsible for.

We've made it very clear that if there is a widow, a woman has

been deserted by her husband, either death or desertion from

her. Through divorce or whatever the

circumstance may be. And they have.

Family. Family's responsible, but if

they don't, the church is responsible if they meet this

criteria first. We need to see that these are

those who. Trust in God for provision.

Look at verse 5. I told you I would get back to

it. It says the widow who is really

in need. Because I told you I want you to

know what really in need means. The widow who is really in need

and left all alone, She's got no one.

She puts her hope in God. And continues.

Night and day. To pray and to ask God for help.

What a privilege to be a part of His sovereign plan.

Do you know this? When you help a widow who the

Bible says you're to help, you're an answer to her prayer

and you are an example of the faithfulness of God to her.

She is praying, Lord, I have no one else, and I know that you're

going to take care of me. And God says, yes, I am going to

take care of you. And I have a group of people who

have raised up to the precious blood of my son, who they are

going to take care of you as if you are a part of their family.

They are going to honor you like their mother, and they're going

to honor you like their grandmother.

We'll see the beauty. Of the church.

Well, I can be a Christian and not be a.

Part of the church. Why would you?

Why would you? Miss out on the.

Blessing of being a part of God's church.

So this widow's really in need. She's trusting God, he says in

verse 6. But the widow who lives for

pleasure is dead even while she she lives.

What is he doing? He's contrasting 2 widows.

He's saying there's one widow, she's trusting in God, and

there's another widow who she's just trusting in the pleasures

of this earth. She's trusting in maybe that

little nest egg that she had put back.

She's trusting in tomorrow, which is never guaranteed.

Who knows what she's trusting in, but she's not trusting in

God. You know what God's Word's

saying here? She's on her.

Own but the one who's. Really.

On her knees, Night. And day, thank God, I need your

provision, he says. I'm going to raise up the church

and the church is going to take care of her.

Don't miss that. He's teaching the church that

from the church. Comes the care for the widows,

her trusting in God's provision. I love to see a widow who's

trusting in God's provision when she loses her husband and she

has nothing else. She has no family and she

trusts. God, I've seen over and.

Over and over and over again how God has.

Raised up the church. To minister to that Lady to make

sure that she is not succumbed to the situation that she's

placed in. But he goes on and he says.

This. After talking about.

This widow who can be put on the list, she's over 60.

Obviously he's talking about those who have no family to

support them because he's already covered that if they

have family, then the family should take care of them.

Over 60, they're elderly, right? Because they can't take care of

them themselves any longer. In many instances, they must

rely on others for their care. The churches then to step in and

to help that elderly widow. But he says some other things

that I want to cover because I think so many times people would

just jump over this right? Though Cook could say we're to

take care of the. Orphans and widows.

How and who and which ones qualify and which?

Ones don't qualify well, he says an interesting.

Statement here. And at first when you read this,

you're going to go, why would he say that?

He says no widow may be put on the list of widows unless she's

over 60. We can understand that she's

elderly. She needs help, has been

faithful to her husband. What in the world would you mean

by? That why would this be a

qualification? Because I told you it doesn't

just mean that her husband died. Her husband could have divorced

her, and her husband could have divorced her biblically because

she committed the sin of adultery against him.

And he had every right in the world to put her out of his

home. And the church had every right

in the world if she did not repent, to put her out of the

church. And he's saying I don't want

those people who have forfeited. The family of God and forfeited

their own family for adulterous relationships to benefit from

the church and those well meaning people at the church who

are giving of themselves and their finances and their

resources to those who are said to be really in need.

You know what God is saying. She got herself.

Into it you say, well, I don't believe in that God.

I believe God is a God of mercy, and He is, but he's also a God

who is just. He has laid down some things and

we need to pay attention when he lays down things because he does

not pick them up to suit our opinions and make them anything

different than what they really are.

He says if she's been faithful to.

Her husband, she can be on this list.

If she's over 60, she can be on this list.

And is well known for her good. Deeds, she's a life.

