The Christian Family: Marriage and Household Order: Remember Lot And His Wife

Responsibility and Responding

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Family Government

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2024-01-20

Synopsis: John Weaver teaches from 1 Timothy 5:8 that believers have a God-given responsibility to provide for their families, which includes protection, defense, and medical preparedness, not just food and clothing. He argues that failing to do so denies the faith and makes one worse than an infidel. The sermon emphasizes personal responsibility over reliance on government, the importance of community and communication, and the need to trust God while actively preparing.

[John Weaver] Father, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we come to thee this day. We thank you for your word. We thank you for your truth. And, Lord, we pray that you would teach us and build us up in the most holy faith. May your perfect and holy will be accomplished today. Give us, Lord, an understanding heart, and may we serve thee in reverence and godly fear. In thy name we pray. Amen.

[John Weaver] All right, let's open our Bibles, if you would, please, to 1 Timothy chapter 5 and verse 8. I preached this message to our people back in November. I actually started preparing for this meeting back in November. And when I finished this message, I thought it was so important, I did not want to wait to preach it. So I preached to our people. So some of our people have heard this message.

[John Weaver] Probably most of them have forgotten it. I hope not. But I'm just simply saying I think this is foundational. It is a root message. And that I'm going to start from here. The other message is nobody's ever heard. So I'm just going to tell you here. First Timothy, chapter five, verse eight. The title of the message is Responsibility and Responding. So if you look in verse eight, First Timothy five, verse eight, The Bible says, but if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

[John Weaver] So let me begin by asking you this question. Who is responsible to protect your life, your family, and your property? Many take the position that it is the responsibility of the government to protect them, and therefore they do absolutely nothing to prepare themselves or their families. The interesting thing is, I just came across this this morning. There was a whole article, and I just took a couple of paragraphs out of it, and here it is.

[John Weaver] In fact, one recent survey discovered that a whopping 71.2% of all Americans have no faith in the United States government to save them or prevent a doomsday event. Now listen to this. If you actually believe that the government will be there to rescue you when things really start hitting the fan, you're being delusional. If it was equally divided among the entire population, now there's 330 million Americans, not counting the 30 million illegal immigrants, If it was equally divided up among the entire population, the emergency supplies that the government has on hand would not last a single day. Wow. So many people think that somehow the government's going to come in and save them. A few tend to believe that the police or the deputies or the sheriff somehow will protect them and their property.

[John Weaver] And you have to remember this, when you really need them, they're at least 30 minutes away. And usually, law enforcement arrives just in time to secure the crime scene. In other words, it's over by that time. You're a victim, and you're dead. Your property is stolen, and your family probably has been murdered as well. Here's a quote it would pay you to remember. This quote is from Darren L. Hutchinson, who happened to be a professor and associate dean at the University of Florida School of Law. Here's what he said. Neither the Constitution nor state law imposes a general duty upon police officers or other governmental officials to protect individual persons from harm. even when they know harm will occur. Police can watch someone attack you, refuse to intervene, and not violate the Constitution. The Supreme Court has repeatedly held that the government has only a duty to protect persons who are in custody. So if you want to be protected by the cops, you need to get arrested. Otherwise, they have absolutely no duty to protect you at all.

[John Weaver] So here's the biblical truth, and I'm going to enunciate this from the Bible, and that is you are responsible for your life, you're responsible for your family, you're responsible for your property, you are the first responder. not the cops, not the firemen, you are the first responder. It's not up to your neighbors, it is up to you. You're responsible, and if you do not learn how to protect yourself, and have the means to protect yourself, then you're going to be a victim. One man said it like this, when you don't think of yourself as the first responder, your destiny is to be the first victim. And that's certainly true.

[John Weaver] Here is a recent headline, and I want you to listen carefully. Terrorist activity with the continental United States and general violent crimes are increasing exponentially and are likely to get much worse. The situation is so discouraging that our leftist media is desperately and deliberately under-reporting all violent crime because it makes the Democrat darlings look bad. And I hope you've been keeping up with the fact that the border, a number of these illegal immigrants that are coming across have been caught with IEDs, improvised explosive devices.

[John Weaver] So I'm just simply telling you it is up to you to learn to be responsible. Now, if you look in your Bibles at 1 Timothy chapter 5 and verse 8, the Bible says, but if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he denied the faith, he's worse than an infidel. So, before I show you this message and this truth from 1 Timothy 5 and verse 8, I want to show you the remote context, and then we're going to be looking at the immediate context in which Verse 8 occurs. So the remote context, if you look back in your Bibles to 1 Timothy chapter 3 and look at verse 15, 1 Timothy chapter 3 and verse 15, you'll find that this is the theme of the book of 1 Timothy. Look at it. The Bible says, 1 Timothy 3 verse 15, So everything in 1 Timothy And actually, 2 Timothy is based upon the fact that this is how we ought to behave ourselves in the house of God, especially when you get to 1 Timothy chapter 2.

[John Weaver] But the point I'm trying to make is, when we're talking about families, if you're a believer, you actually have two families. You have the family of faith, and then you have your own personal, physical family as well. So, I think the widest application of what I'm going to say today would be to our church, to our fellow believers in Jesus Christ, and secondly, then to our immediate family.

[John Weaver] Now, if you will turn back to 1 Timothy chapter 5, and let's begin looking there at verse 3. 1 Timothy chapter 5 and verse 3. Look at it. The Bible says, honor widows that are widows indeed. But if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to show piety at home and to requite their parents, for that is good and acceptable before God. Now she that is a widow indeed and desolate, trusteth in God and continueth in supplication and prayers night and day.

[John Weaver] But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth. Now, look what he says in verse 7, strange. And these things give in charge that they may be blameless. But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he denied the faith, he's worse than an infidel. Now, interestingly enough, verse 7, the Bible tells you these things give in charge. What in the world does the word charge mean? Well, the Greek word happens to be perigoleo, and it's translated in our Bibles as charge, as command, and as commandment. So I want you to look back in your Bibles very quickly to 1 Timothy chapter 1. I want to show you this word, show you how it's used. 1 Timothy chapter 1, look if you would please at verse 3. The Apostle Paul tells Timothy, as I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine, neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions rather than godly edifying, which is in faith so do.

[John Weaver] Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of good conscience, and of faith unfeigned. Look, if you would, back at verse 3. Paul said, And I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some, that they teach no other doctrine. Now, the word charge here does not mean a suggestion. It does not mean to give advice. The word charge is actually the word command. For instance, skip down, if you would, in verse 5 and look at this. Because now he says, now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart and of good conscience and faith and fame. Now he says the end of the commandment. What commandment? What commandment is he talking about? Well, if you go back to verse 3, and he said, I gave the charge, it's the same word, perigaleo, And now it's translated as commandment in verse 5. So a charge then is indeed a commandment. Now, Paul then tells Timothy, if you look back to 1 Timothy chapter 5 and verse 7, these things give in charge.

[John Weaver] When he says that, he's not talking about giving suggestions, he's not talking about giving advice, he's saying you give them a commandment. Why? are we to be given this commandment? And the answer is found in verse 7, that we may be blameless.

[John Weaver] Now, the word blameless there happens to be a word that refers to being blameless, to being unrebukable, to be without censure, without being condemned. In fact, the Bible tells you in Philippians chapter 2 and verse 15, listen to this, that you may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom you shine as lights of the world." So he's saying, once again, that we should be without rebuke. So Paul is giving this commandment that you and I are to provide for our own, especially of our own household, and he says this is the commandment, and I'm giving it to you, that you may be blameless. So look, if you would, in verse 8 again. Verse 8.

[John Weaver] And Carl, if you don't mind, please, since you're long and tall, come close this vent. It's blowing right on me. All right. Look, if you would, at verse 8. Look what he said. But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he has denied the faith. He is worse than an infidel. Notice, if you would, he denied the faith and he's worse than an infidel.

[John Weaver] Now, do you see a picture? I want you to think about this. Usually the husband and the father, of course, is the head of the house. That is the way the Word of God has ordained it.

[John Weaver] Now, he says in verse four, look at it. But if any were to have children or nephews, Let them learn first to show piety at home, and to requite their parents, for this is good and acceptable before God." So notice he talked about children, and he talked about nephews. So let me put it like this. Let's suppose that Alice and I both get down. We're unable to work, we're sick, we're unable to do anything. Who's responsible to take care of Alice and I? our children. That's a fact. What if we don't have any children? Then he mentions nephews.

[John Weaver] In other words, it's the family, the immediate family, and then it happens to be the extended family. So I want you to look, if you would please, again in verse four. He said, but if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to show piety at home. What is piety? It's godliness. its holiness. Now, how in the world do children are supposed to show, and nephews, to show piety at home?

[John Weaver] The Bible says,"...and requite their parents." You know what the word requite means? It means to pay back. In other words, we took care of our children when they could not take care of themselves. We fed them. We clothed them. We educated them. And now God says when the parents get elderly and can't take care of themselves, it's now the children's turn to pay them back. Wow. In other words, it's not the government's responsibility to take care of your elderly. It's your responsibility. Alice and I took care of her mother until she died. We took care of my mother until she died. Our fathers both died early. In fact, Alice's mother lived with us for 17 years. In the last three years, she lived in the house with us because she could not live alone. So, the Bible says that we are to take care of those. We are to pay back. Now, when you consider the fact, once again, that the husband and the father is the head of the house, and God has therefore designated him as the provider.

[John Weaver] So, look back at verse 8. I want you to see this. But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he has denied the faith and is worse than an infidel. I'm going to say this now, I'm going to say it again later. Do you realize the only thing that you have to do to deny the faith and be worse than an infidel is to deny and do not fulfill your responsibility? That's it. If you do not fulfill your responsibility, the Bible said, you have denied the faith and that you are worse than an infidel.

[John Weaver] Now, when you and I think about provision, the very first thing we think about is food and clothing. I mean, stop and think about that. You've got hungry children. You've got children that need all kinds of clothes and that kind of thing. Wow. That's exactly what we think about. But let me tell you something about the word provision. Just because you and I think about food and clothing does not mean that is exactly what that word means. The word provision in 1 Timothy chapter 5 and verse 8 is a Greek word.

[John Weaver] It's called, it is, pro-noi-eo. Pro happens to be a preposition which means before. Noi-eo means to think and to consider. It's from the Greek word noun, nous, which is the mind. So actually, the word prepare here, or provide, means that you are actually thinking beforehand, you are understanding beforehand, you are perceiving beforehand, you're considering beforehand. In other words, it does not just simply deal with food and clothing, it deals also with every provision imaginable." So, the word provide, then, means to perceive with the mind, to understand with the mind. It means to heed and to ponder and consider.

[John Weaver] So, here's the question that I'm going to ask you. Since you understand how broad this word is, provide, does not just refer to food and clothing. So, here's the question. Have you provided for the defense of your family? Have you provided for the protection of your family? Have you provided for the medical care of your family? I'm just simply pointing out the fact we need to understand that the word provide means far more than what you and I would just simply consider as food and clothing.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to look in verse 8 again. Look at 1 Timothy 5, verse 8. He said, But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, specially, for those of his own house he denied the faith and he's worse than an infidel so if you do not provide them for the lives and the safety and protection of your family God says that you're worse than an infidel and that you basically denied the faith now I'm gonna give you a couple of quotes the first one is this from Harry Brown he says this the police can't stop an intruder mugger or stalker from hurting you. They can pursue him only after he's hurt or killed you. Protecting yourself from harm is your responsibility, and you are far less likely to be hurt in a neighborhood of gun owners than in one of disarmed citizens, even if you don't own a gun yourself. That is true. There's another quote I want to give you. I've preached this before.

[John Weaver] There was a man by the name of Jack Potter. In fact, he was known as Fighting Jack Potter. He happened to be a Confederate soldier, but he was also a Methodist circuit riding preacher after the war was over. And here's what Jack Potter said, a pastor, He said, I'm not so anxious to wear a martyr's crown as to sacrifice my life when God requires me to use means to preserve it. It is no evidence of a preacher's want of trust in God when he carries a gun to shield his life in the time of peril.

[John Weaver] It would be the most sinful presumption not to do so. Indeed, I do not carry a gun because I'm afraid to die, but because it is a duty and a means to preserve life. Wow.

[John Weaver] Now, God places a very high value on the family. And He places a very high value on family protection. I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Luke. The book of Luke. And I want you to look, please, at chapter 11 to begin with. Luke chapter 11. Luke 11. And notice if you would please, Luke 11 and verse 21. Notice what the word of God says, Luke 11 and verse 21. Our Lord says, when a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace. Now, first of all, I want you to note he talks about a strong man. A strong man is someone who is strong not just in body, but also in mind. Secondly, the Bible says he is a strong armed man. And the word armed in the Greek, kathopalidzo, literally means furnished with arms.

[John Weaver] In other words, he has more than one. He's furnished with arms.

[John Weaver] Third, the Bible says, he keeps or guards and protects himself and his goods. But note, if he would, in order to do so, he has to be a strong man and he has to be an armed man, one furnished with arms.

