https://youtu.be/_U1QO1ELHxo
Welcome to Covenant of Hope Ministries and our combined written and live Sunday sermon. You will normally see us posted in written and live form on Sunday. I am Rev. Laura A. Neff. Our ministry was built on the truth of God’s love and sharing the Word of God, the Spirit of Christ Jesus in a way that we believe embraces the ways Jesus taught us to manage. We bring His Word to the many as opposed to the few, in order to continue the legacy created by the ministry of Jesus Christ.
You will find us in the following location: http://www.covenantofhopeministries.blogspot.com
Rev. Laura’s other sites: Facebook & Blogspot & Twitter & Linkedin & USAlife & YouTube
Wedding officiant page: Wedfolio
Prayer List: We have many on our prayer list. Some wish to remain anonymous, and others only wish to have their first names mentioned. Our prayer list grows or changes every week. This is our current list.
- Evangelist Cal Jennings is taking life day by day with his dog Scrappy. Currently Cal is having a lot of pain in his stomach. They appreciate all the prayers as the two of them continue to take life one day at a time.
- My daughter has asked if we could add three people from her life onto our prayer list. One of them is named Ms. Ramona and works with my daughter, she was rushed to the hospital and has been ordered to be on bed rest until further notice. The second is her husband Douglas’s grandmother, who has a tentative diagnosis of dementia. The last is her husband’s grandfather, known to everyone as Papa John, who is suffering depression due to his memory issues.
- Please pray for a friend of ours, Tyrone, who is still having issues with recovering from an injury managed at work that has affected his daily life in too many ways. Pray for his healing.
- Pray for Janice’s mother who is still having issues after a stroke last year and other medical issues. Pray for her children and grandchildren that they have a great year this year.
- Please pray for a friend of ours, Sharon, with serious health issues that she has been fighting for control of for quite a while. This friend has also had other issues in her life that have caused chaos in different ways.
- Pray for my employer, Ed, who still needs prayer for a great many things going on in his life.
- Please keep my employer’s wife, Joy, in prayer as she has been diagnosed with stage 4 kidney disease.
- One of my sisters is going through some serious stresses that are affecting everything right now, let’s pray she gets relief from these issues.
- Pray for a high school classmate of mine, her name is Kelly, who is finally done with her chemo. She has survived the loss of her hair and the debilitating results of chemotherapy. Let us pray that the evil disease of cancer is gone from her body forever. May God’s blessings wrap around her and protect her keeping her spirits high and her pain low.
- Continue to keep my Aunt Donna in your prayers. She is hanging on even with the cancer treatments and the many changes she is going through.
- Pray for my niece, Autumn, who is having a lot of health issues relative to a head injury from a car wreck. The wreck caused her to now suffer from seizures with an epilepsy diagnosis.
- Pray for Pastor Stephen Okoth in Nakuru, Kenya, as one of our outreach ministers for fifteen years. He and his congregation have done amazing work there in Kenya. God has been with them and the prayers we bring help as well.
- Pray for our other outreach ministers and the work they do, including Rev. Lisa Tyler, one of my mentors, Pastor Simon Peter Javaji, and the family of Pastor Robert Nganwa from Uganda who passed away a couple years ago, but the church continues on.
- Pray for those who are serving our countries around this world.
Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, we have a great many friends, family, and colleagues in all directions to bring up to You in prayer. Pain, illness, and trauma continue to affect Tyrone, and Cal. Health issues affect a good friend of mine, Sharon. Cancer affects our Aunt Donna let her cancer leave her body and free her from pain. We praise You for Your help in getting Kelly through her cancer treatments for all these months. Illness affects both Ramona and Douglas’s grandmother, see them through their life altering changes and help those supporting them to stay strong and comforting. There are family and friends suffering financial issues and woes, please help them put the world right side up again. Sending a special prayer to my sister Emilie, who needs spiritual and other support right now. Our children are back to school, help them to excel and make new friends and enjoy the learning experience. We pray for all of this in Your Holy Name, through our Savior Jesus Christ, and the gift of the Holy Spirit, Amen and so it shall be.
Opening Song: I Love to Tell the Story ~ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrCpKa_xOcE
1 I love to tell the story
of unseen things above,
of Jesus and his glory,
of Jesus and his love.
