Come to our last sermon in Paul's first letter to Timothy.
So if you have your Bible, you can open it up to chapter 6 of 1 Timothy.
And this morning we'll be starting in verse 17.
For the past couple of weeks, we've been listening to Christ's instructions through Paul
about money, greed, and contentment.
And last Sunday we heard Jesus command us to flee from greed and the love of money
and instead to pursue these things.
Righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness.
And then Paul gave this solemn charge to Timothy to keep this command
and he went into a bit of a reflection of who God is
and gave a word of praise to God.
Well now in verse 17, Paul is going to come back for the last time to this issue of money.
Let me read it for us this morning.
Starting in verse 17.
Paul writes,
Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant,
nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain,
but to put their hope in God,
who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.
Command them to do good,
to be rich in good deeds,
and to be generous and willing to share.
In this way, they will lay up treasure for themselves
as a firm foundation for the coming age
so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care.
Turn away from godless chatter
and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge,
which some have professed
and in so doing have departed from the faith.
Grace be with you all.
I listened to the first few minutes of a sermon on this very passage
by a pastor friend of mine from Nipawin,
and he began by asking his church a question.
Are you rich?
I want to ask the same question.
Are you rich?
These first three verses in our passage today
contain instructions for the rich.
Are these instructions for you?
Or not?
Are you rich?
Now the more I thought about this question this week,
I realized it's not the easiest question to answer.
Many of us would probably answer no.
After all, there are many people who have much more than I do.
But if we're comparing ourselves to others,
we also need to look in the opposite direction.
There are many more people in our world
who have much less than I do.
Probably most of you have heard some kind of a statistic
at some time or another
that the vast majority of North Americans
are among the top 10% of people in the world
when it comes to wealth.
But that statistic doesn't tell the whole story either.
Some places in the world
are a lot more expensive to live than others.
Could be because of the availability of goods and services
or because of the climate.
Some households in the world
have more mouths to feed than others.
What about the small business owner
who has substantial business assets
but whose profit margins are thin?
What about debt?
Is the person who drives a good car
and has a good house
but can barely afford to pay the bills
and put food on the table
because of the mortgage payment
and the car loan payment,
is that person wealthy
or broke?
Statistics paint one picture
but human realities can paint another.
Some people are poor
or struggling because of bad financial decisions
or greed or addictions.
Others are poor
because they've been taken advantage of
or maybe they lost the breadwinner in their family
and they can't find work.
Some people are rich
because they work hard.
They're skilled in things
that are in high demand.
Others are rich
because they have cheated
or stolen,
taken advantage of others.
Now the word used here
for rich in this passage
means
to have
an abundance
either of money
or of earthly possessions
or both.
So let's take that
into the way
that we asked the question
at the beginning.
Do you
have an abundance
of either money
or possessions
or both?
Another way to say it is this.
Do you have
more
than you need?
And if your answer is yes,
then you are among the rich.
But even here
I know we can rationalize,
we can reason our way
out of answering yes.
We might say,
well I don't have
an abundance of money.
Seems like the money
goes out
as fast as it comes in
or even faster.
But what am I using
that money for?
Is it only for things
that I need?
Or is there
a good chunk
of my cash
that's going towards
stuff that I don't
really need?
To scratch the itch
of discontentment
as we talked about
last week.
Just to bring
increased comfort,
pleasure,
entertainment.
It's quite possible
that you could be
making over
six figures
a year
and feel
nearly broke
and like the money
just isn't there.
Is it that you're poor?
Or do you have
a spending problem?
Or we may rationalize
in a totally different way.
Perhaps you're very frugal
and you only
really buy something
if you need it.
You might say,
I don't have an abundance
of possessions.
I'm still using
my great granddad's hammer
that was passed on down
and you hate
to spend money.
I don't have much
by way of possessions.
But in the bank
and in your investments,
you've got quite
an abundance.
abundance.
But I need all that
for retirement
and emergencies
and old age
and just in case.
Now don't get me wrong.
It is prudent
to put aside money
for those years ahead
when you become
unable to work
or for emergencies.
But some people
have above
and beyond that
an abundance.
However you came
to have it,
if that's you,
you are among
the rich.
To be rich
is to have more
than you need.
That's what abundance
means.
It means
to abound,
to have more
than you require.
And if that's you,
Christ Jesus
has something
to say to you
today
through Paul.
Paul.
He says,
command those
who are rich
in this present world
not
to be arrogant.
Paul's referring
to pride.
When you have more
than others
around you,
the conditions
are ripe
for pride
to grow.
I'm doing better
than others.
I've got more
than others
around me.
Why?
Well,
I must be smarter.
I must be wiser.
I must be better
at managing money
than they are.
Or I've worked harder.
Pride can creep
into our hearts
and can lead us
to look down
on others
around us
who have less.
Jesus says,
command those
who are rich
not to be arrogant,
not to be proud.
In other words,
don't pat yourself
on the back
and try to take
all the credit
for why you have
more than others
around you.
As Paul said
in his letter
to the Corinthians,
who makes you
different from
anyone else?
What do you have
that you did not
receive?
And if you did
receive it,
why do you boast
as though you did not?
Sure,
you may have worked
harder than others,
but will you not
give the credit
for that strength
and that ability
to work
to the grace of God
that was with you?
So if you have
more than you need,
do not be arrogant,
do not be proud.
And he goes on,
command those
who are rich
in this present world
not to be arrogant
nor to put their
hope in wealth,
which is so uncertain.
Do not put your
hope in wealth.
For those of you
who have an abundance,
do you console
yourself with it?
Do you look to it
and lean on it
and take comfort
in it?
