1 Timothy 6:7-10
Acquiring possessions and money
Money Vrs 7-10
The motivation for the false teaching seemed to be personal gain (in this case monetary)
A great topic to talk about during Christmas week, true contentment as far as money and material possessions are concerned.
“True Contentment” can never be achieved by money or possessions
Vrs. 7 you brought nothing in, you can’t take anything with you. Job 1:21 & Eccl 5:15
The implication of this verse is there is no final or eternal benefit to material possessions in the next life. Not only did you not bring anything in or can’t take anything out.
You didn’t care when you were born and you won’t care when you die.
That is exactly why God wants us to use what we have, enjoy it, not be selfish with it, or find false security in it.
Vrs 8 This verse counterbalances verse 7 by saying there are things we need to live in this world such as food and clothing. It seems that the first concept that Paul deals with is that we should be content with God’s basic provisions for us.
The fact that God provides for those needs is evidence to us that He is good. He provides for the sparrow, how much more will he provide for us. Matt 6:25-34 Jesus tells us don’t worry or be anxious. He will take care of those things.
When we are content with what God has given us…then we will be able to fulfill what He has called us to do in Matt 6:19-21 (sermon Desire Series “How to get Rich”)
3 Principles
-Temporal wealth does not last.
-Spiritual wealth is gained by obedience to Jesus and inherited in the next life. This also has benefits for this life as far as fulfillment.
-Focuses our heart on what is important
If we look at having an abundance as necessity it will squelch “true contentment” because we will think we need things that are just wants and those wants let us down.
Vrs 9 The desire to be rich...
If your goal and desire is to always have more you have taken the bait.
The Puritan’s do a good job developing the concept of how Satan uses the good things that God blesses us with as bait to hook us into sin
Thomas Brooks 1600’s the Puritan Writer in “Precious Remedies Against Satan’s Devices” sums up what Paul is saying in verse 9 warns of the bait and hook that Satan puts out when it come to sin.
“By presenting the bait and hiding the hook”
The bait with money is…
money will solve my problems, money will make me happy, if I only had…this or that I would be content.
Brooks says here are the Remedies
1. We ought to keep greatest distance from sin and playing with the bait.
2. Remember sin is often bittersweet (money can solve some problems it also can create problems)
3. Remember sin will usher in the greatest and saddest losses (money and possessions often are not all they are cracked up to be and let us down when we have them and devastate us when we lose them if we trusted and found security in them)
4. Remember sin is deceitful and bewitching (v9 “plunge people into ruin and destruction”)
Is it wrong to be rich or have an abundance of money and material passions?
1 Timothy 6:17 answers no and reminds us of 3 things
-Don’t flaunt it
-Don’t trust it
-It belongs to God
Vrs 10 What love of something other then the Jesus can and will do to you. It will harm you because it is another god that does not want good for you.
Why is money such a powerful vice? Becomes a god. Jesus said you cannot serve God and money.
Thomas Aquinas 1200’s , On Prayer and the Contemplative Life
“My deafness, too, to the inner voice of my Shepherd; and, what is far worse, that I have chosen God for my enemy and my adversary as often as I have chosen sin, and that I have offered Him the grievous insult of refusing to have Him for my God, and choosing instead my belly, or money, or false delights-and called them my God!
When we make something else “god” in our lives we are going to hurt ourselves and offend Jesus. Matt 6:24 “Canst serve two masters”
Blinded by greed (Timothy Keller “no one thinks they are greedy) Not only are we are we blinded by greed we are blinded of or from our greed. Illustration: He was teaching a men’s class on the 7 deadly sins.
Because there is always someone who has more for us to look at and say “They must be greedy because they have more then me”
Greed displays the love of money.
How to avoid the love of money…
1. Don’t make money your motivating factor. Attention younger people. When looking for a career to pursue ask yourself…would I do this if they did not pay me?
2. Hold on with open hands (be generous the best offense against greed)
Phil 4:10-13 Paul speaks of the generosity of the Philippians helped him to understand contentment. He was in need and God’s people helped.
3. Steward wisely- part of the problem many people have with money and why they need and desire more is because they made bad decisions with what they do have. (now they have an abusive love relationship with money)
4. Have a right perspective. (money should not change who I am, how secure I am or solve my sin problem) GOSPEL Jesus is the only one who can change who we are, give us security and solve our sin problem.
Heb 13:5 “Keep your life free from the love of money, and be content with what you have, for He has said “I will not leave you or forsake you”.
“True Contentment”
Accepting the Truth
Accepting what God has given you and using it for His glory.”
