Latest / Mount Eaton Church / Biblical Manhood & Womanhood - 1 Timothy 6:1-10 - Foundations of Biblical Leadership - Pt.1

Transcript

Biblical Manhood & Womanhood - 1 Timothy 6:1-10 - Foundations of Biblical Leadership - Pt.1 · Mount Eaton Church

0:08
All right. Morning, family. Oh, thank you very
0:13
much. We're going to go through 1 Timothy chapter
0:16
6, verse 1 through 10. Are you guys ready for
0:19
a journey? All right. Father, I want to thank
0:22
you so much for your word. Thank you that your
0:24
word is living and active, that you... have accomplished
0:28
all things, that the plan that you have set in
0:32
place before time is fulfilled and completed
0:35
in Christ and that will ultimately come to its
0:38
pinnacle moment. But Lord, until then, may we
0:41
be a people that are content in godliness. Godliness
0:46
with contentment is great gain. Help us to honor
0:49
and glorify you in all that we do, that you are
0:52
loved supremely, that we love your word, love
0:54
your ways, love your things. And Lord, help us
0:57
to walk with intentionality as your people. As
1:00
we go through this next chapter, help us to understand
1:03
the importance of what it means to lead as men
1:06
and to really understand. what true contentment
1:09
truly is. We praise you and thank you for your
1:11
faithfulness and goodness. In Jesus' name, amen.
1:15
I'm going to start off in chapter 5, verse 24,
1:19
1 Timothy chapter 5, verse 24, and then we'll
1:23
go right into chapter 6, 1 through 10. It says,
1:26
the sins of some people are conspicuous, going
1:30
before them to judgment. but the sins of others
1:34
appear later. So also good works are conspicuous,
1:39
even those that are not cannot remain hidden.
1:43
Let all who are under a yoke as a bondservant
1:47
regard their own masters as worthy of all honor,
1:51
so that the name of God and the teaching may
1:54
not be reviled. Those who have believing masters
1:58
must not. Be disrespectful on the ground that
2:02
they are brothers. Rather, they must serve all
2:06
the better since those who benefit by their good
2:09
service are believers and beloved. Teach and
2:13
urge these things. If anyone teaches a doctrine,
2:17
a different doctrine, and does not agree with
2:19
the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and
2:23
the teaching that accords with godliness, he
2:26
is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing.
2:30
He has an unhealthy craving. for controversy,
2:35
and for quarrels about words which produce envy,
2:39
dissension, slander, evil, suspicions, and constant
2:44
friction among people who are depraved in mind
2:47
and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness
2:51
is a means of gain. But godliness with contentment
2:55
is great gain, for we brought nothing into the
2:58
world, and we can take nothing out of the world.
3:01
But if we have food and clothing, these we will
3:05
be content. But those who desire to be rich fall
3:08
into temptation, into a snare, into many senseless
3:12
and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin
3:16
and destruction. For the love of money is the
3:20
root of all kinds of evil. It is through this
3:24
craving that some have wandered away from the
3:27
faith and pierced themselves with many. pangs.
3:32
So when we think about this, there's a lot here.
3:35
There's no possible way I could possibly even
3:38
get this whole chapter done in one day, and I'll
3:42
be, by the Lord's grace, be able to get through
3:45
these 10 verses. First principle, if you work
3:49
and have someone whom you answer to, you must,
3:53
like a slave, honor all, especially those who
3:57
are brothers, so that no one reviles the faith.
4:00
Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo
4:04
one another in showing honor. Romans 12, 10.
4:08
So what we see here is some very important things
4:10
when it talks about the slave or the bond servant.
4:13
How many of you guys work? That's okay. Don't
4:16
be ashamed. How many of you guys have a boss?
4:19
You're a slave. Yeah, mom. Okay. You're a slave.
4:28
That's what you are. You get paid to do a job.
4:33
But you cannot do anything you want at the job
4:35
you have. You can't go into the job and say,
4:38
you know what? I want to do whatever I want because
4:41
it's my free will. This is what I want to do.