[John Weaver] Now, here's another reason why you should understand family protection and self-protection. God not only requires it, But he's telling you, if you're going to provide for the safety of your family, you better be thinking ahead. Why? Just because you're armed, just because you're furnished with arms does not mean that that is sufficient in and of itself. Why? Well, look, if you would, please, at verse 22. Look at it. Verse 22, he says this.

[John Weaver] But when a stronger than he shall come upon him and overcome him, He taketh from him his armor, wherein he trusted, and divided the spoils." Now, wait a minute. It is wise to consider the fact that I have need to protect my family. It is wise to consider the fact that, yes, I must be furnished with arms. I must have an ample supply of arms to do what God requires me to do. But I also must consider this. What if a stronger man comes along with more arms? Or what if a stronger individual or a stronger group comes along? I have to consider that as well. The last meeting we had was on community, where believers would actually come together.

[John Weaver] Do you understand this is exactly what our Lord is hinting at right here? Because if you are alone, no matter what you have, you cannot defend yourself or your family or your property. It's impossible. There's no one that can stay awake 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There's no one that can do everything that needs to be done. It's absolutely impossible. Do you understand? This is how the early settlers and the frontiersmen protected themselves. If they were alone, they were easy targets.

[John Weaver] And so what they would do, they would come into communities, they would come into groups, and sometimes they would even build a little fort. But they always had someone that would come to their aid when aid was needed. You know, one of our problems is this. You and I have lived in relative safety for so long, We don't think anything like this can happen to us. It's cognitive dissonance. It happens somewhere else, but it's never going to happen here. It's going to happen to other people, but it's never ever going to happen to us. That's how we think.

[John Weaver] I'll tell you this right now. I've got a friend, some of you know him. His name is Michael Danley. He is a police officer and has been for how many years i don't know he likes about two years retiring he's an officer they call me this past week and he said i want to tell you something i want you to convey this to your people i said fine i'll be glad to

[John Weaver] he said i carry everywhere i go even when i'm off duty he said so does my family in fact i've had his family down here and i've helped train him and his family but he said We went to a little out of the way Chinese restaurant out in the boonies. He said, so I left my weapon in the car.

[John Weaver] Now, he's Michael is a big man. I mean, he's not fat, he's not flabby, he's just big. And his boys are big, like six, four, six, five, Strong as ox. They were in. Michael told me, he said, I went in the bathroom to wash my hands before we ate. And he said, just as I was washing my hands, here was someone banging on the door loudly, cursing, get out of there, get out of there. And it was a big black man. And one of his boys hollered, Dad, watch out, he's got a gun. And Michael said, there I am in the bathroom without my weapon. He said, when I locked the door, he said the man ran in cussing me.

[John Weaver] And he said, I went around to the manager, the owner, whoever it was, and I said, what's wrong with him? The man said he just hates white people. He said he then came out of the bathroom and began to antagonize Michael and curse him. And so Michael looked at the owner, said, well, we're just going to leave. And he said he followed them outside, his children and his wife went ahead and got in the car.

[John Weaver] And he said, I had a choice. Whether I should reach in and try to grab my weapon. Or just jump in the car and leave, he said, but he already had his weapon out. He said, that would have been foolish for me. So the children opened the door for me. He said, I jumped in and drove off. He said, I called the local law enforcement there and swore out a warrant for his arrest.

[John Weaver] But you see what I mean. Here's a man who's been a cop all of his life. And he said, I just never dreamed something like this would happen in that one little out-of-the-way restaurant. Well, this is what I'm talking about. Let me give you a recent headline. Listen to this. This was just this past year, just a few months back, from the Highland County Press out of Ohio. A real threat.

[John Weaver] Experts warn Hamas-connected terrorists crossing U.S. border. Here are the first three short paragraphs of that article. Hundreds of immigrants on the federal terror watch list have been caught at the southern and northern U.S. borders in recent years, and national security experts say there's a real threat of a terrorist attack on American soil as a result. With the conflict between Israel and Gaza-based terrorist group Hamas escalating, that threat has only grown. U.S. Customs and Border Protection San Diego field office warns that Hamas may attempt to send individuals to the United States through the southern border.

[John Weaver] Well, the truth of the matter is they're already here. And so are 30,000 Chinese communist soldiers. Where in the world do you think all of these people are coming across the border? They're single military age men. They're not coming with wives and children. I'm just going to be pointing out, here is Ohio even talking about this. In other words, these terrorist cells have already been pre-positioned. Why? Years ago they were talking about the Islamic training camps over around Jessup, Georgia, and around other places as well. They're all over the country. So, here's the question. What in the world are you going to do when one of these groups approaches your family, your property, your home? What is going to transpire? Are you going to have help? Are you going to be alone? Are you going to be outnumbered? Are you going to be outgunned?

[John Weaver] Have you provided for a team? Have you worked with your neighbors? Have you worked with your family? Have you asked others to help you? Scripture not only teaches that we need help, it teaches that two are more than one. For instance, if you will look in your Bibles to the book of Ecclesiastes. The book of Ecclesiastes, notice if you would chapter 4 of the book of Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes, right before the Song of Solomon. Look in Ecclesiastes chapter 4, beginning there in verse 9. Ecclesiastes 4 and verse 9. God says two are better than one because they have a good reward for their labor. We understand that. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him that is alone when he falleth, for he hath not another help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat. But how can one be warm alone? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him, and a threefold cord is not quickly broken. So God is saying, yeah, it's good to have two or three people around who's going to help you and to work with you.

[John Weaver] Frederic Bastier, if you've never read his little book on the law, I would encourage you to do so. It's a very short book. He was a Frenchman, and it's a classic work. But here's what he said in one of his paragraphs. If every person has a right to defend, even by force, his person, his liberty, and his property, then it follows that a group of men have the right to organize and support a common force to protect their rights constantly.

[John Weaver] So here is a thought to consider involved with provision. Think about this. If you cannot reach each other If you cannot communicate with each other, you cannot help each other. So how in the world are you going to communicate if the power grid is down? How are you going to communicate if the electricity is turned off? How are you going to communicate if all the Internet is down? That's why those little handheld radios, they can reach 5 miles and with an antenna 15 and 20 miles and sometimes more if you have a larger one there. In fact, we built out here in one of our classes, we built an antenna And then we hooked everything up and where was the man in New York, was it? New York. We talked to him over our radio and he was in New York. So it's amazing what some of these little things can do when you have the right equipment. So I'm just simply pointing out the fact, have you thought about this? When that cell phone's not working, What in the world are you going to use?

[John Weaver] I'm just simply saying this is why we need community. This is why we need like-minded people. This is why we need to understand we have a family of faith and we have our physical family as well. In other words, we must learn to take responsibility for our own lives, our own families, our own property. It's just that simple. Urinating EMP, an electronic or electric magnetic pulse attack.

[John Weaver] What are we talking about? A natural calamity? a tornado, a hurricane, the floods. Just stop and think about this. When those things happened, all the stores are usually looted. Look what happened in Hurricane Katrina. Look at all the hurricanes out in Texas. Look what happened in the stadium there where they were housing everybody. And I got news for you. When there is no food left and there's nothing to steal, the hordes are going to be looking. And if they see a garden, they're going to assume that you have food and you may have canned food and you may have stored food and they are coming to see you.

[John Weaver] That is you are next on their list. It is just that simple. And all you've got to do is listen. All you have to do is look at what is happening and all these mobs. in these larger cities. They're going into the jewelry stores. They're going into convenience stores. They're going into these high-expensive stores, 30 and 40 and 50 of them at one time, stealing everything they can steal and running out. And no one stops them, because no one's going to shoot them. And they're devastating and destroying everything.

[John Weaver] Colonel Jeff Cooper is now dead. But he said this, listen carefully. One cannot legislate the maniacs off the street. These maniacs can only be shut down by an armed citizenry. Indeed, bad things can happen in nations where the citizenry is armed, but not as bad as those which seem to be threatening our disarmed citizenry in this country at this time. And then I love his next quote. He said this.

[John Weaver] You can say stop, or you can say auto, or use any word you think will work. But I have found that a large bore muzzle pointed at someone's head is pretty much the universal language. Yeah, it is. That will make someone stop. Senator Larry Craig said this, the first right of every human being is the right of self-defense. Without that right, all other rights are meaningless. The right of self-defense is not something the government bestows upon its citizens. It is an inalienable right, older than the Constitution itself. It existed prior to government and prior to the social contract of our Constitution. And certainly, we have an inalienable right not only to defend ourselves, but also to stand together to defend ourselves, to come together to preserve our lives. It is our God-given right.

[John Weaver] And I may be able to speak on this this afternoon, but I want to mention it right now. The sixth commandment, thou shalt not kill. The sixth commandment actually could read, thou shalt not murder or thou shalt not take life apart from God's directive. But that is a negative, thou shalt not kill. The positive is thou shalt preserve life. So the positive side of the sixth commandment is you have a duty, you have a responsibility to preserve your life. and the life of your family and the life of your neighbors as well.

[John Weaver] In fact, the Bible says in Psalm 82 in verse 3, defend the poor and the fatherless, do justice to the afflicted and to the needy. Now, you have to understand In 1 Timothy chapter 5 and verse 8, when he said, but if any will not provide for his own, the word provide, remember, means to think beforehand, to consider beforehand. It does not just deal with food. It just does not deal simply with clothing. It means everything that your family would need for protection. So, If you have to think beforehand and conceive with the mind beforehand and prepare in your mind beforehand, here's another question to ask you.

[John Weaver] Have you seriously thought about and prepared for medical emergencies? Don't come here and tell me, well, I'm not a doctor. I'm not a nurse. I'm not an EMT. I'm not a paramedic. Neither am I. Most people are not. But I can tell you something. I know how to suture. I've sewed up animals. I've sewed up humans. I know how to stop bleeding. I know how to pack a wound. I'm not a doctor.

[John Weaver] That's why I want you to look at some of these books over here. Do you realize there are so many things that you can learn, and you can even go to your local tech school, and you can learn CPR. You can learn basic medicine. Have you ever considered what is going to happen medically when there are no hospitals? When there are no clinics? When you have no one around?

[John Weaver] Let me tell you something. If an EMP happens, whether naturally or whether it is an act of war, you're not going to have a hospital. You're not going to have any electricity. You're not going to have anything. You're going to have to take care of yourself. Let me ask you a question. This is absolutely astounding to me. But how in the world did people on the frontier take care of medical emergencies?

[John Weaver] How did women ever have babies before there were hospitals? Isn't that amazing? How did people set broken bones when there were no doctor around? How did people deal with animal attacks? If you've never heard my message, on Mountain Man, Jedediah Strong Smith. I would encourage you to listen to that message. Jedediah Smith was a Christian. He was attacked by a grizzly bear. Now I want you to listen to this. I'm reading. On his second expedition, he was attacked by a grizzly bear. The bear came out of the thicket and mauled Smith violently, throwing him to the ground, smashing his ribs, and literally ripping off his scalp. When the attack was over, the scalp was hanging on his head by an ear. Smith instructed Jim Clyman to sew it back on.

[John Weaver] Now remember, we don't have anything to deaden the pain. There's no laticane back then, no, no. So he instructed Jim Clyman to sew it back on. Clyman did the best he could, but thought nothing could be done for the severed ear. Smith insisted that he try. According to Clyman, I put my needle, sticking it in through and through and over and over, laying the lacerated parts together as nice as I could with my hands. And then, listen to this, after two weeks of rest, Smith returned to his duty as captain of the party. So he just sat there with nothing to deaden his pain, having everything sewn back on his scalp and his ear.

[John Weaver] If you think that is something, you ought to read about Hugh Glass. Hugh Glass was another mountain man. Hugh Glass was mauled by a grizzly bear. He was mauled so terribly, but he was not dead. But all of his friends thought he would die any time, and the Indians were around. They were afraid of an Indian attack, and so they took his knife, they took his weapon, and they left him to die. Hugh Glass came to.

[John Weaver] He crawled to the river and washed his wounds, drank some water, crawled on his hands and knees until he found carrion, a dead carcass, and he ate some of that meat. When he got some strength, After crawling, he began to walk and stumble, and he walked and stumbled for 200 miles until he came to Fort Kiowa, and he lived. I'm just simply pointing out the fact. You know, we need to learn some things. We need to learn to do some things for ourselves.

[John Weaver] You can buy medical books. You can read. You can buy herbal books. You can buy medical supplies. You can teach yourself basic medicine. You can have supplies on hand for short-term and even long-term emergencies. By the way, I will mention this here. Back in November, I guess it was, I spoke for three hours at one conference on preparedness, on preparedness to survive. And I was pointing out the fact that fish antibiotics, animal antibiotics, are the same as our antibiotics.

[John Weaver] You just need to know the difference in weight and how to apply them. But there are two companies now that you can stock up on your antibiotics and whatever you need. One of them is Chase Medical, J-A-S-E, and the other is the Wellness Company, and that is Dr. Peter McCullough. And what you do is you go online, and you fill out your form and they send it to a doctor and the doctor then signs off on it and then they send you the kit and it's all kind of antibiotics, whatever, even ivermectin is in it. Both of these companies are very good. I'm just simply saying you can.