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Friday, December 17, 2010
"True Contentment" Part 1
1 Timothy 6:3-6 “True Contentment” Part 1
This passage gives us 2 reasons why people lack contentment. Lack of truth and love of money.
This week we are going to talk about truth and we will talk about love of money next week.
What is contentment? Satisfaction…ease of mind
I preached for 20 weeks “Restless Series” on discontentment
In our quest for contentment. We want to explain things…It bothers us not to be able to have an answer for everything. It causes us to be discontent. So we all desire truth so we can have answers
“Thoroughly worldly people never understand even the world; they rely altogether on a few cynical maxims which are not true” GK Chesterton Orthodoxy
The false teachers in Timothy’s day were making up their own truth, don’t eat this, don’t marry, work your way to heaven, give us money.
So we pick up in Vrs 3 A different doctrine
“sound Words of Jesus” are Truth
What does Jesus say about truth? Jesus & Truth
-Grace and truth come through Jesus John 1:17
-I tell you the truth John 8:45
-The truth shall set you free John 8:32
-Set apart in the truth…Your Word is truth John 17:17
-I am the truth John 14:6 GOSPEL
True contentment will never be achieved if you don’t know Jesus…Truth
Notice I did not say “you cannot be content”
I would agree that many things in our lives can bring contentment for periods of time. But w/o a relationship with Jesus you can never feel True Contentment
Specifically for the Christian…
“Teaching that accords with Godliness”
My quote “Good theology gets you through tough times” We have to fill our hearts and minds with solid Biblical teaching. This will lead to Godliness.
Based on the next passage I want to give you another quote that is related to my first.
“Bad theology creates tough times”
Vrs4-5 We can’t be content without the truth and when we try to make up our own truth we cause discontentment in others.
Here are some false teachings we deal with today…
-If there is a God…why is there suffering.
-We are here by chance (evolution)
-The Christian faith does not use reason and logic
-As long as what you do makes you happy
-You can work your way to heaven
-There is more then one way to God
“Instead of his teaching edifying the hearer, it produces spiritual sickness” Donald Norbie
You will never be content if you do not know truth you will be spiritually sick
Paul then goes on to describe the symptoms of Spiritual sickness that is found in the teachers Vrs 4a list
The teachers of “bad theology”
-Puffed up 3 John 1:9-11 Diotrephes “likes to put himself first”
-Understands nothing (your worldview is messed up)
-Unhealthy craving for controversy and quarrels (why we see Atheists going nuts about people celebrating Christmas)
What this results in for people
believing “bad theology” produces Vrs 4b-5a
-Envy - You can have more or be more. Biblical Christianity teaches us to be content in every situation Phil 4:11
-Dissention- Oppose those who claim truth. Biblical Christianity teaches us to live at peace with others
-Slander - Defame those who claim truth or those we do not like. Biblical Christianity teaches us not to use are words to defame others.
-Evil suspicion- Question authority. Biblical Christianity teaches us to trust Jesus
-Constant friction- With inner peace it is nearly impossible to live at peace with others. Biblical Christianity teaches us to be at peace with the help of the Lord through prayer and relationship. Phil 4:6 1 Peter 5:7 Cast cares
Why? Because they are sinners (depraved mind) in need of truth (deprived of truth) The false teachers are not teaching truth so it keeps the believers of bad theology in a unspiritual and unhealthy cycle.
The point here is this Paul is saying unredeemed sinners are not going to be able to effectively work out their problems and fulfill their need for contentment because they do not believe the truth.
Faith in Jesus Christ (Good Theology) is what gives us power to be content and actually see change in our lives
You will not be content if you don’t know the truth…Jesus
The big “what if” question. Based on 5b “godliness is a means of gain.” What if I am a Christian and I am not content?
You may feel like you have no purpose, things are not going well, you feel empty, and a lack of direction, looking for more answers
I know people who have gone through terrible things in life but they content. What is wrong with them? How can they be content?
2 Cor. 12:8-10 Paul spells it out loud and clear, unlike the puffed up false teachers who think they no it all. “True Contentment” is reliance on the Lord.
Vrs 6 A reminder “ There is Gain in Godliness when it accompanied by contentment”
If you are not content in the situations that God allows to come your way you are missing out on His blessings, what He is teaching you, how you can help others and how He wants to shape you to be more like Him
First step to “True Contentment” is..
Accepting the Truth
The truth is that we live in a world wrought with sin and we are sinners and Jesus came to set us free with His death burial and resurrection. Right now we are only experiencing some of that freedom that Jesus brings and we will have that in fullness when we pass to the next life.