4:45
You know what the boss is going to do? You're
4:47
fired. So you are a slave. We just call it employment.
4:52
Think about it. You get paid to do a job that
4:56
I tell you you will do if you're a boss. That's
5:00
what it means to be a bondservant. One who is
5:02
rewarded, who is given something for the services
5:06
that he has to do. They owe a debt, and so as
5:11
a result of owing a debt, they have to work that
5:14
debt off. Now, slavery in the scripture is a
5:18
very good thing. Slavery means that the person,
5:22
the master who is taking care of you, if he is
5:24
godly, takes very good care of you. provides
5:28
all your needs, gives you food, a home in some
5:32
cases. Those who are bond servants, those who
5:35
have to pay off a debt, at least they're not
5:37
stoned to death or put to death because they're
5:41
allowed to work off the debt they owe. That's
5:44
the point. We have a debt we owe, don't we? That's
5:47
why we are slaves to Christ. We can't pay off
5:49
a debt that he's already paid. But as a slave
5:53
of Jesus, I give him my life. The very breath
5:57
I have for his glory. The least I can do after
6:02
what he's done for me. That being said, notice
6:05
what it says in verse 1 and 2. Let all, all people,
6:10
if you don't own the business, if you're not
6:14
Elon Musk, then you're a slave. But you know
6:17
what the crazy part is? Even Elon Musk is a slave.
6:20
Because everybody has a boss. And the boss is
6:23
Jesus. He controls all things. Everyone answers
6:28
to someone. Let all who are under a yoke of bondservant
6:33
regard their own master as worthy of all honor.
6:38
This is where one of the major issues, and I
6:41
apologize for all of our friends who are union.
6:44
It's not to offend you. This is where unions
6:47
fail. You see, because the scripture doesn't
6:50
say, let all who are under the yoke of bondservant,
6:53
an employee, regard their union as master. You
6:59
get that? The boss has a right. The owner has
7:03
a right to tell you how he wants to run his business.
7:06
You owe me the debt. You will do what I respectfully
7:10
ask of you. Now, in this particular situation,
7:13
there's some bad masters. Not all masters are
7:16
good. But God here doesn't give you the option
7:19
of whether you should honor the bad boss or the
7:23
good boss. He says honor all of them. Why? Because
7:27
they are worthy of all honor. Why are they worthy
7:30
of all honor? Because God has placed them in
7:33
authority. All authority is given by God. All.
7:39
Not the ones you like. Not the ones you dislike.
7:42
Every last one of those authorities are given
7:44
by God. Can you imagine if I said, Lord, you
7:47
know, I don't think you're running your church
7:49
real well. I want to do it my way. You know what
7:54
he would say? You're fired. So, let all honor
8:00
their masters. So that, here's why. Here's why
8:05
you need to honor your masters, whether good
8:06
or bad. So that the name of God and the teaching
8:11
may not be reviled. The word teaching here, the
8:15
logos, the truth of Christ. What kind of name
8:19
do you present when your boss does something
8:23
you don't like because he's not a good boss?
8:26
Do you go to the lunchroom with other employees
8:29
and complain and slander and gossip and murmur?
8:33
Well, that's really godly. Scripture talks against
8:36
that, doesn't it? There should be no gossip,
8:38
no slander should be named among you as believers.
8:42
It's not an option as a believer, whether good
8:45
or bad boss, for me to talk down about the person
8:50
which God has told me I must give all honor because
8:54
he is worthy of that honor. Not because of his
8:57
behavior, but because of his position. Why is
9:01
this important? One of the things I think is
9:04
important in our society today, and it's one
9:07
of the things I really love about our elders.
9:09
is even though we are equal as elders, okay,
9:12
we are equal in authority, different in responsibility,
9:15
they still respect pastor. They understand the
9:20
office. They understand the greater responsibility.
