Shabbat Shalom. Please open your Bibles, this ministry meeting, to 1 Timothy 5, verses 17-25. And let me read those verses first of all, so we have them before us. Beginning from verse 17, the Apostle Shaul Paul says, Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially they who labor in the word and doctrine. For the scripture saith, Thou shalt not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn, and the laborer is worthy of his reward against an elder receive not an accusation but before two or three witnesses them that sin rebuke before all that others also may fear I charge thee before God and the Lord Yeshua the Messiah and the elect angels that thou observe these things without preferring one before another, doing nothing by partiality.

Lay hands suddenly on no man, neither be partaker of other men's sins. Keep thyself pure. Drink no longer water, but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities. Some men's sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment, and some men they follow after. Likewise, also, the good works of some are manifest beforehand, and they that are otherwise cannot be hid this is the end of the fifth chapter of first timothy and just to remind you again beloved brothers and sisters the apostle paul shaul left timothy in the city of ephesus according to chapter 1 and verse 3 i besought thee to abide still at Ephesus when I went unto Macedonia the Damaias charge some and he began to give him a list of things that Timothy this younger brother is to charge and to encourage and to instruct the believers in the local assembly at Ephesus the second thing that I would like to mention here to remember that when the apostle gives these instructions to the believers, whether it is in Ephesus or whether it is in any place in the world, he wants us to realize the importance of the body of Messiah.

In chapter 3 and verse 15, he said that the church of the living God is a pillar and a ground of the truth and it is so important to realize that the only way whereby the world will find out that which is true and that which is the pillar and the ground of the truth is only among the believers those that have turned their hearts to the Lord Jesus now you and I know very well of ourselves we were saved out of the world the Jewish world the Gentile world and we are now united in this body of Messiah and we are not perfect people we are sinners that were saved by grace but now

that we have been brought into the house of God brought into the body of Messiah we are now learning and growing and being instructed how to live our life here in this world until Yeshua is going to come to take us to be with him in heaven well chapter 5 was a very interesting chapter if you remember that already we learn certain things about the elders he's really speaking about the elders the whole chapter but not only about the elders he spoke about the widows which are those to be reckoned as widows indeed but here now in these verses 17 to verse 25 he is now telling Timothy there are elders in the local assembly

at Ephesus.

Ephesus was not an easy town to live in and to teach the things of the Lord because the Ephesians were people who worship Diana, the goddess, and they became believers now. And now Timothy is exhorted to encourage, to teach, to labor, to minister among the people of God and to set a healthy local church, a local assembly in this city. Well, one of the things that is very important in a local church or local assembly or local congregation is godly leadership. Those of us that have been privileged to sit under godly leadership can be so thankful to the Lord that the Lord have given us some examples in our lives.

I know I can be so thankful to the Lord for many brethren that have been a godly example to me personally, to my wife Irene personally in our lives that have been so helpful for us with all our weakness and our failure that we have personally in our life godly example was such an important thing in the life of the body of the messiah the body of christ after all the only testimony about god that the world can see today it's not in politic it's not a human religion it's not in man's system it's not in human opinion it only can be found in the word of God and through the believers who seek to

submit to the word of God and after all to remind you that all those believers are sinners that have been redeemed through the blood of Yeshua the Messiah and now they are to be instructed on how to conduct their lives you and I need that we know very well we need the lord's help to help us to know how to conduct ourselves failing as we are we are in the need of the lord's help so in this passage verses 17 to 25 the apostle paul gives these instructions to him concerning the leadership in the local assembly in the local congregation and it is not new because just like we have read today in numbers chapter

11 God gave our own nation Israel instruction concerning godly leadership to lead our nation of Israel God said to Moses specifically in verses 16 and 17 of the book of numbers the Lord said unto Moshe gather unto me seventy men of the elders of Israel in Hebrew ziknei Yisrael whom thou knowest to be the elders of the people and officers over them and bring them unto the tabernacle of the congregation that they may stand there with thee and I will come down and And I will talk with thee there, and I will take of the Spirit which is upon you, thee, Moshe, and I will put it upon them, and they shall bear the burdens

of the people with thee, that thou bearest not thyself alone.

