Title: Excellent Weaving (1 Tim. 03:8-13)
Contents Each church, presbytery, and other associations are conducting weaving seminars in full swing (we are at the end of January). How can I become an excellent weaver who serves more faithfully and more wonderfully before God who has given us another year? That would be the topic. Even in the world, it is often said that ‘great work’ is ‘great’, but what should God’s people look like? It is also a message for future officers, so let's long for the position.
1. Neat weaving (verses 8 and 11)
As I was preparing the sermon, I thought about how to summarize the criteria for a noble office in a concise manner. If you read the text carefully, you will find a representative word. It means ‘determined’. Its original meaning is that it is clean and not cluttered. That category can include non-cooking, non-drinking, and non-coveting. Still, it was a bit disappointing, so it was not a satisfactory idea, so I looked at the English Bible and gave an expression that was closer to the original language and helped me think more, and that is worthy of respect. It is ‘deserving of respect’. That's fine. What more could you ask for? In other words, set an example in everything. The same goes for female butlers. There is one word that cannot be missed even in the standards of female butlers, and that is 'to be neat'.
He also said that we should not accuse, be temperate, and be faithful in all things. All of this can be summed up in a nutshell. As a woman, it is easy to become jealous or jealous, so we must not accuse (accusing others of embarrassment), be temperate (in everything, especially in words), and be faithful. A one-word summary is 'to be respected'. How important are butlers actually? And what more needs to be said about a bishop who has taken on a more important task? Let's secure the standards you gave them and become an awesome weaver this year. In the early church, the standard of a deacon was ‘full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom’. And among them were famous evangelists and martyrs. In the new year, let's achieve vigorous revival and development with a new weaver and a new church.
2. Welfare with the mystery of faith (verse 9)
The above standard (standard no. 1) is possible only with the Holy Spirit.
Therefore, you must have the secret of communion with God. Deep communion with God and companionship, this strengthens our office, deepens our thoughts, words, and actions, and makes us respectful. The secret of faith and the secret of communion with God. For this, we must enter a deeper religious life. We must enter into a deeper prayer life and study of the Word. No matter how pious I have been up until now, no matter how much I have been respected, I must entrust myself to God, who will take care of my future self. If you are not filled with the Holy Spirit by relying on God, it will not last as long as a broken flower (flower arrangement), no matter how beautiful it is, does not last long.
Therefore, let us long for the filling of the Holy Spirit, pray, and receive it. You will possess this secret of faith in the vessel of a clean conscience. It is a sanctified conscience. The conscience we originally had is a scorched conscience. A conscience that is dull and numb no matter how much we try to stimulate and renew it - our conscience before we believed in Jesus - because that was our conscience (Look at the high-ranking officials these days. What good is the social pressure to set a position, face, and example? ?) Even after we believe in Jesus, we must work hard for the sanctification of our dirty conscience. Because the secret of faith resides in a clean conscience. When this happens, it sets an example in the home (verse 12). A clean conscience and the secret of faith are essential for married life and children's education. When the image of a child of God is revealed abundantly and thoroughly, you will live as a wonderful husband, wonderful wife, and wonderful parents.