9:24
They don't call me pastor because they're under
9:27
me. They call me pastor as respect. How many
9:30
times do we look at our president of the United
9:32
States and respect the office of president? I
9:36
may not like Joe Biden. I know him. Not like
9:40
really good, but he was my senator. He was not
9:43
a good man, but he was the president. Remember
9:46
the office in which our president sits, the man
9:49
that God has placed in that position. He is president.
9:55
The office demands worthy of all honor, whether
10:01
you like it or not. Same thing with your boss.
10:04
Who sits at a desk and runs and manages a particular
10:07
department or the owner of the company. They're
10:11
worthy of all honor. God has placed them there.
10:15
Remember whose name you carry when you sit and
10:20
start to murmur and complain and slander. You
10:24
must understand that when people see us behave
10:28
in that way, it brings revile against the teaching.
10:34
of the Word of God. It makes the Word of God
10:36
look worthless. Is it worthless to you? Or is
10:41
the law of God sweet honey, precious, more precious
10:45
than gold? It's a question you need to ask. Verse
10:49
2, those slaves who have believing masters, these
10:53
are slaves whose masters are believers in Christ,
10:58
must not be disrespectful. on the ground that
11:02
they are brothers. Just because you have a brother
11:06
who is a boss doesn't mean that you should take
11:09
advantage of them. As a matter of fact, it says
11:13
the opposite. You should work so hard to outwork
11:18
your boss, to show honor to your boss in such
11:22
a way that you are willing to outdo him in service
11:25
to him so that others may see the name of God
11:30
and the teaching be exalted. Look what it says.
11:34
Those who have believing masters must not be
11:37
disrespectful on the ground that they are brothers.
11:40
Rather, the slaves, they must serve all the better
11:46
since those who benefit by their good service
11:49
are believers and beloved. What he means is that
11:55
if you have a boss who is a believer, You should
11:58
be working to the point to outdo him, to show
12:01
him honor and glory, to make him look good in
12:05
front of the one who owns the business in such
12:09
a way that you are seen because he takes good
12:14
care of you. One of the things I've, and for
12:17
those who worked for me, my wife sitting over
12:20
there at one time, this was one of the principles
12:23
that as a manager, as a boss, was very important
12:27
to me. One, I would purpose to outwork the employees.
12:31
The boss cleans toilets. You'll see that here.
12:34
The same principles that I did when I was working
12:37
in the secular world, I do here. I get dirty.
12:41
And the importance of that is that those who
12:45
are under me see the slave mentality, the servant
12:49
mentality that a master should have, that one
12:52
who is an overseer should have. Jesus says that,
12:55
does he not? If you want to be a leader, you
12:59
must be a servant of all. And this is the idea
13:02
here, in that my employees would work really
13:05
hard for me, so much so that I would go the extra
13:08
mile for them. I would want to give them more
13:11
money. I would go before the owner and say, listen,
13:14
they're killing it. They deserve so much better.
13:18
And the boss would go, well, you're the ones
13:20
looking good. I'm only as good as the employees
13:23
are. That was the idea. And so they must serve
13:27
all the better since those who benefit by their
13:31
good service are believers and beloved. Notice
13:34
what Paul says here. Teach and urge these things.
13:37
Are you willing to outdo your boss to bring him
13:41
honor and glory? Second principle. Godly men,
13:45
do what we do not for our sake but for yours
13:49
that you may grow in the full knowledge of our
13:53
Savior King. For we are not like so many, peddlers
13:58
of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned
14:03
by God in the sight of God, we speak in Christ.
14:07
2 Corinthians 2 .17. We don't do what we do for
14:12
money, for gain. We do what we do for the kingdom
14:15
and for our God. That's the problem with some
14:18
of these men I see, especially on TV. We will
14:23
talk about a couple of those in a minute. I don't
14:25
know why I have to continue to do this, but it
14:29
says expose them. And here is one of those examples.