And so God said to Moshe, I want you to bring those 70 men. By the way, that's how we really have the thought of the Sanhedrin. Moshe is the one, 70 others, 71 in total. This is the ground or the foundation of what is known as the Sanhedrin, the spiritual leaders of the nation of Israel. And those 70 were instructed to lead and to teach the people of Israel the ways of the Lord. Well, it's the same thing in the body of Messiah. We also need those elders, those zkenim or spiritual leaders to help us and to instruct us in the things of the Lord. And so in those verses, Paul presents the threefold instruction on how to deal with the spiritual leaders in the local assembly.

In this case, it was the city of Ephesus. So, number one, the assembly needs to honor and to support their spiritual leaders as it is their responsibility. Number two, the assembly needs also to know how to discipline their spiritual leaders. And number three, the assembly needs to be careful how to recognize and to discern, to have spiritual discernment concerning their spiritual leadership. Look at this. First of all, in verses 17 and 18, the assembly needs to honor and to support their elders. Now, every pastor or every spiritual leader sometimes shiver or shrink from speaking about those things, because when you start to talk about money support and so on, one feels the danger of forcing himself on the people of God to support their elders.

But according to the Bible, we have this clear instruction. Notice that it says here in verse 17, Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honor, especially they that labor in word and doctrine. Notice the word rule. Now, it's unfortunately that the word rule is here. It's probably better to say the elders that lead well or the elders that oversee well, caring for the flock, let them be counted of double honor. Why? Because they are the ones who are responsible over the spiritual affair of the local assembly. And he said especially those who labor in word and in doctrine. Now, you notice that in various church groups in the world in which we live in, you have a one-man pastor.

and that pastor receives a salary from the people who are under his responsibility and that's why you have the fact that a pastor or spiritual leader ought to be supported by the local church whom he is leading he is instructing, he is teaching this is where you get this thought of so-called paid pastor now of course over the years the believers would spend his full time and energy in the things of the Lord how do we handle the support after all when a person takes his time to spend all his time in the lord's work and in a ministry of the things of the lord he doesn't take a regular ordinary job it is only

right for the people of god to support him this is his ministry that the lord have called him now it is so important beloved brothers and sisters to appreciate those that teach us the word of God he especially saying in verse 17 those who labor who work in word and in teaching in doctrine now we have to realize and to recognize this not only us locally wherever we are we are to be so thankful for those that minister the word that teach us instruct us concerning the things of the lord he used this expression labor because it is a labor it's not the labor of taking a hammer and it's a labor in a different

way there is a an emotional labor there's a spiritual labor there's all sort of conflicts that they have to deal with and issues that they have to deal with and therefore they are to be honored and supported now let me quote some other verses if you go back to 1 Thessalonians chapter 5 the Apostle Paul says verses 12 and 13 and we beseech you Achim, brethren to know them which labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you to esteem them very highly in love for their works sake and be at shalom, at peace among yourselves.

See, Paul did not only said it to Timothy, he also said it to the Thessalonians when he wrote to them. The Lord have entrusted them responsibility and you are to recognize there. And you know, if we look back into their own history among the people of Israel, how it was very important, for example, when Moses took the people of Israel outside of the land of Egypt and how you remember what happened at that time when his own sister, Miriam, and his own brother end up to go against Moses and how God was so displeased from what they have done because God raised these men by the name of Moses to be a leader among our people of all.