It shows she's truly a believer, right light in the darkness,

such as and here's the examples of those good deeds bringing up

children. That means bringing them up in

the nurture and the admonition of the Lord with the evidence of

godly children, showing hospitality, washing the feet of

the Saints, stooping to serve others as Jesus did, John's

gospel helping those in trouble. And devoting.

Herself to all kinds of good deeds.

So who? Is this?

Widow that can be. On this list, those who trust.

God for provision. They're trusting in Him alone

because he's all that they have. Just as we sang a moment ago,

All I have is Christ. That's all she has.

Those who have no family to support them.

Those who have been faithful to their husband, who are not in an

unmarried state and left abandoned because of their own

doing, he said, won't God forgive that?

Yes, God will forgive that, but it won't allow her to be on the

list of widows. His words already spoken.

I'm sorry, but that's what it says.

And serving the Lord and true service to the Lord, just like

in our lives, in the life of the widow, it'll be displayed by her

good deeds and her piety of life.

The fact that she is actually living out the faith that she

claims to have. We see that evidenced in the

fruit of the Spirit, Lovejoy, peace, patience, kindness,

goodness, gentleness, self-control.

What's he saying? That if she's going to be on

this list, she has to be a godly woman and she has to be a proven

godly woman. And then when?

She is, then she can be. Put on this list so the church

is to care for the widows that Scripture mandates, right?

Those elderly widows who meet biblical criteria, you say,

well, I don't like the biblical criteria.

Take that up with God. I didn't make that.

Up. I'm just reading it to you.

And I really don't care if you like it or not.

I can tell you this is what it says, and this is what we'll

practice at Key Life Fellowship. Why?

Because God's Word says that this is what we're to do.

And now we bring in another. Category of widow to this

equation to what? Paul's teaching.

We saw that the church is to care for the.

Older widow, but the church is also to care for the younger

widows. And how?

Well, I'll go ahead and tell you this.

Not the same way that they care for the older widows.

Watch what Paul says here. He says As for the younger

widows, why? Because he knew that their

question was going to be what about the younger widows?

We have widows in our church that are 55 1/2.

What do we do about those? He says As for.

The younger widows do not. Put them such a on such a list.

For when their essential. Desires overcome their

dedication to Christ. They want to marry.

Nobody's talking about sensual. Desires for a woman yes, a woman

has a desire for the man, though it'd be different from the

desire that a man has for a woman.

A woman has an. Inward desire.

For a man and what has obviously gone on here, this woman has

done like many young women do when they lose their spouse

unexpectedly. Here's what they say

immediately. Oh God, I don't know what to do

I'm never. Going to marry again.

I'm just going to devote my life to you, Lord, and your church.

And why did they say that? Because they were in an

emotional state. Now this is just for free.

Widows who are female can get in an emotional state and they make

a vow and. Their vow is to the Church,

right? I'm never going to marry again.

The love of my life is gone until their sensual desires.

Overcome their dedication to Christ.

Until the vow that. They made is no longer good.

And that's what Ecclesiastes 55 tells us, isn't it?

That it's better to not make a vow than to make one and not

fulfill it? I would encourage young widows.

If a young widow happened to come to me in our church, what

should I do? Nothing right now.

Pray and seek the will of God for your life.

Perhaps God will bring another man.

Well, I don't even want to think about it.

You're not ready to. Think about it now.

But perhaps he will. Because that's what his word

instructs you to wait upon. Now, if you can remain single

and make that vow, of course, Paul even says in First

1 Corinthians 7 · chapter mention

Corinthians Chapter 7, it's better for you to not marry.

He said if you can be like me, be like me.

But if you burn in your sensual desires, the lust of your flesh,

he says it's better for you to marry than to burn.

So he's applying everything that he's taught all throughout his

ministry, even to this. He says they want to get married

when this happens, thus they. Bring judgment on themselves.

Because they have broken their first pledge.

They made a pledge to God. They made a vow that they broke.