14:32
If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does
14:36
not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus
14:40
Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness,
14:44
he is buffed up with conceit and understands
14:47
nothing. This word, anyone, same word, tis. A
14:52
certain one. Those who are not of the family.
14:55
That's the idea here. They act like they're the
14:58
family. They're in the group with the family,
15:01
but they're really not part of the family. They
15:03
teach different. They bring about heresy. And
15:07
so this idea, if anyone teaches a different doctrine
15:10
and does not agree with the sound words. This
15:13
word, sound words, is the same word where we
15:16
get hygiene from. Hygieno is the word here. Hygieno,
15:21
can you imagine? It means to be clean. It means
15:23
to be without dirt. So hygienologos, the true
15:27
and incorrupt doctrine. So if anyone does not
15:31
agree with the true and incorrupt doctrine of
15:34
our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords
15:37
with godliness, this word godliness means doctrines
15:41
that promote Christ -likeness, he is puffed up
15:45
with conceit, meaning this. He thinks he knows
15:49
better. What's interesting about this word conceit
15:52
is tufao. It means to render foolish or stupid.
15:56
Now think about that. If someone teaches a different
16:00
doctrine, doesn't agree with the true and incorrupt
16:03
doctrine of Christ, and does not teach in accordance
16:06
with the doctrines that promote Christlikeness,
16:09
he is foolish and stupid. That's the word. I
16:15
know. That's from the city. You can hear that
16:18
in me. That's just the way it is. It's not stupid.
16:22
It's stupid. Okay? Now think about that. They
16:28
think they know so much that they actually look
16:31
dumb. And they understand absolutely nothing.
16:34
Give me some examples. Creflo Dollar? Stupid.
16:38
Kenneth Copeland? Stupid. Stephen Furtick? Stupid.
16:43
Why? The reason why you can say that without
16:46
coming off slanderous, is because they're not
16:49
teaching in accordance with sound doctrine. That's
16:53
the point. The point is their teaching is foolish
16:56
and stupid. They're leading you astray. Can a
17:01
blind man lead a blind man and not fall into
17:04
a hole? That's the foolishness of bad teaching.
17:08
And we need to start to understand this as we're
17:11
living in the days we live in, because there
17:13
are a lot of teachers out there. As a matter
17:15
of fact, they teach such foolish and stupid things.
17:19
They have no understanding whatsoever that they
17:22
actually convince other people to give them $1
17:26
,000 for a jet. And then they promise that if
17:31
they get the $1 ,000, that God will give them
17:34
a hundredfold what they give. Now think about
17:36
that. They go to the poor people, convince them
17:39
to give $1 ,000, and the poor people just became
17:42
more poor. That's called peddling the gospel
17:45
for profit. And what do they keep doing? Feeding
17:48
these people. What do they keep doing? They keep
17:51
funding these TV programs, TBN. They're not godly
17:55
TV programs. They're not teaching the truth.
17:59
They're not teaching what it means to be content.
18:01
They're doing the opposite. They're telling them,
18:03
you can't be content in your poverty. What they're
18:06
saying without even saying it is that Jesus is
18:08
not sufficient for you. In order for you to be
18:11
favored with God, you've got to give me more
18:13
stuff so that God will bless you like he's been
18:16
blessing me. As I've been convincing you stupidly
18:18
to give me your money. Why? Because I'm giving
18:21
you a stupid lie and you believe it. That's the
18:24
idea here. Think about that. So he is puffed
18:27
up with and rendered foolish and stupid. And
18:32
he understands nothing. This is what it says.
18:34
He, this false teacher, has an unhealthy craving.
18:39
Nasao is the word here. An ailment of the mind.
18:42
He has a morbid fondness for controversy. Like
18:47
think about this is what God is saying here.
18:49
God looks at these men and said, you are morbid.
18:51
Your mind is so bent and broken that you will
18:55
contrive ways to convince people to give you
19:00
more. Jesse Duplantis is an example of this.