And God was not happy with the manner whereby these two individuals have gone against Moses. And eventually what happened? and the camp had to be held for moving forward. Miriam had to be shut out of the camp for seven days. Because instead of recognizing and appreciating their own brother, Moshe, they end up to go against him. And so here, it's very clearly how the Lord is encouraging the brothers and sisters there to give honor to those who labor in word and in doctrine. Hebrews chapter 13 is another verse. And there also verse 7. Here he is now writing to Hebrew believers, the apostle. We do not know who wrote the book of Hebrews, but nevertheless we read, Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God, whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.

remember them recognize them acknowledge them and you notice again in all these verses he used the word rule but it's far better because the spiritual leaders are not to rule they are not to be tyrant they are to be shepherds who are to lead the people to lead the flock in the right direction but nevertheless whether it is the hebrew believers whether it is the people from the Thessalonica, whether it is the people from Ephesus, every group of believers in the body of Messiah was exhorted to recognize and to honor those whom God has raised to be their spiritual leaders and teachers in the local assembly, to give them double honor and to support them and to minister to their need.

Here's one more verse, if you bear with me, in Galatians chapter 6. In verse 6, the apostle Paul is continuing sharing. Now this time it's to the Galatians. And he's saying to them in verse 6, Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teaches in all good things. He is saying, listen, you have to recognize those that teach you and to communicate and to share with them so they can continue on to do their ministry. It reminds me of the Leviim, the Levites, the tribe of Levi, whom the Lord did not give an inheritance among the people of God. And their ministry was to minister to the people of Israel, to stand before the Lord, to approach the people, to instruct the people, and to minister to the people of God.

The tribe of Levi, we have the first, the high priest, Aaron. He had his descendants after him, and they were ministering among the people of God. And so now in verse 18, he shows us that he means much more than just only to honor them and to say, yes, brother so-and-so, but it really has to do with monetary support as well. How do we know it? Because the next verse, he's quoting the word of God. He's saying in verse 18, for the scripture says, it's not my opinion, Paul says, it is the scripture, it is the word of God that says, what does the word of God say?

Thou shall not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn, and the laborer is worthy of his reward. You see what Paul is saying?

He's saying, just imagine, and by the way, I love that passage, because he used the word the scripture saith in hebrew haktuvim omrim the word of god says what is the word of god he's leading the believers to two passages in the word of god one of them is in the tanakh the old testament scripture the other one is in the brit chadasha in the new testament scripture what we really learned that scripture is not only the Tanakh the Old Testament and it's not only the Brita Hadashah the New Testament both of them together is the scripture is indeed the word of God so the first scripture he's quoting in the book of Deuteronomy what

God said through Moses to the people of Israel thou shall not muzzle the ox that treadeth out the corn in other words you don't cover the mouth of the ox that work the ground and you don't allow him to eat as he works the ground he's saying this to the people of Israel in Hebrew it says in other words when the ox is working and laboring can you imagine the ox if the people of Israel will cover his mouth muzzle him so he will not eat just carry on do the labor just carry on do the labor but don't eat don't pause don't stop can you imagine God is teaching the people of Israel a

great lesson Israel when your ox is serving you and plowing the ground and working the ground make sure that don't muzzle his mouth let him have a break let him have some food along the way let him carry on and be fed and strengthened and ease upon him so he can continue on to work and to labor.

I heard of so many spiritual leaders that stopped to continue in the Lord's work, at least to the measure that they have had in their heart, because they didn't have the support. And sometimes it is so unfortunate when preachers need to run from building to building, from places to places, just for the purpose of raising money.

And therefore they don't have the time to read the word and to pray and to prepare themselves so they can minister to the people of God because they got to run from place to place so they can raise the money so they can continue on and so when the time comes to minister the word they got to brush it really quickly so they don't minister the word in a way that they ought to minister the word i know of those who say that they spend hours in just preparing for one hour message hours and so it's such a blessing to learn from this passage well if they are laboring and preparing the work of the

lord well don't muzzle their mouth like the ox you may do to him because you want him to work the ground and he has to eat well how he can continue to do so if he's laboring and laboring he cannot even open his mouth to enjoy himself with the food that is on the ground that's what the tanakh taught our people of old it's a great principle look at the second verse that he's quoting he's quoting the word of the lord he says and and then he's quoting a New Testament passage in Luke 10 and verse 7, the words of Yeshua himself.