Only through accepting the truth can we start to experience contentment.
This passage gives us 2 reasons why people lack contentment. Lack of truth and love of money.
This week we are going to talk about truth and we will talk about love of money next week.
What is contentment? Satisfaction…ease of mind
I preached for 20 weeks “Restless Series” on discontentment
In our quest for contentment. We want to explain things…It bothers us not to be able to have an answer for everything. It causes us to be discontent. So we all desire truth so we can have answers
“Thoroughly worldly people never understand even the world; they rely altogether on a few cynical maxims which are not true” GK Chesterton Orthodoxy
The false teachers in Timothy’s day were making up their own truth, don’t eat this, don’t marry, work your way to heaven, give us money.
So we pick up in Vrs 3 A different doctrine
“sound Words of Jesus” are Truth
What does Jesus say about truth? Jesus & Truth
-Grace and truth come through Jesus John 1:17
-I tell you the truth John 8:45
-The truth shall set you free John 8:32
-Set apart in the truth…Your Word is truth John 17:17
-I am the truth John 14:6 GOSPEL
True contentment will never be achieved if you don’t know Jesus…Truth
Notice I did not say “you cannot be content”
I would agree that many things in our lives can bring contentment for periods of time. But w/o a relationship with Jesus you can never feel True Contentment
Specifically for the Christian…
“Teaching that accords with Godliness”
My quote “Good theology gets you through tough times” We have to fill our hearts and minds with solid Biblical teaching. This will lead to Godliness.
Based on the next passage I want to give you another quote that is related to my first.
“Bad theology creates tough times”
Vrs4-5 We can’t be content without the truth and when we try to make up our own truth we cause discontentment in others.
Here are some false teachings we deal with today…
-If there is a God…why is there suffering.
-We are here by chance (evolution)
-The Christian faith does not use reason and logic
-As long as what you do makes you happy
-You can work your way to heaven
-There is more then one way to God
“Instead of his teaching edifying the hearer, it produces spiritual sickness” Donald Norbie
You will never be content if you do not know truth you will be spiritually sick
Paul then goes on to describe the symptoms of Spiritual sickness that is found in the teachers Vrs 4a list
The teachers of “bad theology”
-Puffed up 3 John 1:9-11 Diotrephes “likes to put himself first”
-Understands nothing (your worldview is messed up)
-Unhealthy craving for controversy and quarrels (why we see Atheists going nuts about people celebrating Christmas)
What this results in for people
believing “bad theology” produces Vrs 4b-5a
-Envy - You can have more or be more. Biblical Christianity teaches us to be content in every situation Phil 4:11
-Dissention- Oppose those who claim truth. Biblical Christianity teaches us to live at peace with others
-Slander - Defame those who claim truth or those we do not like. Biblical Christianity teaches us not to use are words to defame others.
-Evil suspicion- Question authority. Biblical Christianity teaches us to trust Jesus
-Constant friction- With inner peace it is nearly impossible to live at peace with others. Biblical Christianity teaches us to be at peace with the help of the Lord through prayer and relationship. Phil 4:6 1 Peter 5:7 Cast cares
Why? Because they are sinners (depraved mind) in need of truth (deprived of truth) The false teachers are not teaching truth so it keeps the believers of bad theology in a unspiritual and unhealthy cycle.
The point here is this Paul is saying unredeemed sinners are not going to be able to effectively work out their problems and fulfill their need for contentment because they do not believe the truth.
Faith in Jesus Christ (Good Theology) is what gives us power to be content and actually see change in our lives
You will not be content if you don’t know the truth…Jesus
The big “what if” question. Based on 5b “godliness is a means of gain.” What if I am a Christian and I am not content?
You may feel like you have no purpose, things are not going well, you feel empty, and a lack of direction, looking for more answers
I know people who have gone through terrible things in life but they content. What is wrong with them? How can they be content?
2 Cor. 12:8-10 Paul spells it out loud and clear, unlike the puffed up false teachers who think they no it all. “True Contentment” is reliance on the Lord.
Vrs 6 A reminder “ There is Gain in Godliness when it accompanied by contentment”
If you are not content in the situations that God allows to come your way you are missing out on His blessings, what He is teaching you, how you can help others and how He wants to shape you to be more like Him
First step to “True Contentment” is..
Accepting the Truth
The truth is that we live in a world wrought with sin and we are sinners and Jesus came to set us free with His death burial and resurrection. Right now we are only experiencing some of that freedom that Jesus brings and we will have that in fullness when we pass to the next life.