19:03
So he has an unhealthy craving, a nasao, an ailment
19:08
of the mind, a morbid fondness for controversy
19:11
and for quarrels about words, the trivial and
19:16
empty things. They say stupid stuff. What happens
19:19
to these kind of people? Think about it. This
19:22
is what it says. These people produce, which
19:25
produces envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions.
19:32
and constant frictions among the people who are
19:35
depraved in mind and deprived of the truth. Isn't
19:39
that what happens in their churches? Now think
19:41
about that. So when you look at T .D. Jakes and
19:44
you see the complete and total destruction of
19:47
his quote -unquote ministry because he was doing
19:50
things in secret. You know. Why? Because he envies.
19:54
He has dissension. He slanders. He has evil suspicions.
19:58
He's in constant friction among the people. He's
20:02
deprived of the truth, and they are. Imagining
20:05
that godliness is a means of gain, like you could
20:08
pay for it. No, you suffer for godliness. You
20:13
want to be godly? Suffer well, is the idea. Third
20:16
principle. We come into this world with nothing,
20:19
we will leave it the same way. The lack of contentment
20:23
breeds failure in a Christian's life. Here's
20:26
a principle I talk about a lot with you guys
20:29
about Christian victory. You want to be victorious
20:32
in your Christian life? Be content in your suffering.
20:35
You want to be victorious in your Christian life?
20:37
Be thankful for the little you got. Because you
20:40
know who gave you that little? God Almighty.
20:42
And the reason why he gave it to you is because
20:43
he loves you. Well, I want more. That's the problem
20:46
in America. You know what real privilege is?
20:49
Is expecting something greater than you deserve.
20:51
You want more? Be faithful with the little. That's
20:54
the story we learn about the men with the talents
20:56
in chapter 25 of Matthew. Not that I am speaking
21:00
of being in need, for I have learned in whatever
21:03
situation I am to be content. I know how to be
21:06
brought low, and I know how to abound in any
21:10
and every circumstance. I have learned the secret
21:13
of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.
21:17
I can do all things through him who strengthens
21:20
me. I want you to understand this something.
21:21
This is one of the most understood verses. We
21:24
plaster this everywhere. It's not that I can
21:27
be the greatest this or the greatest that because
21:30
in Christ I can do all things. It's not what
21:33
he means here. When it says I can do all things
21:35
through Christ that strengthens me is I can suffer
21:38
because Christ gives me the strength to suffer.
21:41
I can live in abundance and be a steward of the
21:46
things that God has given me because Christ has
21:49
given me the strength to do that. I also can
21:52
learn to live with very little. only have food
21:56
and clothes on my back. And I can do it with
21:58
joy. Why? Because Christ has strengthened me
22:01
to do so. So let me give you a little story.
22:05
When I first started ministry, and I have my
22:09
family as a testimony of this truth, I made $400
22:12
a month. Four kids, married, lived in a house
22:16
with two acres of land, which my dad owned, and
22:20
didn't make me pay rent because I couldn't. And
22:23
I will tell you, in that one year, God had blessed
22:25
us beyond measure to the point we never needed
22:28
for a thing. Why? Here's why. The principle.
22:31
You guys ready? Right? Seek first his kingdom
22:34
and his righteousness and he will add all these
22:36
things unto you. You see, here's the reality.
22:39
Contentment and provision has a condition. The
22:42
condition is him and his kingdom. You seek his
22:46
righteousness and his kingdom and he will take
22:49
care of you. We lived greater in that one year,
22:52
two years almost. than we ever have. Have we
22:55
not, honey? It was amazing. Why? Because we understood
22:59
it meant to suffer well. We're okay with whatever
23:02
God provides. And he taught us stewardship. And
23:06
it's still a practice that we work hard at all
23:08
the time. It's not easy. Now, that being said,
23:12
verse 6 through 10, but godliness with contentment.
23:16
I'll talk as the word here. Sufficiency of Christ
23:19
in life. Godliness with contentment. Sufficiency
23:23
of Christ in life is great gain. You want to
23:26
have victorious living? Let Christ be your everything.