I want you to turn to Luke 10 with me for a moment. When Yeshua have sent the disciples to preach the message of the gospel, when he said to them in Luke chapter 10 verses 1 and on, he appointed other 70 also.

Notice it is very interesting because the number 70 we just read in Numbers chapter 11 and now we read the number 70 again here in Luke chapter 10 and verse 1 he sent them two by two before his face into every city and place whither he himself would come and he said therefore he said unto them verse 2 of Luke chapter 10 the harvest truly is great but the labors of few pray ye therefore for the lord of the harvest that he would send forth laborers into his harvest if you go down verse 3 says go your ways and behold he said i send you forth as lambs among wolves and he gave them a

list of things but not at what he said to them at the end of verse 7 he says for the laborer is worthy of his hire because as they go in their labor and they enter homes and they visit and they minister the word of God and preach the message he says listen if their house if they offer you to eat notice he said and in the same house verse 7 eating and drinking such thing as they give you why because the labor is worthy of his hire in other words it's a common sense and therefore Paul is saying to Timothy you see Timothy you will need to help the local assembly and the elders

have to be established they are to minister to the people of God it is the right thing from the people of God to honor them because they teach them they minister the word and also to minister to them in a monetary way as they labor among the people of God now I want to read just one more verse in first Corinthians chapter 9 if you may please turn there with me also.

One of the best commentary on the need to support the laborers in a monetary way is found in 1 Corinthians chapter 9 and verses 7 to 14. The apostle again writing this time to the Corinthians. The Corinthians were blaming the apostle Paul and accusing him because in a sense they were treating others better than they were treating him as he labored in their midst. And so the Apostle Paul writing to them in verse 7, Who goes to warfare at his own charges? Who planteth a vineyard and eateth not of the fruit thereof? Who feeds a flock and eateth not of the milk of the flock? I say these things as a man.

Or sayest not the law the same also? Verse 9. For it is written in the law of Moshe, the Torah Moshe, the Lord Moses. Thou shalt not muzzle the mouth of the ox that treadeth out the corn. We already quoted this earlier. Does God take care for oxen? Doesn't God take care of the animals? The answer, of course, is yes. And then he continues. Or saith he altogether for our sakes. For our sakes, no doubt this is written, that he that plows should plow in hope, and that he that threshes in hope should be partaker of his hope. If we have sown unto you spiritual things, Paul is saying to the Corinthians, Is it a great thing if we shall reap your carnal things?

If others partake of this power over you, are not we rather, Paul is speaking of himself to the Corinthian? Nevertheless, we have not used this power out, but suffer all things, lest we should hinder the gospel of the Messiah. Do you not know, verse 13, The day which minister about holy things live of the things of the temple. He had a reference to the Levites. And they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar. Verse 14, even so that the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel. See, he gave them such a clear instruction. You know, it is so interesting.

Years ago, I always did not feel comfortable to speak about these kind of passages because it seems to be that the spiritual leader is begging for the support of the people of God. But the apostle Paul had done so throughout scripture and he simply instructed the people of God of their responsibility to their elders, to their teaching elders specifically, to honor them, to support them, and to minister to them in a monetary way, because that's the way that the Lord have ordained it, both historically to our people Israel, and in a present-day dispensation to the believers in our Lord Yeshua the Messiah. So that is the first instruction that Paul gives Timothy in these three-fold instructions on how to treat their elders, their spiritual leaders.

And the first thing is to make sure that we don't neglect them, but minister to them as they minister to the people of God. But now notice verse 19, 20, and 21. Not only that the believers need to honor and to support their elders, the teachers and ministers of the word, but also the assembly need to know how to discipline their spiritual leaders also. Because their spiritual elders are not perfect people. They are sinners that are saved by grace. They have been brought into the body of Messiah. God gave gifts to the believers, to the people of God, and some of them were gifts of pastoral, pastor, teachers, and minister of the Word of God.