Only through accepting the truth can we start to experience contentment.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Entrusted "In and Under Authority"
1 Timothy 5:17-6:2
Currently there are 4 Atheistic groups taking out ads and billboards to undermine Biblical Christianity.
American Atheists have a billboard by the Lincoln Tunnel that says this…
The Catholic League answered back…but their statement was “the atheists want to get Christians to doubt their faith” I don’t think that is it.
I think that atheists in general have a problem with authority. They want to be the authority and can’t handle that there just may be something greater then their ideas and their concepts.
The main issue is that people do not want to admit Jesus has authority in their lives. If there is an authority and that authority has standards if we don’t keep those standards there is a problem.
All authority is given to Jesus. When we humble ourselves under that authority God raises us up. GOSPEL
Tonight we will look at the concept of authority. How we should respond if we are in an authority position and how we respond being under authority. .
There are many different types of Authority..
-Civil Authority-police, judges
Authority within the workplace- boss, manager
Authority with in the family-parents
Authority within the school- teachers, administration
Spiritual Authority within the church- This passage is going to address the spiritual authority issue and I believe if we have that right the other areas of life will fall into place.
Define Authority-the right to command.
Society sometimes says things like “Question Authority” , “Authority is corrupt” “we are all in Authority, what gives you the right to have authority,
“If you're going to kick authority in the teeth, you might as well use two feet.”Keith Richards Rolling Stones
Authority is unfair and you will loose
We defined the role of spiritual authority in the church as (1 Tim 2:8-15) – Guarding, upholding and making decisions based on Biblical truth in the local fellowship.
The Bible tells us 1 Peter 2:13-17 The Godly submit to authority &
2 Peter 2:10 tell us the ungodly despise authority.
1 Timothy 5:17-6:2 speaks about 3 issues what to expect when in authority, calling people to authority and
In Authority
Vrs 17-18 - Compensation- for the time that those in authority put in. This is why Pastors get paid
Side not of Christian business owners ethics…take care of your employees (Arthur Guinness)
Vrs 19- Give them the benefit of the doubt - “Innocent until proven guilty” many times because people bristle at authority they are “guilty until proven innocent” and that type thinking damages the reputation of those in leadership and authority roles
Vrs 20- They are held to a higher standard- Public authority bears public consequences. (Hebrews 13:17 tells us that leaders give account for the people they are in charge of)
Vrs 21- Fair - in dealings with the people they are in charge of , There is no special treatment when it comes to sin. Also leads well
Dwight D. Eisenhower Said “You do not lead by hitting people of the head…that’s assault, not leadership”
Calling people to authority positions
-Slowly- Be slow to put people in authority
Vrs 22- Be slow to put people into leadership and quick to take them out. One of the biggest problems in the church in general is that people who are not ready or qualified end up in positions of leadership that they should not be in. It is bad for them and bad for the people they are in charge of.
When the wrong people are in leadership the wrong things happen.
Vrs 23 Wine for stomach. In light of the asceticism of the false teachers Paul may be providing a qualification to the call for purity in clarifying that there would be nothing wrong with Timothy using a little wine, emphasizing here its usefulness for the sake of his health
-Investigate before
Vrs 24-25 The importance in assessing people before they are in leadership roles. The reason for this is simple. It is so much easier to say “no, now is not the time” then to let someone serve and in some cases serve well then have to ask them to step down from that position.
How do you judge if people want to be in or use authority for personal gain or power…the verse tells us to look at their life example.
Living under authority in any situation
Vrs 1 A Testimony issue
Vrs 2 -Hinders the work of Jesus. Hebrews 13:17
In a healthy situation spiritual leaders are praying for guidance on how to lead and what to do with the people entrusted to their flock. So if a leader leads you into the things of the Lord and you do not follow then what you are saying is “that is just his opinion” or “I don’t need that”
On a personal note that is why I am very careful about what I promote from the pulpit and anywhere for that matter.
The Christian should love and thrive under authority of Godly people and cannot expect to have any type of authority unless they can be under authority.
The what if question? Authority asks you to disobey God?
Acts 5:29 Peter and the Apostles are ordered to stop preaching about Jesus and they replied “we must obey God rather then men”
When those in authority are in the wrong it is our first call to follow Jesus.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer the Christian theologian and pastor spoke out against Hitler and Nazism publicly three days after Hitler rose to power and said that Germany was heading toward Idolatry.
He preached for the rights of Jews and Nazi Germany
He was a Christian who went against godless authority April 9, 1945 he was executed by hanging in the Flossenburg concentration camp.