[John Weaver] So let me ask this question again. Whose responsibility is it then to keep your family not just fed, not just clothed, but protected and also prepared for medical emergencies. In other words, it's your responsibility. I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Second Thessalonians, Chapter 3. I want you to understand something. Second Thessalonians, Chapter 3. Look what the Bible says. Second Thessalonians, Chapter 3. It is not your responsibility to feed the whole world. It is not your responsibility to take care of the whole neighborhood. It is your responsibility to take care of your family, which would include your physical family and your church family as well. But I want you to watch 2 Thessalonians 3, and let's begin reading there with verse 10. Look at this. 2 Thessalonians. Chapter 3, look in verse 10.

[John Weaver] Paul said, For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies.

[John Weaver] Now, them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work and eat their own bread. Now, go back to verse 10. For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat." It is your job, it is your responsibility to take care of your family and to provide for their every need.

[John Weaver] Yes, there is biblical charity, and I've got messages on that. But charity does not extend to supporting the indolent, the lazy, the sluggards who will not work and provide for themselves. Hungry men will usually do one of two things. They'll either go to work or they'll steal. If someone is willing to work, you might be willing to share. But if someone wants to steal, then you have to deal with that problem.

[John Weaver] I want to ask you a question. I understand charity. I understand that. But if times get really, really tough, and you have just enough to take care of your family, and then I come along with my little children and ask you to share, here's my question. Are you going to take the bread out of your children's mouth and give it to my children? You see what I'm trying to say? I'm just simply pointing out the fact we have a responsibility to prepare.

[John Weaver] Now, in all things, we have to learn to trust the Lord Jesus Christ. David over and over said this in the Psalms. For instance, Psalm 7 in verse 10, he said, My defense is of God who saveth the upright in heart. My defense is of God who saveth thee upright in heart." Then in Psalm 31 in verse 2, he says,"...bow down thine ear unto me, deliver me speedily, for thou art my strong rock and my house of defense to save me." And then he says this,"...because of his strength," that is the enemy's strength,"...I will wait upon thee, for God is my defense."

[John Weaver] Now, let me tell you, while we prepare And while we may be willing and able to defend ourselves, that does not mean that we trust in our provisions. It does not mean that we trust in our abilities. It means that we must trust in God and God alone. We must be wise, as He commands us, be wise as serpents. Go to the in-house slugger, consider her ways and be wise.

[John Weaver] I'll deal with some of those later. But the point I'm trying to make right now, it is your responsibility. It's your responsibility to take care of your family. It's not the government's job. It's not the job of your neighbor. It's your responsibility.

[John Weaver] Now, God said, again, if any provide not for his own, especially for those of his own house, He's worse than an infidel. He's denied the faith. All you have to do to be worse than an infidel and deny the faith is to deny your responsibility. The old saying, you've heard it all of your life, trust in the Lord and keep your powder dry. What did the Bible say in Psalm 127, verse 1? Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it. Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain. So all of our preparations, even though we're responsible to prepare, are worthless unless God sovereignly protects us. Now what did He say? He said, if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he's denied the faith and is worse than an infidel. God requires you to provide everything that your family needs.

[John Weaver] Now, in just a moment, I'm going to Have prayer. Warren Luke is going to come up and speak just about 10 minutes. Then we're going to take just a short break and then I'll be starting over again on a different subject. But please understand, I believe and I honestly think that this message that I just preached is absolutely fundamental because we cannot deny our responsibility. So let's pray, and then Warren Luke will come up, and then we'll take a short break, all right?

[John Weaver] Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we love Thee today. We thank You for Your Word. We thank You for Your truth. And we ask, Father, that You would indeed make us see and help us to see, Lord, our responsibility. And Lord, help us, Lord, to understand Thy truth and apply it to our lives. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.

Responsibility and Responding

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	1222416735319
Subject	Family Government
Course	The Christian Family: Marriage and Household Order: Remember Lot And His Wife
Genre	Sermon
Date	2024-01-20
Dictation Name
Book	Book 027: The Christian Family: Marriage and Household Order — Chapter 18
Source Timed Segments	72

Formatted Transcript

Introduction and Scripture Reading

Weaver opens with prayer and introduces 1 Timothy 5:8 as the foundational text for the message on responsibility.

Father, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we come to Thee this day. We thank You for Your Word. We thank You for Your truth. And, Lord, we pray that You would teach us and build us up in the most holy faith. May Your perfect and holy will be accomplished today. Give us, Lord, an understanding heart, and may we serve Thee in reverence and godly fear. In Thy name we pray. Amen.

All right, let's open our Bibles, if you would, please, to 1 Timothy chapter 5 and verse 8. I preached this message to our people back in November. I actually started preparing for this meeting back in November. And when I finished this message, I thought it was so important, I did not want to wait to preach it. So I preached to our people. So some of our people have heard this message.

The Government Cannot Be Relied Upon for Protection

Weaver cites statistics and legal opinions to show that the government and police have no duty to protect individuals, making personal responsibility essential.

So let me begin by asking you this question. Who is responsible to protect your life, your family, and your property? Many take the position that it is the responsibility of the government to protect them, and therefore they do absolutely nothing to prepare themselves or their families. The interesting thing is, I just came across this this morning. There was a whole article, and I just took a couple of paragraphs out of it, and here it is. In fact, one recent survey discovered that a whopping 71.2% of all Americans have no faith in the United States government to save them or prevent a doomsday event. Now listen to this. If you actually believe that the government will be there to rescue you when things really start hitting the fan, you're being delusional. If it was equally divided among the entire population, now there's 330 million Americans, not counting the 30 million illegal immigrants, if it was equally divided up among the entire population, the emergency supplies that the government has on hand would not last a single day. Wow. So many people think that somehow the government's going to come in and save them. A few tend to believe that the police or the deputies or the sheriff somehow will protect them and their property.

And you have to remember this, when you really need them, they're at least 30 minutes away. And usually, law enforcement arrives just in time to secure the crime scene. In other words, it's over by that time. You're a victim, and you're dead. Your property is stolen, and your family probably has been murdered as well. Here's a quote it would pay you to remember. This quote is from Darren L. Hutchinson, who happened to be a professor and associate dean at the University of Florida School of Law. Here's what he said. "Neither the Constitution nor state law imposes a general duty upon police officers or other governmental officials to protect individual persons from harm, even when they know harm will occur. Police can watch someone attack you, refuse to intervene, and not violate the Constitution. The Supreme Court has repeatedly held that the government has only a duty to protect persons who are in custody." So if you want to be protected by the cops, you need to get arrested. Otherwise, they have absolutely no duty to protect you at all.

So here's the biblical truth, and I'm going to enunciate this from the Bible, and that is you are responsible for your life, you're responsible for your family, you're responsible for your property, you are the first responder. Not the cops, not the firemen, you are the first responder. It's not up to your neighbors, it is up to you. You're responsible, and if you do not learn how to protect yourself, and have the means to protect yourself, then you're going to be a victim. One man said it like this, "When you don't think of yourself as the first responder, your destiny is to be the first victim." And that's certainly true.

The Biblical Command to Provide

Weaver explains the remote and immediate context of 1 Timothy 5:8, emphasizing that 'provide' means to think beforehand and encompasses all provisions, including defense.

Here is a recent headline, and I want you to listen carefully. Terrorist activity within the continental United States and general violent crimes are increasing exponentially and are likely to get much worse. The situation is so discouraging that our leftist media is desperately and deliberately under-reporting all violent crime because it makes the Democrat darlings look bad. And I hope you've been keeping up with the fact that the border, a number of these illegal immigrants that are coming across have been caught with IEDs, improvised explosive devices.

So I'm just simply telling you it is up to you to learn to be responsible. Now, if you look in your Bibles at 1 Timothy chapter 5 and verse 8, the Bible says, "But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he denied the faith, he's worse than an infidel." So, before I show you this message and this truth from 1 Timothy 5 and verse 8, I want to show you the remote context, and then we're going to be looking at the immediate context in which verse 8 occurs. So the remote context, if you look back in your Bibles to 1 Timothy chapter 3 and look at verse 15, 1 Timothy chapter 3 and verse 15, you'll find that this is the theme of the book of 1 Timothy. Look at it. The Bible says, 1 Timothy 3 verse 15, "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." So everything in 1 Timothy, and actually, 2 Timothy is based upon the fact that this is how we ought to behave ourselves in the house of God, especially when you get to 1 Timothy chapter 2.

Scripture Reading — 1 Timothy 3:15

But the point I'm trying to make is, when we're talking about families, if you're a believer, you actually have two families. You have the family of faith, and then you have your own personal, physical family as well. So, I think the widest application of what I'm going to say today would be to our church, to our fellow believers in Jesus Christ, and secondly, then to our immediate family. Now, if you will turn back to 1 Timothy chapter 5, and let's begin looking there at verse 3. 1 Timothy chapter 5 and verse 3. Look at it. The Bible says, "Honour widows that are widows indeed. But if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to shew piety at home, and to requite their parents: for that is good and acceptable before God. Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, trusteth in God, and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day."

Scripture Reading — 1 Timothy 5:3-8

"But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth."

Now, look what he says in verse 7, strange.

Scripture Reading — 1 Timothy 5:3-8

"And these things give in charge, that they may be blameless. But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he denied the faith, he's worse than an infidel."

Now, interestingly enough, verse 7, the Bible tells you

Scripture Reading — 1 Timothy 5:3-8

"these things give in charge."

What in the world does the word "charge" mean? Well, the Greek word happens to be paraggellō, and it's translated in our Bibles as "charge," as "command," and as "commandment." So I want you to look back in your Bibles very quickly to 1 Timothy chapter 1. I want to show you this word, show you how it's used. 1 Timothy chapter 1, look if you would please at verse 3. The Apostle Paul tells Timothy, "As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine, neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do."

Scripture Reading — 1 Timothy 1:3-5

"Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned."

Look, if you would, back at verse 3. Paul said,

Scripture Reading — 1 Timothy 1:3-5

"And I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some, that they teach no other doctrine."

Now, the word "charge" here does not mean a suggestion. It does not mean to give advice. The word "charge" is actually the word "command." For instance, skip down, if you would, in verse 5 and look at this. Because now he says, "Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and of faith unfeigned." Now he says

Scripture Reading — 1 Timothy 1:3-5

"the end of the commandment."

What commandment? What commandment is he talking about? Well, if you go back to verse 3, and he said, "I gave the charge," it's the same word, paraggellō, and now it's translated as "commandment" in verse 5. So a charge then is indeed a commandment. Now, Paul then tells Timothy, if you look back to 1 Timothy chapter 5 and verse 7, "these things give in charge."

When he says that, he's not talking about giving suggestions, he's not talking about giving advice, he's saying you give them a commandment. Why are we to be given this commandment? And the answer is found in verse 7, that we may be blameless. Now, the word "blameless" there happens to be a word that refers to being blameless, to being unrebukeable, to be without censure, without being condemned. In fact, the Bible tells you in Philippians chapter 2 and verse 15, listen to this,

Scripture Reading — Philippians 2:15

"That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world."

So he's saying, once again, that we should be without rebuke. So Paul is giving this commandment that you and I are to provide for our own, especially of our own household, and he says this is the commandment, and I'm giving it to you, that you may be blameless. So look, if you would, in verse 8 again. Verse 8.

And Carl, if you don't mind, please, since you're long and tall, come close this vent. It's blowing right on me. All right. Look, if you would, at verse 8. Look what he said. "But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he has denied the faith. He is worse than an infidel." Notice, if you would, he denied the faith and he's worse than an infidel.

Now, do you see a picture? I want you to think about this. Usually the husband and the father, of course, is the head of the house. That is the way the Word of God has ordained it.

Now, he says in verse four, look at it. "But if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to shew piety at home, and to requite their parents, for this is good and acceptable before God." So notice he talked about children, and he talked about nephews. So let me put it like this. Let's suppose that Alice and I both get down. We're unable to work, we're sick, we're unable to do anything. Who's responsible to take care of Alice and I? Our children. That's a fact. What if we don't have any children? Then he mentions nephews.

In other words, it's the family, the immediate family, and then it happens to be the extended family. So I want you to look, if you would please, again in verse four. He said, "But if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to shew piety at home." What is piety? It's godliness. It's holiness. Now, how in the world do children and nephews show piety at home? The Bible says, "...and to requite their parents." You know what the word "requite" means? It means to pay back. In other words, we took care of our children when they could not take care of themselves. We fed them. We clothed them. We educated them. And now God says when the parents get elderly and can't take care of themselves, it's now the children's turn to pay them back. Wow. In other words, it's not the government's responsibility to take care of your elderly. It's your responsibility. Alice and I took care of her mother until she died. We took care of my mother until she died. Our fathers both died early. In fact, Alice's mother lived with us for 17 years. In the last three years, she lived in the house with us because she could not live alone. So, the Bible says that we are to take care of those. We are to pay back. Now, when you consider the fact, once again, that the husband and the father is the head of the house, and God has therefore designated him as the provider.

So, look back at verse 8. I want you to see this. "But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he has denied the faith and is worse than an infidel." I'm going to say this now, I'm going to say it again later. Do you realize the only thing that you have to do to deny the faith and be worse than an infidel is to deny and not fulfill your responsibility? That's it. If you do not fulfill your responsibility, the Bible said, you have denied the faith and that you are worse than an infidel.