So not only that we have to take care of them, but also to know how to discipline them. And notice what it says here. He doesn't spare the spiritual leaders because they are spiritual leaders. He's telling Timothy, he says, listen, you also need to know or to teach the believers at Ephesus how to discipline. You see, sometimes the spiritual leaders need to be corrected. They're not always right. They need to be disciplined at times. And so he says, notice in verse 19, against an elder receive not an accusation, but before two or three witnesses.

You see, the elders, at times, they are an accusation against them sometimes they're true accusation and sometimes they're false but in order to deal things wisely in the right way he's saying listen don't receive an accusation against elders unless and that's the principle for everything really unless there are two or three witnesses in other words it's such a healthy thing when you have to deal with the spiritual leaders it's and of course this applies to everyone really but specifically in the context he says listen receive not an accusation against an elder but make sure that if there is an accusation there are two or three witnesses and that is not something that started only now

when the apostle Paul Shaul gave this instruction to Timothy that was already given to our forefathers Israel in Deuteronomy chapter 19 and verse 15 God have said to the people of Israel that on the basis of two or three witnesses everything will be established and it's so important to have two or three witnesses if there is something wrong in the life of spiritual leader and he need to be corrected well it's so healthy to have two or three challenging him help seeking to help him seeking to deal with him so he will turn around and stop in the direction if he goes in the wrong direction.

It could be in many ways. It could be doctrinally. It could be emotionally. It could be physically. It could be in many ways that one can go in the wrong direction. And the people of God are called to be discerning in how to handle the elders in a time when there is an accusation. And then notice what he says in verse 20, If an elder sin and persists in that sin and doesn't judge himself and doesn't confess it as before the Lord and continue on, he says he rebuke him before all others, before all. There's a time when an elder might sin and not repent of it.

He needs, as it says here according to verse 20, Them that sin, rebuke before all, that others also may fear. You know, it is a serious thing because the work of the Lord is serious. It is an issue of honoring the Lord and being a blessing to the people of God. And you can see that it's not only that the ordinary Joe may sin, the ordinary brother or sister may sin, elders, spiritual leaders are not exempt from this failure. And as the book of Hebrews says, the sin which does so easily beset us. The enemy attacks the people of God. The enemies attack the spiritual leaders.

Satan shoots all the darts to try to cause the spiritual leaders to fall. And if they continue with it and not confessing it before the Lord and turning away, they will only head up and lead others in the wrong direction. And therefore, the apostles say, them that sin rebuke and do it before all that others also may fear. Now, it is an important principle, beloved brothers and sisters, that to help us spiritually, that when wrong is done and sin so easily beset us, to repent and to turn away from that and be restored so we can go on in the things of the Lord. let me just show you a very important principle in the gospel of matthew if you turn with me to matthew chapter 18 and verse 15 again the words of yeshua as instruction to the believers of course the church was not yet born but he gave this instruction in view of god's people getting help for each other and knowing how to handle situation that rise in our life notice what it says in verse 15 of Matthew chapter 18, moreover, if a brother shall trespass against thee, what are you going to do about that?

Look at the instruction. Verse 15b, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone. If he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. Number one, if there is a sin and there was a fault and need to be dealt with, well, number one, first of all, you go and tell this to your brother. In this case, the context of 1 Timothy 5, if the elder, if the spiritual leader has sinned and has fallen, well, first of all, go yourself and correct him, tell him that. Then number two, verse 16 of Matthew 18, but If he will not hear you, then take with it one or two more, here's two or three, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.