We shouldn't do that. So what happens?

Here we see first. That this young widow is

ensnared by good intentions, right?

Making vows she can't keep. How many of you have ever made a

vow that you couldn't keep? Lord, if you get me through

this, I'll never. Do it again, and then you turn

around and do it again. You weren't in a position to

keep that. Vow.

You just made it, hopefully to get you out of trouble.

Paul is very understanding of this, that a woman in that

situation will make a vow that she just can't keep.

Lord, I'll be dedicated to you and your church.

Just take care of me because I've lost all income and I've

lost all resources and I need the help of the church.

Then she's overcome. By her fleshly desires.

And then she wants a man violating her own conscience and

the own conscience and the own her own vow that she made.

See the trouble that good intentions can get us into?

He's warning that they should remarry so that they don't fall

into and become ensnared by their good intentions.

Because isn't it horrible to have good intentions and then

drop the ball? Then they put a weight.

On your conscience, right when? You tell your kids you want to

do something that you know you're probably not going to be

able to do, but you really want to do for your kids.

But you, you know that you probably can't do it.

And then inevitably, you don't do it.

You look like you don't keep your promises.

What should you have done? Well, you probably shouldn't

have made that promise until you were sure that you could keep

that promise. Same thing here.

If we're not careful, the younger widows can be ensnared

by their good intentions, but also they can be ensnared by a

sinful idleness. Look at verse 13, he says.

Besides, they get into the. Habit of being idle and going

about from house to house, and not only do they become idlers,

but also gossips and busy bodies saying things they ought not to.

What is he saying here? He's saying that a woman.

Who gets married? Just the fact that she has a

husband and children in the home, it keeps her out of a lot

of trouble that she could. Get into if left to herself.

Now ladies, I know that might offend.

Some of you. And all I can simply tell you is

this sometimes. The truth is offensive.

You you can get in trouble. If you are idle, right?

Idle hands, an idle mind, as your grandmother used to say.

What the devil's workshop? Is there a woman who is?

Remarried after being a widow. She now has a husband.

She potentially has children. She now has a home.

And let me tell you this, just having a husband, if it's me,

you're so busy, you can't be idle.

I can laugh at myself. I know the truth.

My wife deserves some medal on earth and in heaven.

But he says if you're a young widow.

You you ought to encourage her to remarry so that she can be

busy taking care of her husband and her children and her home so

that she doesn't become idle or an idler or busy body or gossip.

So that she's busy. At home?

Is that not what scripture teaches?

To be busy at home instead of being a busy body.

I'll just throw social media on. There.

For fun, you can be a busy. Body on social media now?

Easy, can't you? But if you're busy with your

husband, your home and your children, you don't have time

for all that, do you? Paul's warning.

That these women could be ensnared not only by.

Good intentions of making vows. That they're not able to keep or

ensnared by sinful idleness. Watch verse 14.

It can also be ensnared by much more than that, he says.

Verse 14. So I counsel younger widows to

marry, to have children, to manage their homes, and to give

the enemy no opportunity for slander. 15 says some have in

fact already turned away to follow Satan.

What is he talking about here? Well, he's talking.

About something that. You probably would think about,

but you don't want to think about in church.

But I'm going to make you think about it in church.

There is one of the oldest. Professions in the world that

women are capable of and that is sexual.

Immorality they are capable of prostituting themselves so that

they can make. An income and it wasn't uncommon

in the day. It wasn't uncommon in the day.

For someone. To be in this same situation,

deserted. By their husband.

Either through death or divorce. And they have.

No means for an income. They have no means for food.

Perhaps they have children that they need to provide for that

are so young that there's no one who could ever help them.

And they say, you know what? I don't have any skill.

I don't. I can't apply for a job.

But what I can do is I can present myself as a prostitute

and I can make money through sexual immorality.

And what Paul's saying here is that Satan's already grabbed

some of them. Some of them have already

succumbed to this temptation, he said.

Well, I would. Never.

You've never. Been placed in that situation.