Now, when you and I think about provision, the very first thing we think about is food and clothing. I mean, stop and think about that. You've got hungry children. You've got children that need all kinds of clothes and that kind of thing. Wow. That's exactly what we think about. But let me tell you something about the word "provision." Just because you and I think about food and clothing does not mean that is exactly what that word means. The word "provision" in 1 Timothy chapter 5 and verse 8 is a Greek word.

It's called, it is, pronoeō. "Pro" happens to be a preposition which means "before." "Noeō" means to think and to consider. It's from the Greek word "nous," which is the mind. So actually, the word "prepare" here, or "provide," means that you are actually thinking beforehand, you are understanding beforehand, you are perceiving beforehand, you're considering beforehand. In other words, it does not just simply deal with food and clothing, it deals also with every provision imaginable. So, the word "provide," then, means to perceive with the mind, to understand with the mind. It means to heed and to ponder and consider.

So, here's the question that I'm going to ask you. Since you understand how broad this word is, "provide" does not just refer to food and clothing. So, here's the question. Have you provided for the defense of your family? Have you provided for the protection of your family? Have you provided for the medical care of your family? I'm just simply pointing out the fact we need to understand that the word "provide" means far more than what you and I would just simply consider as food and clothing.

The Necessity of Being Armed and Prepared

Using Luke 11:21-22, Weaver argues that a strong man must be armed to protect his household, but also must consider the possibility of a stronger adversary and the need for community.

Now, I want you to look in verse 8 again. Look at 1 Timothy 5, verse 8. He said, "But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house," specially for those of his own house, "he denied the faith and he's worse than an infidel." So if you do not provide for the lives and the safety and protection of your family, God says that you're worse than an infidel and that you basically denied the faith. Now I'm gonna give you a couple of quotes. The first one is this from Harry Brown. He says this: "The police can't stop an intruder, mugger, or stalker from hurting you. They can pursue him only after he's hurt or killed you. Protecting yourself from harm is your responsibility, and you are far less likely to be hurt in a neighborhood of gun owners than in one of disarmed citizens, even if you don't own a gun yourself." That is true. There's another quote I want to give you. I've preached this before.

There was a man by the name of Jack Potter. In fact, he was known as Fighting Jack Potter. He happened to be a Confederate soldier, but he was also a Methodist circuit riding preacher after the war was over. And here's what Jack Potter said, a pastor. He said, "I'm not so anxious to wear a martyr's crown as to sacrifice my life when God requires me to use means to preserve it. It is no evidence of a preacher's want of trust in God when he carries a gun to shield his life in the time of peril." "It would be the most sinful presumption not to do so. Indeed, I do not carry a gun because I'm afraid to die, but because it is a duty and a means to preserve life." Wow.

Now, God places a very high value on the family. And He places a very high value on family protection. I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Luke. The book of Luke. And I want you to look, please, at chapter 11 to begin with. Luke chapter 11. Luke 11. And notice if you would please, Luke 11 and verse 21. Notice what the word of God says, Luke 11 and verse 21. Our Lord says, "When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace." Now, first of all, I want you to note he talks about a strong man. A strong man is someone who is strong not just in body, but also in mind. Secondly, the Bible says he is a strong armed man. And the word "armed" in the Greek, kathoplizō, literally means furnished with arms.

In other words, he has more than one. He's furnished with arms. Third, the Bible says, he keeps or guards and protects himself and his goods. But note, if he would, in order to do so, he has to be a strong man and he has to be an armed man, one furnished with arms.

Now, here's another reason why you should understand family protection and self-protection. God not only requires it, but He's telling you, if you're going to provide for the safety of your family, you better be thinking ahead. Why? Just because you're armed, just because you're furnished with arms does not mean that that is sufficient in and of itself. Why? Well, look, if you would, please, at verse 22. Look at it. Verse 22, he says this.

"But when a stronger than he shall come upon him and overcome him, he taketh from him his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils." Now, wait a minute. It is wise to consider the fact that I have need to protect my family. It is wise to consider the fact that, yes, I must be furnished with arms. I must have an ample supply of arms to do what God requires me to do. But I also must consider this. What if a stronger man comes along with more arms? Or what if a stronger individual or a stronger group comes along? I have to consider that as well. The last meeting we had was on community, where believers would actually come together.

Do you understand this is exactly what our Lord is hinting at right here? Because if you are alone, no matter what you have, you cannot defend yourself or your family or your property. It's impossible. There's no one that can stay awake 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There's no one that can do everything that needs to be done. It's absolutely impossible. Do you understand? This is how the early settlers and the frontiersmen protected themselves. If they were alone, they were easy targets.

And so what they would do, they would come into communities, they would come into groups, and sometimes they would even build a little fort. But they always had someone that would come to their aid when aid was needed. You know, one of our problems is this. You and I have lived in relative safety for so long, we don't think anything like this can happen to us. It's cognitive dissonance. It happens somewhere else, but it's never going to happen here. It's going to happen to other people, but it's never ever going to happen to us. That's how we think.

I'll tell you this right now. I've got a friend, some of you know him. His name is Michael Danley. He is a police officer and has been for how many years I don't know. He lacks about two years retiring. He's an officer. He called me this past week and he said, "I want to tell you something. I want you to convey this to your people." I said, "Fine, I'll be glad to."

Real-Life Examples and Current Threats

Weaver shares a personal story of a police officer friend and cites news about terrorist threats to illustrate the reality of danger and the need for vigilance.

He said, "I carry everywhere I go, even when I'm off duty." He said, "So does my family." In fact, I've had his family down here and I've helped train him and his family. But he said, "We went to a little out of the way Chinese restaurant out in the boonies. He said, "So I left my weapon in the car." Now, Michael is a big man. I mean, he's not fat, he's not flabby, he's just big. And his boys are big, like six-four, six-five, strong as ox. They were in. Michael told me, he said, "I went in the bathroom to wash my hands before we ate." And he said, "Just as I was washing my hands, here was someone banging on the door loudly, cursing, 'Get out of there, get out of there.' And it was a big black man. And one of his boys hollered, 'Dad, watch out, he's got a gun.'" And Michael said, "There I am in the bathroom without my weapon." He said, "When I unlocked the door, he said the man ran in cussing me."

And he said, "I went around to the manager, the owner, whoever it was, and I said, 'What's wrong with him?' The man said, 'He just hates white people.'" He said, "He then came out of the bathroom and began to antagonize Michael and curse him. And so Michael looked at the owner, said, 'Well, we're just going to leave.' And he said he followed them outside, his children and his wife went ahead and got in the car." And he said, "I had a choice. Whether I should reach in and try to grab my weapon, or just jump in the car and leave." He said, "But he already had his weapon out. He said, 'That would have been foolish for me.' So the children opened the door for me. He said, 'I jumped in and drove off.' He said, 'I called the local law enforcement there and swore out a warrant for his arrest.'"

But you see what I mean. Here's a man who's been a cop all of his life. And he said, "I just never dreamed something like this would happen in that one little out-of-the-way restaurant." Well, this is what I'm talking about. Let me give you a recent headline. Listen to this. This was just this past year, just a few months back, from the Highland County Press out of Ohio. A real threat.

Experts warn Hamas-connected terrorists crossing U.S. border. Here are the first three short paragraphs of that article. "Hundreds of immigrants on the federal terror watch list have been caught at the southern and northern U.S. borders in recent years, and national security experts say there's a real threat of a terrorist attack on American soil as a result. With the conflict between Israel and Gaza-based terrorist group Hamas escalating, that threat has only grown. U.S. Customs and Border Protection San Diego field office warns that Hamas may attempt to send individuals to the United States through the southern border." Well, the truth of the matter is they're already here. And so are 30,000 Chinese communist soldiers. Where in the world do you think all of these people are coming across the border? They're single military age men. They're not coming with wives and children. I'm just going to be pointing out, here is Ohio even talking about this. In other words, these terrorist cells have already been pre-positioned. Why? Years ago they were talking about the Islamic training camps over around Jessup, Georgia, and around other places as well. They're all over the country. So, here's the question. What in the world are you going to do when one of these groups approaches your family, your property, your home? What is going to transpire? Are you going to have help? Are you going to be alone? Are you going to be outnumbered? Are you going to be outgunned?

The Importance of Community and Communication

Drawing from Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, Weaver stresses that believers need to work together, communicate via radios when grids fail, and form communities for mutual defense.

Have you provided for a team? Have you worked with your neighbors? Have you worked with your family? Have you asked others to help you? Scripture not only teaches that we need help, it teaches that two are more than one. For instance, if you will look in your Bibles to the book of Ecclesiastes. The book of Ecclesiastes, notice if you would chapter 4 of the book of Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes, right before the Song of Solomon. Look in Ecclesiastes chapter 4, beginning there in verse 9. Ecclesiastes 4 and verse 9. God says, "Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken." So God is saying, yeah, it's good to have two or three people around who's going to help you and to work with you.

Frederic Bastiat, if you've never read his little book on the law, I would encourage you to do so. It's a very short book. He was a Frenchman, and it's a classic work. But here's what he said in one of his paragraphs. "If every person has a right to defend, even by force, his person, his liberty, and his property, then it follows that a group of men have the right to organize and support a common force to protect their rights constantly."

So here is a thought to consider involved with provision. Think about this. If you cannot reach each other, if you cannot communicate with each other, you cannot help each other. So how in the world are you going to communicate if the power grid is down? How are you going to communicate if the electricity is turned off? How are you going to communicate if all the Internet is down? That's why those little handheld radios, they can reach 5 miles and with an antenna 15 and 20 miles and sometimes more if you have a larger one there. In fact, we built out here in one of our classes, we built an antenna and then we hooked everything up and where was the man in New York, was it? New York. We talked to him over our radio and he was in New York. So it's amazing what some of these little things can do when you have the right equipment. So I'm just simply pointing out the fact, have you thought about this? When that cell phone's not working, what in the world are you going to use?

I'm just simply saying this is why we need community. This is why we need like-minded people. This is why we need to understand we have a family of faith and we have our physical family as well. In other words, we must learn to take responsibility for our own lives, our own families, our own property. It's just that simple. Regarding EMP, an electromagnetic pulse attack.

Medical Preparedness and Self-Reliance

Weaver challenges listeners to learn basic medical skills and stockpile supplies, citing historical examples of frontier medicine and modern resources like Jase Medical.

In fact, the Bible says in Psalm 82 in verse 3,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 82:3

"Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy."

Now, you have to understand, in 1 Timothy chapter 5 and verse 8, when he said, "But if any will not provide for his own," the word "provide," remember, means to think beforehand, to consider beforehand. It does not just deal with food. It just does not deal simply with clothing. It means everything that your family would need for protection. So, if you have to think beforehand and conceive with the mind beforehand and prepare in your mind beforehand, here's another question to ask you. Have you seriously thought about and prepared for medical emergencies? Don't come here and tell me, "Well, I'm not a doctor. I'm not a nurse. I'm not an EMT. I'm not a paramedic." Neither am I. Most people are not. But I can tell you something. I know how to suture. I've sewed up animals. I've sewed up humans. I know how to stop bleeding. I know how to pack a wound. I'm not a doctor.

That's why I want you to look at some of these books over here. Do you realize there are so many things that you can learn, and you can even go to your local tech school, and you can learn CPR. You can learn basic medicine. Have you ever considered what is going to happen medically when there are no hospitals? When there are no clinics? When you have no one around? Let me tell you something. If an EMP happens, whether naturally or whether it is an act of war, you're not going to have a hospital. You're not going to have any electricity. You're not going to have anything. You're going to have to take care of yourself. Let me ask you a question. This is absolutely astounding to me. But how in the world did people on the frontier take care of medical emergencies?

How did women ever have babies before there were hospitals? Isn't that amazing? How did people set broken bones when there were no doctor around? How did people deal with animal attacks? If you've never heard my message on Mountain Man, Jedediah Strong Smith, I would encourage you to listen to that message. Jedediah Smith was a Christian. He was attacked by a grizzly bear. Now I want you to listen to this. I'm reading. "On his second expedition, he was attacked by a grizzly bear. The bear came out of the thicket and mauled Smith violently, throwing him to the ground, smashing his ribs, and literally ripping off his scalp. When the attack was over, the scalp was hanging on his head by an ear. Smith instructed Jim Clyman to sew it back on."

Now remember, we don't have anything to deaden the pain. There's no lidocaine back then, no. So he instructed Jim Clyman to sew it back on. Clyman did the best he could, but thought nothing could be done for the severed ear. Smith insisted that he try. According to Clyman, "I put my needle, sticking it in through and through and over and over, laying the lacerated parts together as nice as I could with my hands." And then, listen to this, after two weeks of rest, Smith returned to his duty as captain of the party. So he just sat there with nothing to deaden his pain, having everything sewn back on his scalp and his ear.

If you think that is something, you ought to read about Hugh Glass. Hugh Glass was another mountain man. Hugh Glass was mauled by a grizzly bear. He was mauled so terribly, but he was not dead. But all of his friends thought he would die any time, and the Indians were around. They were afraid of an Indian attack, and so they took his knife, they took his weapon, and they left him to die. Hugh Glass came to.