Well, the second thing is to go is to appeal to him and say, brother, that is wrong. You got to stop it. It's not right before the Lord. It's not honoring to the Lord. is not a blessing to the people of God and there is two or three are witnessing and saying dear brother that is not the right way and you notice what he says here it says every word may be established where two or three witnesses it can be established then you know if you're rejecting it then you did your best two or three have gone and notice what it says in verse 17 of Matthew chapter 18 and if he shall neglect to hear them also tell it to the church to the local assembly but if he neglect to hear the church the assembly and you remember the word church is never a building you cannot hear the building you hear the believers and if he will not hear the brothers and sisters the called out one, the ecclesia, let him be unto thee as an heathen and as a publican.

Let him be outside of the local assembly. What a principle. Can you imagine if we would have handled situation in such a way where we first approach a brother or a sister and then two or three witnesses and then slowly seeking to wean someone back you see because God you know what it is amazing to learn from this the heart of God God is always in a business of restoration God prefer repentance and he prefer rejection of sins than just simply putting someone out whether it is the spiritual leader or whether is any brother or sister in the local assembly. God always wants to restore his people because after all we are all a group of sinners who have been saved and are saints of God in the body of Messiah whom God delight to help us in our spiritual growth so we can be a testimony to the world around us and from time to time we fall we stumble because the enemy attacks the people of God.

Can you imagine how beautiful is to come first of all to approach a brother or sister and to help them in that and if they don't listen to take one or two and say listen we long to see a restoration and if that doesn't help and he or she continue on in their ways then this is their last resort that they will have to be put outside of the local assembly of believers until they repent in view of being returned at the end back to the things of the Lord. You know, there is one of the most wonderful verses in the Bible. In 1 John 1 verse 9, if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just.

To who he is faithful and just? He is faithful and just to his own son, Yeshua the Messiah, who said, I have finished the work on the tree. I paid for this sin that he or she have committed. He is faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. That's the kind of God we have. If it wouldn't be His forgiveness and restoration, where we would have been. That's why it's so precious to understand that when a person needs to be corrected, in this case, an elder that sin, he needs to be corrected. Well, first of all, you go tell him that.

And if it doesn't work, bring another one or two with you just to discuss it seriously together. And then ultimately it says here, if he's not confessing, then you have to rebuke him. You do it before everyone because then this way he will be out from fellowship until he will be restored. And then notice what he says now in verse 21. Paul is charging Timothy that he will observe the Word of God without partiality. To be fair. Not to do things partial. You know, favoritism, you see. And that's why he says in this, verse 21, I charge thee, number one, before God. Number two, before Yeshua HaMashiach.

Number three, before the elect angels. That thou observe these things without preferring one before another doing nothing by partiality you know how we are very partial we always seem to think that this one is I like him and the other one I like her and we are not dealing with the things of the Lord fairly and without partiality and Timothy was exhorted you know Timothy Paul is saying to him do things in a right way observe those things without preferring one person over another whether he is a leader or whether he is not doing nothing by partiality why? because after all it is the Lord's work that's why he says I charge you number one before God number two before Yeshua HaMashiach number three before the angels the elect angels it is so interesting how many times the apostle presents before those elect angels you know I can see before God I can see before Yeshua the Messiah I can understand that because God the Father, God the Son, the man Mashiach Yeshua but he adds the angels and you know what brothers and sisters how many times the Bible teaches us of the fact that angels are observing us we don't see the angels actually we haven't seen Yeshua we haven't seen God by faith we look above we see Yeshua crowned with glory and honor we haven't seen him Peter says whom we are not seen yet you love him we love him Yeshua which we haven't seen but in addition to the person of the son in addition to God the Father.

We have these angels that are called elect angels. The angels are observing you and I. They're observing the ecclesia, the church, the body of Messiah to see how we conduct ourselves. You know when we read in 1 Corinthians chapter 11 and verse 10 that the sisters in the local assembly have their head covered and I'm mentioning that because the Bible says this. In verse 10 it says for this cause art a woman to have her power over her head because of the angels. Why? When angels are observing to see the submissiveness of the wives and the sisters, they learn something of the submissiveness of the body of Messiah to the Messiah himself.