So before you cast judgement, be careful.

Be careful. What is the cure?

For this, how do we prevent? This Paul's giving us that cure.

He says take the older widows and teach them to remarry.

Make sure that it is a. Biblical.

Marriage make sure that it is a biblical remarriage right she's

not free to remarry if she's committed adultery against her

husband if her. Husband is taken from her from

this. World she's no longer bound by

that relationship because he's died.

She can now remarry someone who has never been married or who

has had a biblical divorce, he said.

Well, you think? The Church ought to.

Play matchmaker. Yes.

I don't think there's a better place in the world to play

matchmaker to say, you know what?

I know that you've been handled, handed.

Excuse me, an adverse situation. And I know you can't handle

this. On your own.

But I know of a young man in the church.

Who's looking for a wife? Who's a godly man?

He's not afraid to be a godly man.

Who would probably? Take care of you and.

Probably take care of your family.

Would you be interested in even talking to him?

I don't mind saying that at all. Why?

Because it's biblical. Ah, to encourage that young

widow to remarry. Why?

So that she will become busy. Taking care of her husband and

her family and her home and her big problem.

What was it she was? Deserted, she was left.

Destitute her big problem. Is now taken care of because she

has a husband that God has raised up for her who is taking

care of her and taking care of their family by providing for

them through his hard work and the finances that that the Lord

allows him to acquire through that.

The only other option for the young?

Widows. Is to let them figure it out on

their own. And.

Unfortunately in trying to figure it.

Out on their own there is an enemy who desires to ensnare

them by their own good intentions, by their own sinful

idleness, and their own sexual desires may never be.

So in this church. May never be so, and not only.

As a leader in this church, but it may never be so with any

advice that you give to any of the younger widows that may come

in our church. This isn't it true?

We're all just one phone call, this one sentence of bad news.

All the women in this church, you are one of those away from

being a widow. Isn't it important that we know

what they? Are isn't it?

It's. Important that we know how to

treat. Them.

Isn't it important? That we show them the love and

the compassion that the Lord shows to them.

Isn't it important that we look at them and we treat them

biblically as Scripture has mandated for us to do so Both

the family and the church have a role in this.

Families, take care of your people.

Let me just make this promise to you.

When you run out of resources or your resources get low, then you

come to the church and we will then.

Come alongside of you and subsidized what you need.

Why would we do it that way So. That we don't have that extra

burden so that when we do have that woman who is over 60 who

has no. Children and no grandchildren.

He's left all alone but has trusted God her entire life to

be her provider. We can faithfully.

Ensure that she will be taken care of because Scripture has

mandated that we take care of her.

So how do we take care of our widows?

For all of you who. Were afraid because we were

only. On .2, that's all we have today.

No need to be afraid. I have no objective.

When I go into sermon preparation, is it going to be

one point or is it going to be 30?

It doesn't matter to me this. One's 2.

Proper recognition of the widows, the proper response to

the widows. As I said a moment ago, your

ignorance card has been removed. You can't neglect this any

longer. We must define them properly.

We must care. For those who are really in

need. Must take care of our.

Own family When it requires that we take care of our own family,

we must encourage younger widows.

To remarry if so possible. So that they don't fall into the

trap of Satan. That's simple.

I told you. There's nothing hard to

understand here. What's hard to?

Understand is why we don't talk about this.

In the church, what's hard to understand?

Is why we we think. We have to be tricky and we have

to be exciting. We have to be entertaining.

I get it. Guess what?

There's nothing fiery about this this morning, was there?

But does that change the importance of it?

Absolutely not. This is why we exposit the

scripture. Not going to jump over this

topic and say like many do by jumping over it.

Then widows are not that important.

It's just a trivial matter once the church is handled.

No, let's let's teach it properly and let's handle it

biblically. How about that?

Why would we do that? Because God requires it and he

deserves it. So to the leaders of this

church, we have to assure that. This happens.

Why didn't I know this? I look at Acts chapter. 6 and I

know that. I have to devote myself to the

scriptures and to prayer, but I also know.