23:30
That is your victory. For we brought nothing
23:33
into the world, and we cannot take anything out
23:36
of the world. You were born with nothing, literally
23:39
not even clothes on your back. You're going to
23:42
leave the same way, though they bury you with
23:45
one and stick you in a box. Guess what gets left
23:47
behind? The clothes. Our body is a temporary
23:51
place of dwelling. Our spirit will leave the
23:55
same way it came, with nothing but the source
23:59
of life, Jesus Christ. And if you don't know
24:01
Christ, you leave with absolutely nothing, not
24:05
even Christ. So don't walk away today without
24:09
knowing if he is calling you and has elected
24:12
you into his family. Don't walk away without
24:15
surrendering to that call. And I will give you
24:18
the gospel. I have to now. Christ died on the
24:21
cross, was buried, and rose again on the third
24:23
day to give you life. We are sinners. There is
24:25
no one who comes to God, no not one. No one desires
24:28
him. No one seeks him. If the spirit of God is
24:31
placed upon your heart today and he is present
24:34
in you, you better respond. And you will. The
24:38
scripture says, repent and believe the gospel
24:40
which I just gave you. Come to him now. Confess
24:43
him as Lord now. And you will. That being said,
24:47
Verse 8, but if we have food and clothing, with
24:50
these we will be content. How many of you guys
24:52
got food and clothing? Is that enough for you?
24:55
If you didn't have a house, would that be enough
24:57
for you? Would Jesus be sufficient for you? If
25:01
you didn't have a car, is Jesus sufficient for
25:03
you? If the kids didn't have all the toys they
25:05
want, would Jesus be sufficient for them? If
25:09
the only thing that you ever had was food and
25:12
clothing, would that be sufficient for you? Because
25:16
Christ is sufficient. I'll tell you this. I'd
25:18
rather have Jesus than the very breath that I
25:21
have today. It's only by God's grace that I'm
25:24
here. It's only by his mercy that he keeps me
25:28
here. It's only by the very work that he is accomplishing
25:31
through us as his people that we are here. We
25:34
have one purpose and one purpose only. That is
25:37
to live for him and him alone. He is sufficient.
25:40
He is more sufficient than the very food, than
25:43
the very clothing, and the very breath. that
25:46
we have. He does it because He loves us. But
25:50
those who desire, those who have an affection
25:53
to be rich fall into temptation and into a snare.
25:59
Pagis is the word here. Allurements and seductions
26:02
of sin. You want to be rich? I'm going to tell
26:04
you right now. That very desire to be rich will
26:07
pull you into temptation. It will seduce you
26:09
and allure you to sin. Very few men who are millionaires
26:14
are godly. Very, very few. And when you find
26:18
the godly ones, you wouldn't even know that they're
26:21
millionaires. They live as paupers, but they
26:25
give everything away. Think about that. They
26:28
are good stewards of the things that God has
26:30
given them. Why are there rich people in the
26:32
world? There are rich people in the world because
26:35
they have understood the principle of stewardship.
26:38
All of them. It doesn't matter which one it is.
26:41
Do you know why Elon Musk is the richest man
26:43
in the world? It's because he has stewarded his
26:47
stuff. So much so that now he has to come to
26:50
the government and force us to steward it. Basic
26:53
biblical principles of stewardship he has to
26:56
bring into our government because our government
26:58
can't steward the money that God has provided.
27:01
And this is what he says, and it's true. If we
27:04
don't take care of the money that the taxpayers
27:07
pay, there will be no country. I want you to
27:11
get that. What better person to be able to do
27:14
that than someone who has stewarded it so well
27:17
that he's the richest man on the planet, and
27:21
he's doing it at zero cost. He doesn't even get
27:23
paid to do this. He volunteered it. That doesn't
27:26
mean he's godly. It's far from that. But there's
27:29
some things we can learn from the rich, and that
27:31
is the understanding of stewardship. There are
27:34
those who spend it a lot and spend it foolishly,
27:37
but there are those who do take very good care
27:39
of their money. Why are they poor? Why does God
27:42
allow the poor to be here? Why can't all the
27:45
rich in the world, I mean, we have like 20 -some
27:48
billionaires, I think, or more than that. How
27:51
come they can't make everybody come out of poverty?