He crawled to the river and washed his wounds, drank some water, crawled on his hands and knees until he found carrion, a dead carcass, and he ate some of that meat. When he got some strength, after crawling, he began to walk and stumble, and he walked and stumbled for 200 miles until he came to Fort Kiowa, and he lived. I'm just simply pointing out the fact. You know, we need to learn some things. We need to learn to do some things for ourselves. You can buy medical books. You can read. You can buy herbal books. You can buy medical supplies. You can teach yourself basic medicine. You can have supplies on hand for short-term and even long-term emergencies. By the way, I will mention this here. Back in November, I guess it was, I spoke for three hours at one conference on preparedness, on preparedness to survive. And I was pointing out the fact that fish antibiotics, animal antibiotics, are the same as our antibiotics.

You just need to know the difference in weight and how to apply them. But there are two companies now that you can stock up on your antibiotics and whatever you need. One of them is Jase Medical, J-A-S-E, and the other is the Wellness Company, and that is Dr. Peter McCullough. And what you do is you go online, and you fill out your form and they send it to a doctor and the doctor then signs off on it and then they send you the kit and it's all kind of antibiotics, whatever, even ivermectin is in it. Both of these companies are very good. I'm just simply saying you can.

So let me ask this question again. Whose responsibility is it then to keep your family not just fed, not just clothed, but protected and also prepared for medical emergencies? In other words, it's your responsibility. I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Second Thessalonians, Chapter 3. I want you to understand something. Second Thessalonians, Chapter 3. Look what the Bible says. Second Thessalonians, Chapter 3. It is not your responsibility to feed the whole world. It is not your responsibility to take care of the whole neighborhood. It is your responsibility to take care of your family, which would include your physical family and your church family as well. But I want you to watch 2 Thessalonians 3, and let's begin reading there with verse 10. Look at this. 2 Thessalonians, Chapter 3, look in verse 10.

Paul said, "For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies."

Balancing Preparation with Trust in God

Weaver concludes that while we must prepare, ultimate trust must be in God, not in our own provisions, and that denying our responsibility is a serious sin.

Now, in all things, we have to learn to trust the Lord Jesus Christ. David over and over said this in the Psalms. For instance, Psalm 7 in verse 10, he said,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 7:10

"My defence is of God, which saveth the upright in heart."

Then in Psalm 31 in verse 2, he says, "Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock, for an house of defence to save me." And then he says this, "Because of his strength," that is the enemy's strength, "will I wait upon thee: for God is my defence." Now, let me tell you, while we prepare, and while we may be willing and able to defend ourselves, that does not mean that we trust in our provisions. It does not mean that we trust in our abilities. It means that we must trust in God and God alone. We must be wise, as He commands us, "be wise as serpents." Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.

I'll deal with some of those later. But the point I'm trying to make right now, it is your responsibility. It's your responsibility to take care of your family. It's not the government's job. It's not the job of your neighbor. It's your responsibility.

Now, God said, again, "If any provide not for his own, especially for those of his own house, he's worse than an infidel. He's denied the faith." All you have to do to be worse than an infidel and deny the faith is to deny your responsibility. The old saying, you've heard it all of your life, "Trust in the Lord and keep your powder dry." What did the Bible say in Psalm 127, verse 1?

Scripture Reading — Psalm 127:1

"Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain."

So all of our preparations, even though we're responsible to prepare, are worthless unless God sovereignly protects us. Now what did He say? He said, "If any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he's denied the faith and is worse than an infidel." God requires you to provide everything that your family needs.

Now, in just a moment, I'm going to have prayer. Warren Luke is going to come up and speak just about 10 minutes. Then we're going to take just a short break and then I'll be starting over again on a different subject. But please understand, I believe and I honestly think that this message that I just preached is absolutely fundamental because we cannot deny our responsibility. So let's pray, and then Warren Luke will come up, and then we'll take a short break, all right? Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we love Thee today. We thank You for Your Word. We thank You for Your truth. And we ask, Father, that You would indeed make us see and help us to see, Lord, our responsibility. And Lord, help us, Lord, to understand Thy truth and apply it to our lives. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.

Study Guide

Major Themes

Personal Responsibility for Family Provision

Summary: Believers are commanded by God to provide for their families in all areas, including protection and defense, not just food and clothing.

Evidence: 1 Timothy 5:8 is cited as a commandment to provide, with the Greek word 'pronoeō' meaning to think beforehand, encompassing all provisions.

Inadequacy of Government Protection

Summary: The government and police have no constitutional duty to protect individuals, making self-reliance a necessity.

Evidence: Weaver quotes a law professor and cites a survey showing 71.2% of Americans lack faith in government rescue.

The Right and Duty of Self-Defense

Summary: Self-defense is an inalienable right and a positive duty under the sixth commandment to preserve life.

Evidence: Weaver states the sixth commandment implies a duty to preserve life and quotes Senator Larry Craig on the right of self-defense.

Community and Mutual Support

Summary: Believers need to form communities for mutual defense and communication, as no one can protect themselves alone.

Evidence: Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 is used to show the strength of numbers, and Weaver discusses the need for radios and teamwork.

Medical Preparedness

Summary: Families must prepare for medical emergencies by learning basic skills and stockpiling supplies, as professional help may not be available.

Evidence: Weaver shares historical examples like Jedediah Smith and recommends resources like Jase Medical.

Trust in God Amidst Preparation

Summary: While preparing, believers must ultimately trust in God for protection, not in their own strength or provisions.

Evidence: Psalm 127:1 is cited: 'Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.'

Key Arguments

Provision includes defense and protection

Summary: The Greek word for 'provide' means to think beforehand, so it encompasses all needs, including safety and medical care.

Evidence: Weaver explains 'pronoeō' and asks, 'Have you provided for the defense of your family?'

Failure to provide denies the faith

Summary: Not fulfilling the responsibility to provide makes one worse than an infidel and is a denial of the faith.

Evidence: 1 Timothy 5:8 is quoted: 'he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.'

Government has no duty to protect

Summary: Legal precedent shows police have no obligation to protect individuals, so reliance on them is foolish.

Evidence: Quote from Darren L. Hutchinson: 'Neither the Constitution nor state law imposes a general duty upon police officers... to protect individual persons from harm.'

Armed citizens deter crime

Summary: An armed populace reduces crime, and being unarmed invites victimization.

Evidence: Harry Brown quote: 'you are far less likely to be hurt in a neighborhood of gun owners than in one of disarmed citizens.'

Community is essential for security

Summary: Individuals cannot defend themselves alone; they need a group for constant protection.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'if you are alone, no matter what you have, you cannot defend yourself or your family or your property.'

Preparation must be proactive

Summary: Thinking ahead is commanded; waiting until disaster strikes is too late.

Evidence: The word 'provide' means to consider beforehand, and Weaver asks, 'Have you seriously thought about and prepared for medical emergencies?'

Scripture References

1 Timothy 5:8

Context: The central verse of the sermon, commanding provision for one's own household.

1 Timothy 3:15

Context: Theme of 1 Timothy: how to behave in the house of God, relating to the family of faith.

1 Timothy 5:3-8

Context: Immediate context of the command to provide, including care for widows and family responsibility.

1 Timothy 1:3-5

Context: Shows that 'charge' means commandment, not suggestion.

Philippians 2:15

Context: Defines 'blameless' as without rebuke, connecting to the command in 1 Timothy 5:7.

Luke 11:21-22

Context: Illustrates the strong armed man protecting his goods and the need to consider a stronger adversary.

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12

Context: Emphasizes the value of companionship and mutual support for protection.

Psalm 82:3

Context: Command to defend the poor and fatherless, supporting the duty to protect others.

2 Thessalonians 3:10-12

Context: Command that those who will not work should not eat, reinforcing personal responsibility.

Psalm 7:10

Context: David's declaration that God is his defense.

Psalm 31:2

Context: Prayer for God to be a house of defense.

Psalm 127:1

Context: Unless the Lord keeps the city, the watchman stays awake in vain; ultimate trust in God.

Historical References

Darren L. Hutchinson, University of Florida School of Law

Context: Quoted to support that police have no duty to protect individuals.

Jack Potter (Fighting Jack Potter), Confederate soldier and Methodist circuit rider

Context: Quoted on the duty to carry a gun for self-preservation as a means God requires.

Frederic Bastiat, author of 'The Law'

Context: Quoted on the right of a group to organize a common force for protection.

Colonel Jeff Cooper

Context: Quoted on the necessity of an armed citizenry and the universal language of a firearm.

Senator Larry Craig

Context: Quoted on the inalienable right of self-defense.

Jedediah Strong Smith, mountain man

Context: Example of frontier medical self-reliance after a grizzly bear attack.

Hugh Glass, mountain man

Context: Example of survival and self-care after a grizzly bear mauling.

Hurricane Katrina and Texas hurricanes

Context: Examples of looting and breakdown of order after natural disasters.

Highland County Press article on Hamas terrorists crossing U.S. border

Context: Recent news illustrating current threats.

Important Quotes

But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

Significance: The foundational scripture of the sermon, establishing the command and its severe consequences.

Neither the Constitution nor state law imposes a general duty upon police officers or other governmental officials to protect individual persons from harm, even when they know harm will occur.

Significance: Legal support for the argument that individuals cannot rely on government for protection.

When you don't think of yourself as the first responder, your destiny is to be the first victim.

Significance: Encapsulates the urgency of personal responsibility for safety.

I'm not so anxious to wear a martyr's crown as to sacrifice my life when God requires me to use means to preserve it.

Significance: Historical Christian perspective on the duty to use means for self-defense.

When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace.

Significance: Biblical principle that armed preparedness brings security.

Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.

Significance: Scriptural basis for community and mutual support in times of trouble.

You can say 'stop,' or you can say 'alto,' or use any word you think will work. But I have found that a large bore muzzle pointed at someone's head is pretty much the universal language.

Significance: Emphasizes the deterrent effect of being armed.

Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.

Significance: Balances the call to prepare with the necessity of trusting God for ultimate protection.

Discussion Questions

In what ways does the Greek word 'pronoeō' expand our understanding of 'provide' in 1 Timothy 5:8 beyond just food and clothing?

Context: Weaver explains that 'provide' means to think beforehand and encompasses all provisions, including defense and medical care.

How should Christians balance the command to provide for their families with the biblical call to charity and helping others in need?

Context: Weaver discusses the limits of charity, especially when resources are scarce, referencing 2 Thessalonians 3:10.

What practical steps can families take to prepare for medical emergencies when professional help is unavailable?

Context: Weaver challenges listeners to learn basic medical skills and stockpile supplies, citing historical examples.

How does the concept of community defense align with the biblical teaching on the body of Christ and mutual care among believers?

Context: Weaver uses Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 and the example of early settlers to argue for the necessity of community.

In light of Luke 11:21-22, how should we prepare for threats that may be stronger than our individual defenses?

Context: Weaver points out that even a strong armed man can be overcome by a stronger adversary, necessitating community.

What does it mean to trust in God while actively preparing for potential dangers, and how do we avoid trusting in our own provisions?

Context: Weaver concludes with Psalm 127:1, emphasizing that all preparation is vain without God's protection.

Applications

Assess and fulfill your responsibility to provide for your family's protection

Summary: Evaluate whether you have adequately prepared to defend your family and property, and take concrete steps to do so.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'you are responsible for your life, you're responsible for your family, you're responsible for your property, you are the first responder.'

Learn basic medical skills and stockpile supplies

Summary: Acquire knowledge and resources to handle medical emergencies when professional care is not available.

Evidence: Weaver asks, 'Have you seriously thought about and prepared for medical emergencies?' and recommends resources like Jase Medical.

Build a community of like-minded believers for mutual support

Summary: Form or join a group of trusted individuals who can provide mutual defense and assistance in crises.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'if you are alone, no matter what you have, you cannot defend yourself or your family or your property.'

Establish alternative communication methods

Summary: Obtain and learn to use radios or other off-grid communication tools to stay connected when normal systems fail.

Evidence: Weaver asks, 'How in the world are you going to communicate if the power grid is down?' and mentions handheld radios.

Trust in God while actively preparing

Summary: Make preparations without placing ultimate trust in them, recognizing that God is the true source of security.

Evidence: Weaver quotes Psalm 127:1 and says, 'all of our preparations, even though we're responsible to prepare, are worthless unless God sovereignly protects us.'

