Youth In The Church

I Timothy 5:1-2

When I worked at the prison, we used 10 codes. Most everyone knows 10-4. Another one we used frequently was 10-12....Stand by. We would use it to tell someone to "stand by for an answer" or "stand by where you are". 10-12 is a great reminder of a Bible verse we should all remember. I Corinthians 10:12 says,

"Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall". Paul was warning young Timothy in our passage of how he should view younger Christians in the church. While Timothy was young himself, this is a message that all elders in the church should guard themselves with.

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“Do not rebuke an older man, but exhort him as a father, younger men as brothers, older women as mothers, younger women as sisters, with all purity.”

I Timothy 5:1-2

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Have you ever wondered why Christians call each other "Brother" or "Sister"? There are numerous reasons, but this is one of them. Paul told Timothy that we should treat younger men and women in the church as brothers and sisters One of the first things I notice is that all church members are viewed as equal or superior in degree of reverence. No church member is to be held in lower esteem. There are certainly teachings of Jesus and the Apostles that support this. Pastors, regardless of age, are to be respected because of their position. However, the pastor does not lord this over the membership because he views them as mothers and fathers, or at least sisters and brothers. He is obedient to God in his leading and teaching, but not tyrannical or dictatorial. This is why Jesus called leaders of the church "pastors". The word literally means shepherd. A shepherd leads the sheep, he does not drive them like a cowboy.

Another reason we should regard members as mothers and fathers or sisters and brothers, is to be sure we maintain a proper relationship with them. This is especially true for pastors. We have all heard the stories of preachers’ wives running off with a deacon or the preacher running off with the pianist. This is because the elders (preacher and deacon) lost perspective of how they were to view the church members. They did not view them as sisters. If they had maintained that position, the line of adultery would not have been crossed. The reputation of the church would not have been tarnished, and they would not have brought shame to the name of Jesus. This is where I Corinthians 10:12 comes into our devotion. We need to be careful because the moment we think we are standing on firm ground, and that we could never fall, that is when we will fall. In that moment we have allowed pride to sneak in, and we are no longer relying on God to guard our path (Proverbs 2:8). Time and time again people have said, "I never thought it would happen to me" or "I never thought I would be that person". Let me give you one more 10 code: 10-13; this is the code for "weather report" or "road conditions". It just so happens that I Corinthians 10:13 is a good forecast that we should use to prepare for our days, too. It says, "No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it". If it is a temptation for one person, then we are capable of being tempted by it as well. There is nothing more that Satan wants than to find that opening that he can sneak into our lives like a thief to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10) [There's another 10 code I could mention…. 10:10 means “fight in progress”]. We have to be on guard by fully relying on Jesus to guide our paths, especially in regard to church.

Father, I thank You that even though we may get surprised by temptations, we don't have to be. If we will walk humbly with You, You will guard our paths, and lead us in the decisions we should make. I pray that pastors, deacons, and every church member would view each other properly so that we do not fall into temptations of pride. May we not bring shame to Your Holy Name.