27:54
I mean, they have enough money to do it. Between
27:56
all the billionaires, I mean, them alone, just
27:59
them alone is more than any country's GDP. Why
28:03
are they poor? I'm going to make it clear for
28:05
you. Because Jesus said so. Jesus said there
28:08
will be poor because he says they're going to
28:11
be poor. Think about that. There's something
28:14
about the poor that most people don't understand.
28:16
They don't understand the principle of stewardship.
28:18
One, they're poor because they haven't learned.
28:21
Two, they're poor because the conditions and
28:24
the environment in which they live, that's part
28:26
of where they live. You would go into some of
28:29
the poorest countries and you would walk into
28:31
some of those poorest tribes and you would go
28:34
in and you would have a conversation with...
28:36
the leader of that tribe, and you would assume
28:39
he's poor because he has a dirt floor, but he's
28:41
the richest man in the village. What you conceive
28:44
as poverty is not poverty. Just because he doesn't
28:47
have a three -bedroom house with two bathrooms
28:49
and a half a bath, a dining room and a kitchen,
28:53
doesn't have heat and air conditioning, doesn't
28:55
drive around in a car like we do in America,
28:57
doesn't make him an impoverished man. But we
29:00
as Americans think we can go in and take care
29:02
of their issues and fix their problems because
29:05
their problem's poverty. This is what Jesus said.
29:08
You will not always have me, but you will always
29:11
have the poor. You know why I think God leaves
29:14
the poor in the world? As a trust to you. To
29:18
teach you how to serve, care, give, surrender
29:24
your lives to the service of others. Because
29:28
without the poor, who do you serve? Yourself.
29:31
It's a reminder of where God kept us from and
29:35
a reminder of the work that we must do. You will
29:39
always have the poor, but you will not always
29:41
have me, Jesus says. So let's stop trying to
29:44
fight to cure poverty. And how about if we deal
29:47
with ourselves in our own heart and start learning
29:50
to give and serve and love in the needs of that
29:54
community? Learning to adopt or adapt ourselves
29:57
to the community in which we go. Don't go to
30:00
try to fix something that don't need to be fixed.
30:02
Kind of the idea here. That being said, when
30:05
we desire to be rich, we end up going into these
30:08
allurements and seductions of sin, into many
30:11
senseless and harmful desires that plunge, the
30:15
word plunger means to sink into the deep, like
30:17
a ship sinking. Remember that? Remember in chapter
30:21
one, it talks about the shipwreck? They plunge
30:24
people into ruin, into death and destruction.
30:27
The word destruction means to perish with misery.
30:30
People like that, people who desire to be rich,
30:33
bring death and perish with misery. Why? Because
30:39
for the love of money is the root, the reason,
30:43
the cause, the origin, the source of all kinds
30:47
of evil. The love of money makes you think you
30:51
are God. What does this all kinds of evil mean?