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T13:06:56Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-05T23:47:10Z

Clean Transcript

Responsibility and Responding

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

Father, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we come to Thee this day. We thank You for Your Word. We thank You for Your truth. And, Lord, we pray that You would teach us and build us up in the most holy faith. May Your perfect and holy will be accomplished today. Give us, Lord, an understanding heart, and may we serve Thee in reverence and godly fear. In Thy name we pray. Amen.
#1 | 0:00 to 0:20 | cleaned
All right, let's open our Bibles, if you would, please, to 1 Timothy chapter 5 and verse 8. I preached this message to our people back in November. I actually started preparing for this meeting back in November. And when I finished this message, I thought it was so important, I did not want to wait to preach it. So I preached to our people. So some of our people have heard this message.
#2 | 0:21 to 0:48 | cleaned
Probably most of them have forgotten it. I hope not. But I'm just simply saying I think this is foundational. It is a root message. And that I'm going to start from here. The other message is nobody's ever heard. So I'm just going to tell you here. First Timothy, chapter five, verse eight. The title of the message is Responsibility and Responding. So if you look in verse eight, First Timothy five, verse eight, the Bible says, "But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel."
#3 | 0:50 to 1:26 | cleaned
So let me begin by asking you this question. Who is responsible to protect your life, your family, and your property? Many take the position that it is the responsibility of the government to protect them, and therefore they do absolutely nothing to prepare themselves or their families. The interesting thing is, I just came across this this morning. There was a whole article, and I just took a couple of paragraphs out of it, and here it is.
#4 | 1:27 to 1:57 | cleaned
In fact, one recent survey discovered that a whopping 71.2% of all Americans have no faith in the United States government to save them or prevent a doomsday event. Now listen to this. If you actually believe that the government will be there to rescue you when things really start hitting the fan, you're being delusional. If it was equally divided among the entire population, now there's 330 million Americans, not counting the 30 million illegal immigrants, if it was equally divided up among the entire population, the emergency supplies that the government has on hand would not last a single day. Wow. So many people think that somehow the government's going to come in and save them. A few tend to believe that the police or the deputies or the sheriff somehow will protect them and their property.
#5 | 1:57 to 2:53 | cleaned
And you have to remember this, when you really need them, they're at least 30 minutes away. And usually, law enforcement arrives just in time to secure the crime scene. In other words, it's over by that time. You're a victim, and you're dead. Your property is stolen, and your family probably has been murdered as well. Here's a quote it would pay you to remember. This quote is from Darren L. Hutchinson, who happened to be a professor and associate dean at the University of Florida School of Law. Here's what he said. "Neither the Constitution nor state law imposes a general duty upon police officers or other governmental officials to protect individual persons from harm, even when they know harm will occur. Police can watch someone attack you, refuse to intervene, and not violate the Constitution. The Supreme Court has repeatedly held that the government has only a duty to protect persons who are in custody." So if you want to be protected by the cops, you need to get arrested. Otherwise, they have absolutely no duty to protect you at all.
#6 | 2:54 to 4:14 | cleaned
So here's the biblical truth, and I'm going to enunciate this from the Bible, and that is you are responsible for your life, you're responsible for your family, you're responsible for your property, you are the first responder. Not the cops, not the firemen, you are the first responder. It's not up to your neighbors, it is up to you. You're responsible, and if you do not learn how to protect yourself, and have the means to protect yourself, then you're going to be a victim. One man said it like this, "When you don't think of yourself as the first responder, your destiny is to be the first victim." And that's certainly true.
#7 | 4:15 to 4:53 | cleaned
Here is a recent headline, and I want you to listen carefully. Terrorist activity within the continental United States and general violent crimes are increasing exponentially and are likely to get much worse. The situation is so discouraging that our leftist media is desperately and deliberately under-reporting all violent crime because it makes the Democrat darlings look bad. And I hope you've been keeping up with the fact that the border, a number of these illegal immigrants that are coming across have been caught with IEDs, improvised explosive devices.
#8 | 4:53 to 5:32 | cleaned
So I'm just simply telling you it is up to you to learn to be responsible. Now, if you look in your Bibles at 1 Timothy chapter 5 and verse 8, the Bible says, "But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he denied the faith, he's worse than an infidel." So, before I show you this message and this truth from 1 Timothy 5 and verse 8, I want to show you the remote context, and then we're going to be looking at the immediate context in which verse 8 occurs. So the remote context, if you look back in your Bibles to 1 Timothy chapter 3 and look at verse 15, 1 Timothy chapter 3 and verse 15, you'll find that this is the theme of the book of 1 Timothy. Look at it. The Bible says, 1 Timothy 3 verse 15, "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." So everything in 1 Timothy, and actually, 2 Timothy is based upon the fact that this is how we ought to behave ourselves in the house of God, especially when you get to 1 Timothy chapter 2.
#9 | 5:34 to 6:52 | cleaned
But the point I'm trying to make is, when we're talking about families, if you're a believer, you actually have two families. You have the family of faith, and then you have your own personal, physical family as well. So, I think the widest application of what I'm going to say today would be to our church, to our fellow believers in Jesus Christ, and secondly, then to our immediate family.
#10 | 6:52 to 7:16 | cleaned
Now, if you will turn back to 1 Timothy chapter 5, and let's begin looking there at verse 3. 1 Timothy chapter 5 and verse 3. Look at it. The Bible says, "Honour widows that are widows indeed. But if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to shew piety at home, and to requite their parents: for that is good and acceptable before God. Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, trusteth in God, and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day."
#11 | 7:16 to 7:51 | cleaned
"But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth." Now, look what he says in verse 7, strange. "And these things give in charge, that they may be blameless. But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he denied the faith, he's worse than an infidel." Now, interestingly enough, verse 7, the Bible tells you "these things give in charge." What in the world does the word "charge" mean? Well, the Greek word happens to be paraggellō, and it's translated in our Bibles as "charge," as "command," and as "commandment." So I want you to look back in your Bibles very quickly to 1 Timothy chapter 1. I want to show you this word, show you how it's used. 1 Timothy chapter 1, look if you would please at verse 3. The Apostle Paul tells Timothy, "As I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some that they teach no other doctrine, neither give heed to fables and endless genealogies, which minister questions, rather than godly edifying which is in faith: so do."
#12 | 7:52 to 9:09 | cleaned
"Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned." Look, if you would, back at verse 3. Paul said, "And I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some, that they teach no other doctrine." Now, the word "charge" here does not mean a suggestion. It does not mean to give advice. The word "charge" is actually the word "command." For instance, skip down, if you would, in verse 5 and look at this. Because now he says, "Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart and of a good conscience and of faith unfeigned." Now he says "the end of the commandment." What commandment? What commandment is he talking about? Well, if you go back to verse 3, and he said, "I gave the charge," it's the same word, paraggellō, and now it's translated as "commandment" in verse 5. So a charge then is indeed a commandment. Now, Paul then tells Timothy, if you look back to 1 Timothy chapter 5 and verse 7, "these things give in charge."
#13 | 9:10 to 10:31 | cleaned
When he says that, he's not talking about giving suggestions, he's not talking about giving advice, he's saying you give them a commandment. Why are we to be given this commandment? And the answer is found in verse 7, that we may be blameless.
#14 | 10:32 to 10:47 | cleaned
Now, the word "blameless" there happens to be a word that refers to being blameless, to being unrebukeable, to be without censure, without being condemned. In fact, the Bible tells you in Philippians chapter 2 and verse 15, listen to this, "That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world." So he's saying, once again, that we should be without rebuke. So Paul is giving this commandment that you and I are to provide for our own, especially of our own household, and he says this is the commandment, and I'm giving it to you, that you may be blameless. So look, if you would, in verse 8 again. Verse 8.
#15 | 10:48 to 11:46 | cleaned
And Carl, if you don't mind, please, since you're long and tall, come close this vent. It's blowing right on me. All right. Look, if you would, at verse 8. Look what he said. "But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he has denied the faith. He is worse than an infidel." Notice, if you would, he denied the faith and he's worse than an infidel.
#16 | 11:46 to 12:14 | cleaned
Now, do you see a picture? I want you to think about this. Usually the husband and the father, of course, is the head of the house. That is the way the Word of God has ordained it.
#17 | 12:14 to 12:27 | cleaned
Now, he says in verse four, look at it. "But if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to shew piety at home, and to requite their parents, for this is good and acceptable before God." So notice he talked about children, and he talked about nephews. So let me put it like this. Let's suppose that Alice and I both get down. We're unable to work, we're sick, we're unable to do anything. Who's responsible to take care of Alice and I? Our children. That's a fact. What if we don't have any children? Then he mentions nephews.
#18 | 12:28 to 13:15 | cleaned
In other words, it's the family, the immediate family, and then it happens to be the extended family. So I want you to look, if you would please, again in verse four. He said, "But if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to shew piety at home." What is piety? It's godliness. It's holiness. Now, how in the world do children and nephews show piety at home?
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The Bible says, "...and to requite their parents." You know what the word "requite" means? It means to pay back. In other words, we took care of our children when they could not take care of themselves. We fed them. We clothed them. We educated them. And now God says when the parents get elderly and can't take care of themselves, it's now the children's turn to pay them back. Wow. In other words, it's not the government's responsibility to take care of your elderly. It's your responsibility. Alice and I took care of her mother until she died. We took care of my mother until she died. Our fathers both died early. In fact, Alice's mother lived with us for 17 years. In the last three years, she lived in the house with us because she could not live alone. So, the Bible says that we are to take care of those. We are to pay back. Now, when you consider the fact, once again, that the husband and the father is the head of the house, and God has therefore designated him as the provider.
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So, look back at verse 8. I want you to see this. "But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he has denied the faith and is worse than an infidel." I'm going to say this now, I'm going to say it again later. Do you realize the only thing that you have to do to deny the faith and be worse than an infidel is to deny and not fulfill your responsibility? That's it. If you do not fulfill your responsibility, the Bible said, you have denied the faith and that you are worse than an infidel.
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Now, when you and I think about provision, the very first thing we think about is food and clothing. I mean, stop and think about that. You've got hungry children. You've got children that need all kinds of clothes and that kind of thing. Wow. That's exactly what we think about. But let me tell you something about the word "provision." Just because you and I think about food and clothing does not mean that is exactly what that word means. The word "provision" in 1 Timothy chapter 5 and verse 8 is a Greek word.
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It's called, it is, pronoeō. "Pro" happens to be a preposition which means "before." "Noeō" means to think and to consider. It's from the Greek word "nous," which is the mind. So actually, the word "prepare" here, or "provide," means that you are actually thinking beforehand, you are understanding beforehand, you are perceiving beforehand, you're considering beforehand. In other words, it does not just simply deal with food and clothing, it deals also with every provision imaginable. So, the word "provide," then, means to perceive with the mind, to understand with the mind. It means to heed and to ponder and consider.
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So, here's the question that I'm going to ask you. Since you understand how broad this word is, "provide" does not just refer to food and clothing. So, here's the question. Have you provided for the defense of your family? Have you provided for the protection of your family? Have you provided for the medical care of your family? I'm just simply pointing out the fact we need to understand that the word "provide" means far more than what you and I would just simply consider as food and clothing.
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Now, I want you to look in verse 8 again. Look at 1 Timothy 5, verse 8. He said, "But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house," specially for those of his own house, "he denied the faith and he's worse than an infidel." So if you do not provide for the lives and the safety and protection of your family, God says that you're worse than an infidel and that you basically denied the faith. Now I'm gonna give you a couple of quotes. The first one is this from Harry Brown. He says this: "The police can't stop an intruder, mugger, or stalker from hurting you. They can pursue him only after he's hurt or killed you. Protecting yourself from harm is your responsibility, and you are far less likely to be hurt in a neighborhood of gun owners than in one of disarmed citizens, even if you don't own a gun yourself." That is true. There's another quote I want to give you. I've preached this before.
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There was a man by the name of Jack Potter. In fact, he was known as Fighting Jack Potter. He happened to be a Confederate soldier, but he was also a Methodist circuit riding preacher after the war was over. And here's what Jack Potter said, a pastor. He said, "I'm not so anxious to wear a martyr's crown as to sacrifice my life when God requires me to use means to preserve it. It is no evidence of a preacher's want of trust in God when he carries a gun to shield his life in the time of peril."
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"It would be the most sinful presumption not to do so. Indeed, I do not carry a gun because I'm afraid to die, but because it is a duty and a means to preserve life." Wow.
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Now, God places a very high value on the family. And He places a very high value on family protection. I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Luke. The book of Luke. And I want you to look, please, at chapter 11 to begin with. Luke chapter 11. Luke 11. And notice if you would please, Luke 11 and verse 21. Notice what the word of God says, Luke 11 and verse 21. Our Lord says, "When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace." Now, first of all, I want you to note he talks about a strong man. A strong man is someone who is strong not just in body, but also in mind. Secondly, the Bible says he is a strong armed man. And the word "armed" in the Greek, kathoplizō, literally means furnished with arms.
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In other words, he has more than one. He's furnished with arms.
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Third, the Bible says, he keeps or guards and protects himself and his goods. But note, if he would, in order to do so, he has to be a strong man and he has to be an armed man, one furnished with arms.
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Now, here's another reason why you should understand family protection and self-protection. God not only requires it, but He's telling you, if you're going to provide for the safety of your family, you better be thinking ahead. Why? Just because you're armed, just because you're furnished with arms does not mean that that is sufficient in and of itself. Why? Well, look, if you would, please, at verse 22. Look at it. Verse 22, he says this.
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"But when a stronger than he shall come upon him and overcome him, he taketh from him his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils." Now, wait a minute. It is wise to consider the fact that I have need to protect my family. It is wise to consider the fact that, yes, I must be furnished with arms. I must have an ample supply of arms to do what God requires me to do. But I also must consider this. What if a stronger man comes along with more arms? Or what if a stronger individual or a stronger group comes along? I have to consider that as well. The last meeting we had was on community, where believers would actually come together.
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Do you understand this is exactly what our Lord is hinting at right here? Because if you are alone, no matter what you have, you cannot defend yourself or your family or your property. It's impossible. There's no one that can stay awake 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. There's no one that can do everything that needs to be done. It's absolutely impossible. Do you understand? This is how the early settlers and the frontiersmen protected themselves. If they were alone, they were easy targets.
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And so what they would do, they would come into communities, they would come into groups, and sometimes they would even build a little fort. But they always had someone that would come to their aid when aid was needed. You know, one of our problems is this. You and I have lived in relative safety for so long, we don't think anything like this can happen to us. It's cognitive dissonance. It happens somewhere else, but it's never going to happen here. It's going to happen to other people, but it's never ever going to happen to us. That's how we think.
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I'll tell you this right now. I've got a friend, some of you know him. His name is Michael Danley. He is a police officer and has been for how many years I don't know. He lacks about two years retiring. He's an officer. He called me this past week and he said, "I want to tell you something. I want you to convey this to your people." I said, "Fine, I'll be glad to."