A Christian realizes the Authority of Jesus should rule their lives.
Currently there are 4 Atheistic groups taking out ads and billboards to undermine Biblical Christianity.
American Atheists have a billboard by the Lincoln Tunnel that says this…
The Catholic League answered back…but their statement was “the atheists want to get Christians to doubt their faith” I don’t think that is it.
I think that atheists in general have a problem with authority. They want to be the authority and can’t handle that there just may be something greater then their ideas and their concepts.
The main issue is that people do not want to admit Jesus has authority in their lives. If there is an authority and that authority has standards if we don’t keep those standards there is a problem.
All authority is given to Jesus. When we humble ourselves under that authority God raises us up. GOSPEL
Tonight we will look at the concept of authority. How we should respond if we are in an authority position and how we respond being under authority. .
There are many different types of Authority..
-Civil Authority-police, judges
Authority within the workplace- boss, manager
Authority with in the family-parents
Authority within the school- teachers, administration
Spiritual Authority within the church- This passage is going to address the spiritual authority issue and I believe if we have that right the other areas of life will fall into place.
Define Authority-the right to command.
Society sometimes says things like “Question Authority” , “Authority is corrupt” “we are all in Authority, what gives you the right to have authority,
“If you're going to kick authority in the teeth, you might as well use two feet.”Keith Richards Rolling Stones
Authority is unfair and you will loose
We defined the role of spiritual authority in the church as (1 Tim 2:8-15) – Guarding, upholding and making decisions based on Biblical truth in the local fellowship.
The Bible tells us 1 Peter 2:13-17 The Godly submit to authority &
2 Peter 2:10 tell us the ungodly despise authority.
1 Timothy 5:17-6:2 speaks about 3 issues what to expect when in authority, calling people to authority and
In Authority
Vrs 17-18 - Compensation- for the time that those in authority put in. This is why Pastors get paid
Side not of Christian business owners ethics…take care of your employees (Arthur Guinness)
Vrs 19- Give them the benefit of the doubt - “Innocent until proven guilty” many times because people bristle at authority they are “guilty until proven innocent” and that type thinking damages the reputation of those in leadership and authority roles
Vrs 20- They are held to a higher standard- Public authority bears public consequences. (Hebrews 13:17 tells us that leaders give account for the people they are in charge of)
Vrs 21- Fair - in dealings with the people they are in charge of , There is no special treatment when it comes to sin. Also leads well
Dwight D. Eisenhower Said “You do not lead by hitting people of the head…that’s assault, not leadership”
Calling people to authority positions
-Slowly- Be slow to put people in authority
Vrs 22- Be slow to put people into leadership and quick to take them out. One of the biggest problems in the church in general is that people who are not ready or qualified end up in positions of leadership that they should not be in. It is bad for them and bad for the people they are in charge of.
When the wrong people are in leadership the wrong things happen.
Vrs 23 Wine for stomach. In light of the asceticism of the false teachers Paul may be providing a qualification to the call for purity in clarifying that there would be nothing wrong with Timothy using a little wine, emphasizing here its usefulness for the sake of his health
-Investigate before
Vrs 24-25 The importance in assessing people before they are in leadership roles. The reason for this is simple. It is so much easier to say “no, now is not the time” then to let someone serve and in some cases serve well then have to ask them to step down from that position.
How do you judge if people want to be in or use authority for personal gain or power…the verse tells us to look at their life example.
Living under authority in any situation
Vrs 1 A Testimony issue
Vrs 2 -Hinders the work of Jesus. Hebrews 13:17
In a healthy situation spiritual leaders are praying for guidance on how to lead and what to do with the people entrusted to their flock. So if a leader leads you into the things of the Lord and you do not follow then what you are saying is “that is just his opinion” or “I don’t need that”
On a personal note that is why I am very careful about what I promote from the pulpit and anywhere for that matter.
The Christian should love and thrive under authority of Godly people and cannot expect to have any type of authority unless they can be under authority.
The what if question? Authority asks you to disobey God?
Acts 5:29 Peter and the Apostles are ordered to stop preaching about Jesus and they replied “we must obey God rather then men”
When those in authority are in the wrong it is our first call to follow Jesus.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer the Christian theologian and pastor spoke out against Hitler and Nazism publicly three days after Hitler rose to power and said that Germany was heading toward Idolatry.
He preached for the rights of Jews and Nazi Germany
He was a Christian who went against godless authority April 9, 1945 he was executed by hanging in the Flossenburg concentration camp.
A Christian realizes the Authority of Jesus should rule their lives.
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