That God is constantly raising. UP men in this church who can

minister to our widows as need be to take care of them as their

own family, just as he did in the early church.

Believer, you have to do your part.

What's your part? Care for the widow?

How do you do? That the same way you care for

anyone. Time, talent, resources, right?

Time, talent and resources. Got a widow in our church who

she's suffering with a health problem and you're a nurse.

Why aren't you there already? The hush breaks over the crowd.

Well, I get paid to be a nurse. I know you're actually going to

store blessings in heaven like he told you to do instead of on

earth. I don't know if I can help him.

I'm a busy man. I got a.

Big company I got to take care of.

Yeah, you make lots of money. Hey, give your money to the

church. You know what?

You know what they did in the early church?

They laid at the apostles feet and they distributed as the need

dictated. I'll tell you this, our church

has always been faithful to make sure that it gets into the hands

of those who are really in need. If you have financial resources,

give. We say I don't have financial

resources. I'm not a nurse.

Pray. Watch this.

Write a card, send a text message, make a phone call.

Just let them know, hey, we care about you.

Why? Because Christ cares about you

and. That's what we're to do as a

church. We're to take care of our

widows. Do your part.

You have a family member who's a widow, take care of her.

I'm dump her on the. Church, take care of her.

Do what you're. Supposed to do.

Does your mother, your grandmother, remember they did

it for you? Repay them because they deserve

it. Honor your mother and father,

not just when you like it, when it's difficult, honor them.

Why? Because God said to do that to

the unbeliever. I know where you are right now.

You're sitting here and you're saying, what does this mean to

me? It means nothing to you.

It can't. Mean anything to you, and

frankly? You can't even understand what

I'm teaching here this morning. Why?

Because the natural man does not understand the things of the

Spirit. To you I'm nothing more than

Charlie Brown's teacher. Wah wah wah wah wah wah wah wah.

Means nothing to you because you're not a part of the family.

Of God. You say.

Are you saying that to isolate me?

No. I'm just saying that so that

you'll know that you're isolated.

I'm not the one who's isolated you your.

Sin has isolated you. Your sin has cut you off and

alienated you from the family of God and from God Himself.

And thanks to be to God that 2000 years ago Jesus Christ, the

only begotten Son of God, came to this earth and he died on a

cross and he was buried and he rose again to new life so that

you can have forgiveness of. Sin and new life, and so that

you can be justified before a holy God and so that you can be

brought in to the family of God. Why is that important?

Because one day you might be that widow who needs the family

of God to take care of you. One day you might be that

widower who needs the family of God to take care of you.

One day you might be that orphan who needs the family of God to

take care of you. And hasn't God been just to us?

Let us bow. Before him, let us.

Acknowledge Christ as Lord and Savior.

Let us walk to Him with every ounce of energy that we have

this morning and kneel before Him as our Lord and as our

Savior, turning from our sin and turning to Him as Christ and

Lord of our lives. Surrender to Christ today and

become a. Family of God and.

Understand these principles that have been taught personally as

we all in Christ understand them personally.

Just pray to God the Father in the name of Jesus.

We thank you so much for your word.

We thank you that it's true, every bit of it.

From cover to cover. It means something.

What I pray for the widows that means something to you.

Let them mean something to us as well.

Let us passionately love and passionately give to them, but

let us do it biblically that it would be pleasing.

To you whether that. Be the family who gives or the

church who gives to the widow. May we do it all in honor of

you. May you receive.

All honor and glory. And praise for the soul who's

here today who does not know Christ.

Lord, I pray that you would give them mercy.

You would draw them out of the darkness of their sin, that you

would draw them into your marvelous light, that today they

would turn from sin and self under your power, turn to faith

in Jesus Christ, the one true Lord and Savior.

We'll give you the praise for it in Jesus name, Amen.

You've been listening to Key Life.

Fellowships Pulpit Ministry Podcast Join us each week for

more teaching from God's Word.