I love to tell the story
because I know 'tis true;
it satisfies my longings
as nothing else can do.
Refrain:
I love to tell the story,
'twill be my theme in glory,
to tell the old, old story
of Jesus and his love.
2 I love to tell the story,
'tis pleasant to repeat
what seems, each time I tell it,
more wonderfully sweet.
I love to tell the story,
for some have never heard
the message of salvation
from God's own Holy Word. [Refrain]
3 I love to tell the story,
for those who know it best
seem hungering and thirsting
to hear it like the rest.
And when in scenes of glory
I sing the new, new song,
'twill be the old, old story
that I have loved so long. [Refrain]
Sermon: Today we are continuing our journey through the first letter Paul wrote to Timothy as we complete the third chapter. We are seeing here that Paul is fulfilling the directive of the Great Commission.
Matthew 28:16-20 KJV – Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, into a mountain where Jesus had appointed them. And when they saw him, they worshipped him: but some doubted. And Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.
NIV – Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
In this first verse we see a repetitive consideration found in all of Paul’s letters. Those words are filthy lucre, which means ill-gotten goods. Per usual, Paul is reminding the people in the church where Timothy was their leader, that they had to pay attention to the Lord, and present themselves clean, sober, and faithful to Jesus Christ and God.
1 Timothy 3:8 KJV – Likewise must the deacons be grave, not doubletongued, not given to much wine, not greedy of filthy lucre;
NIV – In the same way, deacons are to be worthy of respect, sincere, not indulging in much wine, and not pursuing dishonest gain.
Paul references the Torah, and the poetic books.
Leviticus 10:9 KJV – Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations:
NIV – “You and your sons are not to drink wine or other fermented drink whenever you go into the tent of meeting, or you will die. This is a lasting ordinance for the generations to come,
Psalm 5:9 KJV – For there is no faithfulness in their mouth; their inward part is very wickedness; their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue.
NIV – Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with malice. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongues they tell lies.
Psalm 12:2 KJV – They speak vanity every one with his neighbour: with flattering lips and with a double heart do they speak.
NIV – Everyone lies to their neighbor; they flatter with their lips but harbor deception in their hearts.
Ezekiel 44:21 KJV – Neither shall any priest drink wine, when they enter into the inner court.
NIV – No priest is to drink wine when he enters the inner court.
Paul adds to these with his own references to the letters written to Philippi and also the one written to Titus.
Philippians 1:1 KJV – Paul and Timotheus, the servants of Jesus Christ, to all the saints in Christ Jesus which are at Philippi, with the bishops and deacons:
NIV – Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus, To all God’s holy people in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons:
Titus 1:7 KJV – For a bishop must be blameless, as the steward of God; not selfwilled, not soon angry, not given to wine, no striker, not given to filthy lucre;
NIV – Since an overseer manages God’s household, he must be blameless—not overbearing, not quick-tempered, not given to drunkenness, not violent, not pursuing dishonest gain.
Titus 2:3 KJV – The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;
NIV – Likewise, teach the older women to be reverent in the way they live, not to be slanderers or addicted to much wine, but to teach what is good.
Regardless that Christianity was growing, many people still didn’t understand everything relating to faith within the practice. It’s why, even to this day, we are known to be “Practicing Christianity”.
1 Timothy 3:9-10 KJV –Holding the mystery of the faith in a pure conscience. And let these also first be proved; then let them use the office of a deacon, being found blameless.
NIV – They must keep hold of the deep truths of the faith with a clear conscience. They must first be tested; and then if there is nothing against them, let them serve as deacons.
Paul references the gospel writer Luke in the Acts of the Apostles, the letter he wrote to the church at Colossae, and the first and second letters John the Beloved wrote to Ephesus.
Acts 6:1-2 KJV – And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews, because their widows were neglected in the daily ministration. Then the twelve called the multitude of the disciples unto them, and said, It is not reason that we should leave the word of God, and serve tables.
NIV – In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables.
Colossians 1:22 KJV – In the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight:
NIV – But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—
1 John 4:1 KJV –Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
NIV –Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
2 John 1:9-10 KJV –Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed:
NIV –Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son. If anyone comes to you and does not bring this teaching, do not take them into your house or welcome them.