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He said, "I carry everywhere I go, even when I'm off duty." He said, "So does my family." In fact, I've had his family down here and I've helped train him and his family. But he said, "We went to a little out of the way Chinese restaurant out in the boonies. He said, "So I left my weapon in the car."
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Now, Michael is a big man. I mean, he's not fat, he's not flabby, he's just big. And his boys are big, like six-four, six-five, strong as ox. They were in. Michael told me, he said, "I went in the bathroom to wash my hands before we ate." And he said, "Just as I was washing my hands, here was someone banging on the door loudly, cursing, 'Get out of there, get out of there.' And it was a big black man. And one of his boys hollered, 'Dad, watch out, he's got a gun.'" And Michael said, "There I am in the bathroom without my weapon." He said, "When I unlocked the door, he said the man ran in cussing me."
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And he said, "I went around to the manager, the owner, whoever it was, and I said, 'What's wrong with him?' The man said, 'He just hates white people.'" He said, "He then came out of the bathroom and began to antagonize Michael and curse him. And so Michael looked at the owner, said, 'Well, we're just going to leave.' And he said he followed them outside, his children and his wife went ahead and got in the car."
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And he said, "I had a choice. Whether I should reach in and try to grab my weapon, or just jump in the car and leave." He said, "But he already had his weapon out. He said, 'That would have been foolish for me.' So the children opened the door for me. He said, 'I jumped in and drove off.' He said, 'I called the local law enforcement there and swore out a warrant for his arrest.'"
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But you see what I mean. Here's a man who's been a cop all of his life. And he said, "I just never dreamed something like this would happen in that one little out-of-the-way restaurant." Well, this is what I'm talking about. Let me give you a recent headline. Listen to this. This was just this past year, just a few months back, from the Highland County Press out of Ohio. A real threat.
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Experts warn Hamas-connected terrorists crossing U.S. border. Here are the first three short paragraphs of that article. "Hundreds of immigrants on the federal terror watch list have been caught at the southern and northern U.S. borders in recent years, and national security experts say there's a real threat of a terrorist attack on American soil as a result. With the conflict between Israel and Gaza-based terrorist group Hamas escalating, that threat has only grown. U.S. Customs and Border Protection San Diego field office warns that Hamas may attempt to send individuals to the United States through the southern border."
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Well, the truth of the matter is they're already here. And so are 30,000 Chinese communist soldiers. Where in the world do you think all of these people are coming across the border? They're single military age men. They're not coming with wives and children. I'm just going to be pointing out, here is Ohio even talking about this. In other words, these terrorist cells have already been pre-positioned. Why? Years ago they were talking about the Islamic training camps over around Jessup, Georgia, and around other places as well. They're all over the country. So, here's the question. What in the world are you going to do when one of these groups approaches your family, your property, your home? What is going to transpire? Are you going to have help? Are you going to be alone? Are you going to be outnumbered? Are you going to be outgunned?
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Have you provided for a team? Have you worked with your neighbors? Have you worked with your family? Have you asked others to help you? Scripture not only teaches that we need help, it teaches that two are more than one. For instance, if you will look in your Bibles to the book of Ecclesiastes. The book of Ecclesiastes, notice if you would chapter 4 of the book of Ecclesiastes. Ecclesiastes, right before the Song of Solomon. Look in Ecclesiastes chapter 4, beginning there in verse 9. Ecclesiastes 4 and verse 9. God says, "Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up. Again, if two lie together, then they have heat: but how can one be warm alone? And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken." So God is saying, yeah, it's good to have two or three people around who's going to help you and to work with you.
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Frederic Bastiat, if you've never read his little book on the law, I would encourage you to do so. It's a very short book. He was a Frenchman, and it's a classic work. But here's what he said in one of his paragraphs. "If every person has a right to defend, even by force, his person, his liberty, and his property, then it follows that a group of men have the right to organize and support a common force to protect their rights constantly."
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So here is a thought to consider involved with provision. Think about this. If you cannot reach each other, if you cannot communicate with each other, you cannot help each other. So how in the world are you going to communicate if the power grid is down? How are you going to communicate if the electricity is turned off? How are you going to communicate if all the Internet is down? That's why those little handheld radios, they can reach 5 miles and with an antenna 15 and 20 miles and sometimes more if you have a larger one there. In fact, we built out here in one of our classes, we built an antenna and then we hooked everything up and where was the man in New York, was it? New York. We talked to him over our radio and he was in New York. So it's amazing what some of these little things can do when you have the right equipment. So I'm just simply pointing out the fact, have you thought about this? When that cell phone's not working, what in the world are you going to use?
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I'm just simply saying this is why we need community. This is why we need like-minded people. This is why we need to understand we have a family of faith and we have our physical family as well. In other words, we must learn to take responsibility for our own lives, our own families, our own property. It's just that simple. Regarding EMP, an electromagnetic pulse attack.
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What are we talking about? A natural calamity? A tornado, a hurricane, the floods. Just stop and think about this. When those things happened, all the stores are usually looted. Look what happened in Hurricane Katrina. Look at all the hurricanes out in Texas. Look what happened in the stadium there where they were housing everybody. And I got news for you. When there is no food left and there's nothing to steal, the hordes are going to be looking. And if they see a garden, they're going to assume that you have food and you may have canned food and you may have stored food and they are coming to see you.
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That is, you are next on their list. It is just that simple. And all you've got to do is listen. All you have to do is look at what is happening and all these mobs in these larger cities. They're going into the jewelry stores. They're going into convenience stores. They're going into these high-expensive stores, 30 and 40 and 50 of them at one time, stealing everything they can steal and running out. And no one stops them, because no one's going to shoot them. And they're devastating and destroying everything.
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Colonel Jeff Cooper is now dead. But he said this, listen carefully. "One cannot legislate the maniacs off the street. These maniacs can only be shut down by an armed citizenry. Indeed, bad things can happen in nations where the citizenry is armed, but not as bad as those which seem to be threatening our disarmed citizenry in this country at this time." And then I love his next quote. He said this.
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"You can say 'stop,' or you can say 'alto,' or use any word you think will work. But I have found that a large bore muzzle pointed at someone's head is pretty much the universal language." Yeah, it is. That will make someone stop. Senator Larry Craig said this, "The first right of every human being is the right of self-defense. Without that right, all other rights are meaningless. The right of self-defense is not something the government bestows upon its citizens. It is an inalienable right, older than the Constitution itself. It existed prior to government and prior to the social contract of our Constitution." And certainly, we have an inalienable right not only to defend ourselves, but also to stand together to defend ourselves, to come together to preserve our lives. It is our God-given right.
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And I may be able to speak on this this afternoon, but I want to mention it right now. The sixth commandment, "Thou shalt not kill." The sixth commandment actually could read, "Thou shalt not murder" or "Thou shalt not take life apart from God's directive." But that is a negative, "Thou shalt not kill." The positive is "Thou shalt preserve life." So the positive side of the sixth commandment is you have a duty, you have a responsibility to preserve your life, and the life of your family, and the life of your neighbors as well.
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In fact, the Bible says in Psalm 82 in verse 3, "Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy." Now, you have to understand, in 1 Timothy chapter 5 and verse 8, when he said, "But if any will not provide for his own," the word "provide," remember, means to think beforehand, to consider beforehand. It does not just deal with food. It just does not deal simply with clothing. It means everything that your family would need for protection. So, if you have to think beforehand and conceive with the mind beforehand and prepare in your mind beforehand, here's another question to ask you.
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Have you seriously thought about and prepared for medical emergencies? Don't come here and tell me, "Well, I'm not a doctor. I'm not a nurse. I'm not an EMT. I'm not a paramedic." Neither am I. Most people are not. But I can tell you something. I know how to suture. I've sewed up animals. I've sewed up humans. I know how to stop bleeding. I know how to pack a wound. I'm not a doctor.
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That's why I want you to look at some of these books over here. Do you realize there are so many things that you can learn, and you can even go to your local tech school, and you can learn CPR. You can learn basic medicine. Have you ever considered what is going to happen medically when there are no hospitals? When there are no clinics? When you have no one around?
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Let me tell you something. If an EMP happens, whether naturally or whether it is an act of war, you're not going to have a hospital. You're not going to have any electricity. You're not going to have anything. You're going to have to take care of yourself. Let me ask you a question. This is absolutely astounding to me. But how in the world did people on the frontier take care of medical emergencies?
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How did women ever have babies before there were hospitals? Isn't that amazing? How did people set broken bones when there were no doctor around? How did people deal with animal attacks? If you've never heard my message on Mountain Man, Jedediah Strong Smith, I would encourage you to listen to that message. Jedediah Smith was a Christian. He was attacked by a grizzly bear. Now I want you to listen to this. I'm reading. "On his second expedition, he was attacked by a grizzly bear. The bear came out of the thicket and mauled Smith violently, throwing him to the ground, smashing his ribs, and literally ripping off his scalp. When the attack was over, the scalp was hanging on his head by an ear. Smith instructed Jim Clyman to sew it back on."
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Now remember, we don't have anything to deaden the pain. There's no lidocaine back then, no. So he instructed Jim Clyman to sew it back on. Clyman did the best he could, but thought nothing could be done for the severed ear. Smith insisted that he try. According to Clyman, "I put my needle, sticking it in through and through and over and over, laying the lacerated parts together as nice as I could with my hands." And then, listen to this, after two weeks of rest, Smith returned to his duty as captain of the party. So he just sat there with nothing to deaden his pain, having everything sewn back on his scalp and his ear.
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If you think that is something, you ought to read about Hugh Glass. Hugh Glass was another mountain man. Hugh Glass was mauled by a grizzly bear. He was mauled so terribly, but he was not dead. But all of his friends thought he would die any time, and the Indians were around. They were afraid of an Indian attack, and so they took his knife, they took his weapon, and they left him to die. Hugh Glass came to.
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He crawled to the river and washed his wounds, drank some water, crawled on his hands and knees until he found carrion, a dead carcass, and he ate some of that meat. When he got some strength, after crawling, he began to walk and stumble, and he walked and stumbled for 200 miles until he came to Fort Kiowa, and he lived. I'm just simply pointing out the fact. You know, we need to learn some things. We need to learn to do some things for ourselves.
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You can buy medical books. You can read. You can buy herbal books. You can buy medical supplies. You can teach yourself basic medicine. You can have supplies on hand for short-term and even long-term emergencies. By the way, I will mention this here. Back in November, I guess it was, I spoke for three hours at one conference on preparedness, on preparedness to survive. And I was pointing out the fact that fish antibiotics, animal antibiotics, are the same as our antibiotics.
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You just need to know the difference in weight and how to apply them. But there are two companies now that you can stock up on your antibiotics and whatever you need. One of them is Jase Medical, J-A-S-E, and the other is the Wellness Company, and that is Dr. Peter McCullough. And what you do is you go online, and you fill out your form and they send it to a doctor and the doctor then signs off on it and then they send you the kit and it's all kind of antibiotics, whatever, even ivermectin is in it. Both of these companies are very good. I'm just simply saying you can.
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So let me ask this question again. Whose responsibility is it then to keep your family not just fed, not just clothed, but protected and also prepared for medical emergencies? In other words, it's your responsibility. I want you to turn in your Bibles, if you would, to the book of Second Thessalonians, Chapter 3. I want you to understand something. Second Thessalonians, Chapter 3. Look what the Bible says. Second Thessalonians, Chapter 3. It is not your responsibility to feed the whole world. It is not your responsibility to take care of the whole neighborhood. It is your responsibility to take care of your family, which would include your physical family and your church family as well. But I want you to watch 2 Thessalonians 3, and let's begin reading there with verse 10. Look at this. 2 Thessalonians, Chapter 3, look in verse 10.
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Paul said, "For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies."
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"Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread." Now, go back to verse 10. "For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat." It is your job, it is your responsibility to take care of your family and to provide for their every need.
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Yes, there is biblical charity, and I've got messages on that. But charity does not extend to supporting the indolent, the lazy, the sluggards who will not work and provide for themselves. Hungry men will usually do one of two things. They'll either go to work or they'll steal. If someone is willing to work, you might be willing to share. But if someone wants to steal, then you have to deal with that problem.
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I want to ask you a question. I understand charity. I understand that. But if times get really, really tough, and you have just enough to take care of your family, and then I come along with my little children and ask you to share, here's my question. Are you going to take the bread out of your children's mouth and give it to my children? You see what I'm trying to say? I'm just simply pointing out the fact we have a responsibility to prepare.
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Now, in all things, we have to learn to trust the Lord Jesus Christ. David over and over said this in the Psalms. For instance, Psalm 7 in verse 10, he said, "My defence is of God, which saveth the upright in heart." Then in Psalm 31 in verse 2, he says, "Bow down thine ear to me; deliver me speedily: be thou my strong rock, for an house of defence to save me." And then he says this, "Because of his strength," that is the enemy's strength, "will I wait upon thee: for God is my defence."
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Now, let me tell you, while we prepare, and while we may be willing and able to defend ourselves, that does not mean that we trust in our provisions. It does not mean that we trust in our abilities. It means that we must trust in God and God alone. We must be wise, as He commands us, "be wise as serpents." Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise.
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I'll deal with some of those later. But the point I'm trying to make right now, it is your responsibility. It's your responsibility to take care of your family. It's not the government's job. It's not the job of your neighbor. It's your responsibility.
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Now, God said, again, "If any provide not for his own, especially for those of his own house, he's worse than an infidel. He's denied the faith." All you have to do to be worse than an infidel and deny the faith is to deny your responsibility. The old saying, you've heard it all of your life, "Trust in the Lord and keep your powder dry." What did the Bible say in Psalm 127, verse 1? "Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain." So all of our preparations, even though we're responsible to prepare, are worthless unless God sovereignly protects us. Now what did He say? He said, "If any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he's denied the faith and is worse than an infidel." God requires you to provide everything that your family needs.
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Now, in just a moment, I'm going to have prayer. Warren Luke is going to come up and speak just about 10 minutes. Then we're going to take just a short break and then I'll be starting over again on a different subject. But please understand, I believe and I honestly think that this message that I just preached is absolutely fundamental because we cannot deny our responsibility. So let's pray, and then Warren Luke will come up, and then we'll take a short break, all right?
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Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we love Thee today. We thank You for Your Word. We thank You for Your truth. And we ask, Father, that You would indeed make us see and help us to see, Lord, our responsibility. And Lord, help us, Lord, to understand Thy truth and apply it to our lives. In the name of Jesus Christ, we ask and pray. Amen.
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T13:06:56Z