It's the scripture. That's what the scripture gives us. Actually, there are so many passages that relate these things to the angels because they are ministering spirits. Hebrews chapter 1 and verse 13 and 14, the angels are called to serve. They are ministering spirits. They are ministering among the people of God. One more verse in 1 Peter chapter 1 that I want to read about those angels. It's so interesting 1st Peter chapter 1 and verse 12 it says there unto whom was revealed that not unto themselves but unto us they did minister the things which are now reported unto you by them which have preached the gospel unto you by the Holy Spirit sent down from heaven which things angels desire to look into angels desire to look into what?

when they see the believers walking with the Lord and submitting to the things of the Lord when they observe us they learn about Yeshua and the saved ones and the Savior and our relationship with Him and that's why the apostles said they elect angels that thou observe these things without partiality. We have an inclination to be very partial because of our weakness and our nature that we have and therefore the Lord helps us to make these decisions. Well, the first thing, brothers and sisters, the assembly is to honor and to support their elders. Verses 17 and 18. The second thing, the assembly, is to know and discern their elders and discipline them when it's needed.

In a time, it is needed. But here's the last point. Verse 22, 23, 24, and 25, the assembly also needs to know how to recognize one or more to be their elders. How do we discern who are to be spiritual leaders in the local assembly? I know in various church groups, they vote. Majority rule. So if you like somebody, but that is not what the Bible teaches. It's not majority rule. Well, elders have to be recognized. Recognition is very important. Well, notice what it says here in verses 22 to 25. first of all it says in verse 22 lay hand suddenly on no man neither be partakers of other men's sins keep thyself pure now what does he mean to lay hand suddenly on no man well the laying of the hand is a symbol of recognition and identification when you lay hand on someone spiritually speaking you recognize, listen, I identify with this brother in what he teaches and I recognize the gift that the Lord had given to him to minister among the people of God.

And so don't quickly lay hand and identify with everyone. You have to take the time to observe the brother to see how they walk with the Lord. Are they sincere? Are they teaching the word of god are they shepherd among the people of god do they care for the flock don't lay suddenly your hands on any man take your time don't rush into this and again i would like to suggest to you that laying of the hand speaks of identification already in the earlier days in leviticus chapter one when our people have confessed their sins before the lord and offer the sacrifice the burnt offering they will lay their hands on the animal and that speaks of identification their value of the blood of the animal have passed to them you might say and by them laying their hands confessing their sins the burnt offering the value of the sacrifice speaks of the Mashiach Yeshua was transferred to them and they were accepted by the Lord When it's come to the sin offering, it was the opposite.

They lay hand on the sin offering and their sins were transferred to the animal and therefore God could accept them. The laying of the hand symbolically speaks of identification. Now mind you, I can lay my hand on you all day long. It's not my hand that does anything. Somebody says, you're only going to pass to another your germs. The point is, it's not the issue of laying of the hand, the physical. The point is, it's recognition and identifying with those whom God may raise to become spiritual leaders in our midst. It's a matter of recognizing and identifying with them. You know this in Numbers chapter 8, when the Levites became leaders from among the people of Israel, there was the laying of the hand by Moshe to recognize them as they are going to become those who are spiritual leaders among our nation Israel.

Even Joshua, before he became the leader of our nation Israel and to lead the people of Israel into the promised land, Moses lays hands upon him and recognize him and publicly acknowledge before the nation of Israel, here is the next leader who is going to lead our people Israel into the promised land so you cannot just lay hand upon anybody quickly and that's why he used the word lay hand suddenly on no man don't be rushed in identifying with somebody and maybe give him a prominent place take the time let him grow observe him see how he's walking with the lord it doesn't mean that he's perfect he will have failure in his life like