Behavior is often part of every church, and the rules in that regard would be quite important to Paul. We’ve seen how many times people have misconstrued his meaning in this regard, especially as it pertains to women. In this case, Paul is reminding the women of the congregation to portray faith without corrupting their faith with the seven troubles. Vanity, envy, lust, enmity, wrath, shame, and doubt are all referenced in this verse without those same words.
1 Timothy 3:11 KJV – Even so must their wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things.
NIV – In the same way, the women are to be worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything.
Paul references the Torah and further enforces the need to reprove the women in the congregation. One of the hardest parts of preaching about these issues held would be in the fact that we don’t know whether Timothy wrote a letter to Paul in this regard. All we do know is that the two of them met at least twice in their lifetimes and they fought for the faith until they died, both made martyrs, but transforming the world regardless. Here are the references that Paul portrays within this letter.
Leviticus 21:7 KJV – They shall not take a wife that is a whore, or profane; neither shall they take a woman put away from her husband: for he is holy unto his God.
NIV – “‘They must not marry women defiled by prostitution or divorced from their husbands, because priests are holy to their God.
Leviticus 21:13-15 KJV – And he shall take a wife in her virginity. A widow, or a divorced woman, or profane, or an harlot, these shall he not take: but he shall take a virgin of his own people to wife. Neither shall he profane his seed among his people: for I the Lord do sanctify him.
NIV – “‘The woman he marries must be a virgin. He must not marry a widow, a divorced woman, or a woman defiled by prostitution, but only a virgin from his own people, so that he will not defile his offspring among his people. I am the Lord, who makes him holy.’”
Psalm 15:3 KJV – He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour.
NIV – whose tongue utters no slander, who does no wrong to a neighbor, and casts no slur on others;
Psalm 50:20 KJV – Thou sittest and speakest against thy brother; thou slanderest thine own mother's son.
NIV – You sit and testify against your brother and slander your own mother’s son.
Psalm 101:5 KJV – Whoso privily slandereth his neighbour, him will I cut off: him that hath an high look and a proud heart will not I suffer.
NIV – Whoever slanders their neighbor in secret, I will put to silence; whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart, I will not tolerate.
Romans 1:29 KJV – Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers,
NIV – They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit and malice. They are gossips,
Paul creates a usable list of regulations, when it came to ordained people for the church leadership. In this specific one he is outlining the type of men eligible for serving as a deacon within the church.
1 Timothy 3:12-13 KJV – Let the deacons be the husbands of one wife, ruling their children and their own houses well. For they that have used the office of a deacon well purchase to themselves a good degree, and great boldness in the faith which is in Christ Jesus.
NIV – A deacon must be faithful to his wife and must manage his children and his household well. Those who have served well gain an excellent standing and great assurance in their faith in Christ Jesus.
The origin of these positions goes far, far back in the Torah, but Jesus Christ insisted upon several conditions for any who would work as His preachers, pastors, deacons, deaconesses, and so forth. We see some of this in His words recorded by the gospel writers Matthew and Luke.
Matthew 20:28 KJV – Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
NIV – just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Matthew 25:21 KJV – His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.
NIV – “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
Luke 16:10-12 KJV – He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much: and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. If therefore ye have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches? And if ye have not been faithful in that which is another man's, who shall give you that which is your own?
NIV – “Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. So if you have not been trustworthy in handling worldly wealth, who will trust you with true riches? And if you have not been trustworthy with someone else’s property, who will give you property of your own?
Luke 19:17 KJV – And he said unto him, Well, thou good servant: because thou hast been faithful in a very little, have thou authority over ten cities.
NIV – “‘Well done, my good servant!’ his master replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’
Paul again portrays his deep wishes to actually visit the church there at Lystra. It’s a testimony to the promise the Apostles made when Jesus met with them during the Acts of the Apostles ahead of His full ascension.
1 Timothy 3:14-15 KJV – These things write I unto thee, hoping to come unto thee shortly: But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.
NIV – Although I hope to come to you soon, I am writing you these instructions so that, if I am delayed, you will know how people ought to conduct themselves in God’s household, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and foundation of the truth.