Responsibility and Responding

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

John Weaver teaches from 1 Timothy 5:8 that believers have a God-given responsibility to provide for their families, which includes protection, defense, and medical preparedness, not just food and clothing. He argues that failing to do so denies the faith and makes one worse than an infidel. The sermon emphasizes personal responsibility over reliance on government, the importance of community and communication, and the need to trust God while actively preparing.

Introduction and Scripture Reading

Weaver opens with prayer and introduces 1 Timothy 5:8 as the foundational text for the message on responsibility.

The Government Cannot Be Relied Upon for Protection

Weaver cites statistics and legal opinions to show that the government and police have no duty to protect individuals, making personal responsibility essential.

The Biblical Command to Provide

Weaver explains the remote and immediate context of 1 Timothy 5:8, emphasizing that 'provide' means to think beforehand and encompasses all provisions, including defense.

Scripture Reading — 1 Timothy 3:15

But the point I'm trying to make is, when we're talking about families, if you're a believer, you actually have two families. You have the family of faith, and then you have your own personal, physical family as well. So, I think the widest application of what I'm going to say today would be to our church, to our fellow believers in Jesus Christ, and secondly, then to our immediate family. Now, if you will turn back to 1 Timothy chapter 5, and let's begin looking there at verse 3. 1 Timothy chapter 5 and verse 3. Look at it. The Bible says, "Honour widows that are widows indeed. But if any widow have children or nephews, let them learn first to shew piety at home, and to requite their parents: for that is good and acceptable before God. Now she that is a widow indeed, and desolate, trusteth in God, and continueth in supplications and prayers night and day."

Scripture Reading — 1 Timothy 5:3-8

"But she that liveth in pleasure is dead while she liveth."

Now, look what he says in verse 7, strange.

Scripture Reading — 1 Timothy 5:3-8

"And these things give in charge, that they may be blameless. But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he denied the faith, he's worse than an infidel."

Now, interestingly enough, verse 7, the Bible tells you

Scripture Reading — 1 Timothy 5:3-8

"these things give in charge."

Scripture Reading — 1 Timothy 1:3-5

"Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned."

Look, if you would, back at verse 3. Paul said,

Scripture Reading — 1 Timothy 1:3-5

"And I besought thee to abide still at Ephesus, when I went into Macedonia, that thou mightest charge some, that they teach no other doctrine."

Scripture Reading — 1 Timothy 1:3-5

"the end of the commandment."

Scripture Reading — Philippians 2:15

"That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world."

Now, do you see a picture? I want you to think about this. Usually the husband and the father, of course, is the head of the house. That is the way the Word of God has ordained it.

The Necessity of Being Armed and Prepared

Using Luke 11:21-22, Weaver argues that a strong man must be armed to protect his household, but also must consider the possibility of a stronger adversary and the need for community.

Real-Life Examples and Current Threats

Weaver shares a personal story of a police officer friend and cites news about terrorist threats to illustrate the reality of danger and the need for vigilance.

The Importance of Community and Communication

Drawing from Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, Weaver stresses that believers need to work together, communicate via radios when grids fail, and form communities for mutual defense.

Medical Preparedness and Self-Reliance

Weaver challenges listeners to learn basic medical skills and stockpile supplies, citing historical examples of frontier medicine and modern resources like Jase Medical.

In fact, the Bible says in Psalm 82 in verse 3,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 82:3

"Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy."

Balancing Preparation with Trust in God

Weaver concludes that while we must prepare, ultimate trust must be in God, not in our own provisions, and that denying our responsibility is a serious sin.

Now, in all things, we have to learn to trust the Lord Jesus Christ. David over and over said this in the Psalms. For instance, Psalm 7 in verse 10, he said,

Scripture Reading — Psalm 7:10

"My defence is of God, which saveth the upright in heart."

Scripture Reading — Psalm 127:1

"Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain."

Responsibility and Responding

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	1222416735319
Subject	Family Government
Course	The Christian Family: Marriage and Household Order: Remember Lot And His Wife
Genre	Sermon
Date	2024-01-20
Dictation Name
Book	Book 027: The Christian Family: Marriage and Household Order — Chapter 18
Source Timed Segments	72

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction and Scripture Reading: Weaver opens with prayer and introduces 1 Timothy 5:8 as the foundational text for the message on responsibility.
The Government Cannot Be Relied Upon for Protection: Weaver cites statistics and legal opinions to show that the government and police have no duty to protect individuals, making personal responsibility essential.
The Biblical Command to Provide: Weaver explains the remote and immediate context of 1 Timothy 5:8, emphasizing that 'provide' means to think beforehand and encompasses all provisions, including defense.
The Necessity of Being Armed and Prepared: Using Luke 11:21-22, Weaver argues that a strong man must be armed to protect his household, but also must consider the possibility of a stronger adversary and the need for community.
Real-Life Examples and Current Threats: Weaver shares a personal story of a police officer friend and cites news about terrorist threats to illustrate the reality of danger and the need for vigilance.
The Importance of Community and Communication: Drawing from Ecclesiastes 4:9-12, Weaver stresses that believers need to work together, communicate via radios when grids fail, and form communities for mutual defense.
Medical Preparedness and Self-Reliance: Weaver challenges listeners to learn basic medical skills and stockpile supplies, citing historical examples of frontier medicine and modern resources like Jase Medical.
Balancing Preparation with Trust in God: Weaver concludes that while we must prepare, ultimate trust must be in God, not in our own provisions, and that denying our responsibility is a serious sin.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Provision includes defense and protection

The Greek word for 'provide' means to think beforehand, so it encompasses all needs, including safety and medical care.

Weaver explains 'pronoeō' and asks, 'Have you provided for the defense of your family?'

Failure to provide denies the faith

Not fulfilling the responsibility to provide makes one worse than an infidel and is a denial of the faith.

1 Timothy 5:8 is quoted: 'he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.'

Government has no duty to protect

Legal precedent shows police have no obligation to protect individuals, so reliance on them is foolish.

Quote from Darren L. Hutchinson: 'Neither the Constitution nor state law imposes a general duty upon police officers... to protect individual persons from harm.'

Armed citizens deter crime

An armed populace reduces crime, and being unarmed invites victimization.

Harry Brown quote: 'you are far less likely to be hurt in a neighborhood of gun owners than in one of disarmed citizens.'

Community is essential for security

Individuals cannot defend themselves alone; they need a group for constant protection.

Weaver states, 'if you are alone, no matter what you have, you cannot defend yourself or your family or your property.'

Preparation must be proactive

Thinking ahead is commanded; waiting until disaster strikes is too late.

The word 'provide' means to consider beforehand, and Weaver asks, 'Have you seriously thought about and prepared for medical emergencies?'

Scripture References

1 Timothy 5:8: The central verse of the sermon, commanding provision for one's own household.
1 Timothy 3:15: Theme of 1 Timothy: how to behave in the house of God, relating to the family of faith.
1 Timothy 5:3-8: Immediate context of the command to provide, including care for widows and family responsibility.
1 Timothy 1:3-5: Shows that 'charge' means commandment, not suggestion.
Philippians 2:15: Defines 'blameless' as without rebuke, connecting to the command in 1 Timothy 5:7.
Luke 11:21-22: Illustrates the strong armed man protecting his goods and the need to consider a stronger adversary.
Ecclesiastes 4:9-12: Emphasizes the value of companionship and mutual support for protection.
Psalm 82:3: Command to defend the poor and fatherless, supporting the duty to protect others.
2 Thessalonians 3:10-12: Command that those who will not work should not eat, reinforcing personal responsibility.
Psalm 7:10: David's declaration that God is his defense.
Psalm 31:2: Prayer for God to be a house of defense.
Psalm 127:1: Unless the Lord keeps the city, the watchman stays awake in vain; ultimate trust in God.

Historical References

Darren L. Hutchinson, University of Florida School of Law: Quoted to support that police have no duty to protect individuals.
Jack Potter (Fighting Jack Potter), Confederate soldier and Methodist circuit rider: Quoted on the duty to carry a gun for self-preservation as a means God requires.
Frederic Bastiat, author of 'The Law': Quoted on the right of a group to organize a common force for protection.
Colonel Jeff Cooper: Quoted on the necessity of an armed citizenry and the universal language of a firearm.
Senator Larry Craig: Quoted on the inalienable right of self-defense.
Jedediah Strong Smith, mountain man: Example of frontier medical self-reliance after a grizzly bear attack.
Hugh Glass, mountain man: Example of survival and self-care after a grizzly bear mauling.
Hurricane Katrina and Texas hurricanes: Examples of looting and breakdown of order after natural disasters.
Highland County Press article on Hamas terrorists crossing U.S. border: Recent news illustrating current threats.

Important Quotes

But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

The foundational scripture of the sermon, establishing the command and its severe consequences.

Neither the Constitution nor state law imposes a general duty upon police officers or other governmental officials to protect individual persons from harm, even when they know harm will occur.

Legal support for the argument that individuals cannot rely on government for protection.

When you don't think of yourself as the first responder, your destiny is to be the first victim.

Encapsulates the urgency of personal responsibility for safety.

I'm not so anxious to wear a martyr's crown as to sacrifice my life when God requires me to use means to preserve it.

Historical Christian perspective on the duty to use means for self-defense.

When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace.

Biblical principle that armed preparedness brings security.

Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labour. For if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: but woe to him that is alone when he falleth; for he hath not another to help him up.

Scriptural basis for community and mutual support in times of trouble.

You can say 'stop,' or you can say 'alto,' or use any word you think will work. But I have found that a large bore muzzle pointed at someone's head is pretty much the universal language.

Emphasizes the deterrent effect of being armed.

Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.

Balances the call to prepare with the necessity of trusting God for ultimate protection.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

In what ways does the Greek word 'pronoeō' expand our understanding of 'provide' in 1 Timothy 5:8 beyond just food and clothing?

[Context]

Weaver explains that 'provide' means to think beforehand and encompasses all provisions, including defense and medical care.

[Question]

How should Christians balance the command to provide for their families with the biblical call to charity and helping others in need?

[Context]

Weaver discusses the limits of charity, especially when resources are scarce, referencing 2 Thessalonians 3:10.

[Question]

What practical steps can families take to prepare for medical emergencies when professional help is unavailable?

[Context]

Weaver challenges listeners to learn basic medical skills and stockpile supplies, citing historical examples.

[Question]

How does the concept of community defense align with the biblical teaching on the body of Christ and mutual care among believers?

[Context]

Weaver uses Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 and the example of early settlers to argue for the necessity of community.

[Question]

In light of Luke 11:21-22, how should we prepare for threats that may be stronger than our individual defenses?

[Context]

Weaver points out that even a strong armed man can be overcome by a stronger adversary, necessitating community.

[Question]

What does it mean to trust in God while actively preparing for potential dangers, and how do we avoid trusting in our own provisions?

[Context]

Weaver concludes with Psalm 127:1, emphasizing that all preparation is vain without God's protection.

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