anybody else but take your time don't do it suddenly then he continued notice what he says in verse 23 now notice how he bring in in the midst of what he was talking about the elders all of a sudden he's telling to timothy in verse 23 he says drink no longer water but use a little wine for thy stomach's sake and thine often infirmities apparently you know timothy was a younger brother he was left to lead such a difficult area in Ephesus with a lot of things that are creeping in apparently he had some problem sometime in ministry your stomach is bothering you because of all the things that are bothering you these conflicts to

deal with there are issues there are all sort of things that men can become sick out of all the challenges that he has to face you know everybody's problem coming upon the spiritual leaders every issue he has to deal with it's like a garbage can that all what you need to just dump inside as much as you want and once in a while he need to kind of pour it out in a bigger can so he can get refilled again and so Timothy got sick and Paul is saying you know Timothy don't drink any more water but use a little wine for your stomach's sake and your often infirmities now you might say Timothy was

a spiritual man you should not be sick God loves him and he can never be sick some people tell us oh you know if you believe in Yeshua and you're going to go with him you will never be sick if you are sick you must have a problem in your life and you find out that even Timothy got sick and even Paul had a thorn in the flesh because part and parcel of our life here in this world is deterioration yesterday in our bible classes we have learned the thought of dying you shall die from genesis chapter 3 and how we learned that even though we are saved the people who are going to one

day receive a glorified body here in this world we are part of this deteriorating society and the body is groaning.

So Timothy in the ministry perhaps was so affected that his stomach bothered him and that he had many infirmities. And apparently, and I know this from experience, when I went to India years ago to visit a missionary, I took all sorts of pills before me, I took shots before me and everything before I got to India. And once I got to India, I made a mistake. And I took a little water that was somewhere, and it was not a bottle of water. And I tell you, I got so sick in my stomach. I'm sorry to say it, but I puked on the taxi driver in the back of the seat of the taxi.

Literally, I couldn't take it anymore. And why? Because the water was not suitable for my stomach. I'm not from this country, and I'm from another area, and you're not able to sustain that. So Timothy, drink a little wine for your stomach's sake. He doesn't tell him, go and get drunk, obviously. Like Ephesians tell us, be not drunk with wine, but be filled with the Holy Spirit. But a little bit of wine can help in one way or another. It's a medicine as well. And so we find Paul saying to Timothy, drink a little wine for your stomach's sake. It's because it will minister to you.

It will help you with healing. And then he's going back after he just took a sideline. And then he's going back now to verse 24 and 25. In these last verses, the assembly needs not to suddenly lay their hands upon them. Why? And here is the reason in verse 24 and 25. Verse 24. Some men's sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment. And some men, they follow after. In other words, some men' ongoing sinful life is evident. It's evident. They haven't judged themselves and stopped in this direction. It's right before them. But then he continues, some men, they follow after. In other words, while it's not seen at the moment, but later on, it will follow after them.

And then he continues and he concludes chapter 5 in verse 25. Likewise, also the good works of some is manifest beforehand. The things that they do, the godly living, the good works that they do is going before them. It's evident. And some, perhaps they don't like to speak about the things that they are doing, the good works he's speaking about in a positive way. He says, others, they cannot be heathed. You can see it. When a brother is walking with the Lord, it is evident somehow in their life, in their manner of behavior, in their manner of speech. Yes, they are not perfect. They are failing. But nevertheless, this is an evident in their lives.

And therefore, you can recognize them. You can acknowledge them. You can give them the room to exercise the gift that the Lord had called them for to be in pastoral shepherd ministry among the people of God. Why? Because it says in 1 Timothy chapter 3 and verse 1, This is a true saying. If a man desired the ministry of oversight, he desires a good work. Because it's really a good work to oversee, to minister, to teach and instruct the people of God, help them to be blessed, minister to them the person of Yeshua, the Messiah, the one who loved us and gave himself for us. And so, beloved brothers and sisters, the threefold instruction that Paul gave to Timothy concerning how believers are to relate to their elders.

They need to honor them and support them. They need to discipline them at times. And they need to carefully recognize those whom God had raised among the people of God. May the Lord bless us and help us to be a discerning people.