30:55
It means crime, breaking of divine and human
30:59
law. It is through this craving that some have
31:02
wandered away from the faith. Now I want you
31:04
to think about that. The love of money, the kinds
31:07
of evil, the crime and the breaking of divine
31:10
and human law. Doesn't that sound familiar? Doesn't
31:14
that sound familiar? Just a little bit? And we
31:16
defend certain people, certain politics. Certain
31:21
ways when the very thing that they're doing and
31:25
practicing is crime. It's evil, as the scripture
31:29
says. When is the church going to start calling
31:33
all of them out for their evils? The breaking
31:37
of divine and human law. Why? For the sake of
31:41
money. I want you to think about that. You're
31:44
30 -something years old, 40 maybe. and you seek
31:48
a position on the House of Representatives, and
31:51
your average salary is about $125 ,000 a year,
31:54
but by the time you get done your second year
31:56
of $125 ,000, which is $250 ,000, providing that
32:02
you saved all that money and didn't invest it
32:04
all, because you can't, you got bills, two years
32:07
later, you're worth $5, $6, $7 million. I wonder
32:11
how they got that money. They wrote a book. Corruption
32:14
runs rampant. where money is the desire of all
32:17
things. It is through this craving that some
32:20
have wandered away from the faith and pierced
32:23
themselves with many pangs, the scripture says,
32:26
and all -consuming pain and sorrow. What they
32:29
realize when it's all done and they're at the
32:31
end of their life and they're about to take their
32:33
last breath, all of this was for nothing. Nothing.
32:39
Why? Because when you come into the world, you
32:42
come into the world with nothing, and you leave
32:43
the world with nothing. So what was the point
32:45
for the future of your grandchildren? What kind
32:49
of legacy did you leave? They shipwrecked their
32:51
life. This is what Paul says to Timothy in chapter
32:54
1, verse 18 and 19. This charge I entrust to
32:58
you, Timothy, my child, in accordance with the
33:01
prophecies previously made about you, that by
33:04
them you may wage the good. warfare, holding
33:09
faith and a good conscience. But, he doesn't
33:14
use the word but, but I'm putting it there just
33:16
so you understand. By rejecting this, some have
33:21
made shipwreck of their faith. Some have plunged
33:26
into the deep. Isn't that interesting? So the
33:30
men who do not seek godliness with contentment,
33:34
the men who just want to be rich, the men and
33:38
women who teach a different doctrine and do not
33:43
agree with the true and incorrupt doctrine of
33:47
Christ, they refuse to teach what is in accord
33:50
with the doctrines that promote Christlikeness,
33:53
they shipwreck their lives, and they live defeated
33:56
lives every single day. I don't want that for
33:58
you. Contentment is the answer. When we are content,
34:02
when we know that our sufficiency in Christ is
34:06
enough, you need nothing else. You'll want nothing
34:09
else. You'll desire nothing else. That everything
34:13
else that we get is a gift. My wife is a gift.
34:17
My kids are a gift. My home is a gift. It is
34:21
a temporary moment for me to have enjoyment in
34:24
the life which God has given me. And it's a short
34:27
moment. I'm 54. I'm really trying to be 104.
34:33
I talked to John about that. I said, John, I
34:35
want to be 104. And he says, I don't know about
34:37
that. That was a good joke, John. I liked it.
34:41
You never know. I don't know my day. So the question
34:45
for me is, and the question for you is, do I
34:49
want to live life with contentment and live a
34:52
life without undue suffering, suffering I put
34:56
on myself? because I'm not taking good care of
34:58
myself? Or do I want to live with contentment
35:01
and godliness with a reduced amount of self -suffering?
35:04
Because Lord knows, I am totally in the mood
35:06
for a twist ice cream in a waffle cone. I can
35:11
have one. It's been four years. And plus, it's
35:16
at Rita's, which makes it custard. No, it's not
35:20
custard. It's frozen yogurt. It's better. Oh,
35:25
come on. You guys are killing me. I'm going to
35:29
go get one. So I hope you guys get the understanding
35:35
of why contentment, godliness with contentment
35:37
is great gain. Be thankful of what you got. Live
35:40
for him now. The Lord knows when he comes back,
35:43
what we get as a reward because we have an inheritance
35:47
is far greater than any of this stuff we could
35:50
ever desire. Father, I want to thank you so much
35:52
for your goodness. Thank you, Lord, for your
35:54
word. Thank you that godliness with contempt
35:57
is great gain. To you be honor and glory, power
36:01
and might. And may your people find all of their
36:06
sufficiency in you and you alone. We praise you
36:09
and thank you. You are enough, Lord Jesus. Amen.