It is very, very important to understand why Jesus wanted His Word shared far and wide, and that goes all the way back to the history of the Torah and its fifth book.
Deuteronomy 31:23 KJV – And he gave Joshua the son of Nun a charge, and said, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou shalt bring the children of Israel into the land which I sware unto them: and I will be with thee.
NIV – The Lord gave this command to Joshua son of Nun: “Be strong and courageous, for you will bring the Israelites into the land I promised them on oath, and I myself will be with you.”
Paul adds to this with references from Matthew’s gospel discussing his fellow Apostle, Simon Peter, known after that as Peter.
Matthew 16:16 KJV – And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.
NIV – Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
Matthew 16:18-19 KJV – And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
NIV – And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
Paul adds a warning regarding what we do on earth. Remember, everything that occurs in heaven is reflected here on earth, and vice versa. This is a warning that Jesus portrays to the Twelve Apostles.
Matthew 18:18 KJV – Verily I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven: and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.
NIV – “Truly I tell you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
Paul then references both letters he wrote to the church at Corinth.
1 Corinthians 3:16 KJV –Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
NIV –Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst?
1 Corinthians 10:32 KJV –Give none offence, neither to the Jews, nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God:
NIV –Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God—
2 Corinthians 6:16 KJV –And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
NIV –What agreement is there between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will live with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”
The final verse in this chapter describes the Great Commission and the mission that he was sent to do, far and wide, bringing the Word to the many, Jew, Gentile, old, young, male, female, everyone willing to listen and hear.
1 Timothy 3:16 KJV – And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into glory.
NIV – Beyond all question, the mystery from which true godliness springs is great: He appeared in the flesh, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory.
The importance of the time Jesus spent on earth “AFTER” His resurrection develops the entire curriculum for the Apostles to bring to the masses. It is extremely important to understand that “BEFORE” Jesus was arrested, prosecuted, convicted, and crucified to the death, there was teaching, for the Apostles and Disciples. However, “AFTER” the resurrection, all that teaching actually transformed the Apostles into all of the facets of the Great Commission. We see this in the different supporting verses from the gospels of Mark, Luke, John the Beloved, and also in the writing Luke managed in the Acts of the Apostles.
Mark 16:19 KJV – So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.
NIV – After the Lord Jesus had spoken to them, he was taken up into heaven and he sat at the right hand of God.
Luke 2:13 KJV – And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,
NIV – Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,
Luke 24:4 KJV – And it came to pass, as they were much perplexed thereabout, behold, two men stood by them in shining garments:
NIV – While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them.
John 1:14 KJV – And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
NIV – The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
Acts 1:9 KJV – And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
NIV – After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from their sight.
Scripture is meant to be taught for all to learn, understand, and apply to their individual lives so that they collectively will fulfill the mission that Jesus Christ created for humanity until the moment of the Second Coming. With this inspiration from our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ, let’s show each other how faith and belief in God go hand in hand, and all of us have the opportunity to walk in the faithful steps of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The ability to do this requires us to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. If you are willing to do so, please leave me a note in the comments and I’ll be in touch. Now that’s something to think about as we pray in the prayer that Jesus taught us saying:
Our Father, which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the
kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. (Matthew 6:9-13)
Closing Song: Here I Am Lord https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBg-yDhM2KY
~ Shalom ~
Rev. Laura A. Neff
Facebook & Blogspot & Twitter & Linkedin
Evangelist Calvin Jennings
Covenant of Hope Ministries Main Site: http://www.covenantofhopeministries.blogspot.com
Scripture Excerpts: The New Open Bible Study Edition: Copyright © 1990: Thomas Nelson Publishers, Inc.
Scripture Excerpts: Holy Bible: Copyright © 1982: E. E. Gaddy and Associates, Inc.
Scripture Excerpts: Holy Bible: Copyright ©circa 1890-1910: International Bible Press, The John C. Winston Co.; Philadelphia, PA, USA
Sermon or Study Copyright © 2024 http://www.covenantofhopeministries.blogspot.com
Our mission for Covenant of Hope Ministries is not to
exploit fear, but to conquer it, and overcome all that is
created through fear
together as the bringers of the
light of Jesus found in the midst of darkness.