Do you see that
number in your
savings account
or in your
investment accounts
as your security,
your safety,
your provision
for future days?
Or do you look
at the stuff
that you have,
your possessions
that you've
accumulated as
your pride
and your joy,
the things that
will ensure
that you have
a good life
in the days ahead?
Christ says,
do not put
your hope
in wealth.
Do not hope
in your abundance.
Why?
Because riches
are so uncertain.
They're not
dependable.
They cannot be
relied on
to guarantee
your security,
your safety,
your provision,
your happiness
for the future.
God can take
the earthly
abundance away
even faster
than he gave
it to us.
Think back
to the story
of Job.
Look at what
happened to the
children of Israel
when many successive
years of famine
came on the land,
how quickly
their wealth
was given up
just to stay alive.
they went
from living
like princes
to slavery.
Look at the
splendor
and the wealth
of the people
in Israel
during the days
of King Solomon.
Said in those
days silver
was considered
to be of little
value because
of how much
of it there
was in the land
and yet it
wasn't long
before it was
all gone
and carried
off as the
spoils of war
to other
kingdoms.
In the same
way today
markets
can collapse.
Economies
can fold.
Commodities
that were once
valued highly
can become
utterly worthless.
Companies
can go
bankrupt.
Natural
disasters
can strike
and they
can destroy
our property
and our
possessions.
Governmental
changes
can occur.
The purchasing
ability of the
dollar
can dwindle.
wealth is so
uncertain.
So don't
put your hope
in your
abundance
in your
wealth
says Jesus.
Instead
put your
hope in
God.
Command
those who
are rich
in this
present world
not to be
arrogant
nor to put
their hope
in wealth
which is so
uncertain
but to put
their hope
in God.
Look to
him
as your
security
and your
safety.
your
refuge
and your
rock
in uncertain
times.
He's the
one that
provides what
we need
in future
days.
And the
Bible is
full of
wonderful
examples
of how
God
provided
in a
perfectly
timed
manner
for his
people
for the
needy
for the
poor.
Look at
the life
of David.
One minute
he was a
prince.
he was
in the
king's
court.
He was
successful
in every
way.
He was
married to
the king's
daughter.
And the
next moment
he was
on the
run
for his
life.
And he
was asking
for bread
from the
priest at
Nob.
Did he
experience
scarcity?
He did.
But did
God provide
for him
all along
the way
wherever
he ran
he did.
And the
Bible is
full of
stories just
like his.
What did
David do
in the midst
of all
that?
We can
read it
in the
Psalms.
He looked
to God.
He put
his hope
in God.
He cried
out to
the Lord
and the
Lord supplied
his need.
This is
true whether
we have an
abundance today
or not.
We should
do the
same.
Command
those who
are rich
in this
present
world
to put
their
hope
in God.
Is
your
hope
in
God?
There's
a reminder
that comes
with this.
Put your
hope in
God who
richly
provides us
with everything
for our
enjoyment.
This is
maybe the
last thing
we expect
Paul to
say in
this
moment.
Maybe
we were
expecting
put your
hope in
God who
calls us
all to
live a
life of
austerity.
God
cares more
about our
holiness
than our
happiness.
But no.
Paul says
speaking of
riches and
abundance
God is
the one
who richly
abundantly
provides us
with everything.
He's not
stingy.
He doesn't
give us
just bare
minimum
slim
pickings.
His
provision to
us is
abundant.
His
giving to
us is
more than
we need.
And it's
not only
so that we
might give
to others.
We'll get
to that in
a minute.
But His
giving to us
abundantly,
His more
than we
need
provision
is aimed
at our
enjoyment.
Do you
hear this?
Put your
hope in
God who
richly provides
us with
everything for
our
enjoyment.
God wants
you to
have
enjoyment
from the
things that
He richly
provides you
with and
gives to
you.
He loves
you.
He wants
you to be
happy.
He wants
you to
delight in
and be
satisfied with
the good
things that
He's filled
this earth
with.
So it's
not wrong
to have
possessions.
It's not
bad to
have good
things,
to have
means.
God's the
one who's
given those
things to
you.
And He's
done it for
your
enjoyment.
But as
we'll see
now, the
abundance He
gives is
not just
for our
enjoyment.
It's also
so that we
might use
it to do
good and
to meet
the needs
of others.
Verse 18,
command them
to do
good, to
be rich in
good deeds,
and to be
generous and
willing to
share.
So God
gives
abundantly or
richly to
us, and
He has two
purposes in
it at least.
One, for our
own enjoyment,
and two, so
that we can
out of that
abundance do
good and
give to
others.
And I like
the way Paul,
he seems to
want to work
the word rich
into everything
here.
To those
among you
who are
rich, command
them to
be rich in
good deeds.
To be rich
in good deeds.
It's as though
Paul is
saying to
all of us
who have an
abundance,
don't just
ask, what
can this
abundance do
for me?
Oh, I
have this
much money,
what can I
do with it
for myself?
Rather ask,
what good
can I do
for others
with this
abundance that
God has
given me?
Be rich in
good deeds.
That's the
kind of riches
we should
strive for.
What good
can I do
for others
with this
abundance that
God has
given to
me?
And notice,
he doesn't
get too
specific here.
Command them
to do good,
to be rich in
good deeds.
it's pretty
generic,
pretty general.
I mean,
there's all
kinds of
good that
we might
do with
the abundance
that God
has given
us.
Are we
looking for
those
opportunities
with
intentionality?
I think
these words
are really
powerful.
It's almost
as if Christ
is trying to
flip our
view of
money and
possessions
upside down.
if having
money is
our goal,
then the
question that
we're going
to ask is,
what's the
bare minimum
that I must
give away
to be as
God wants
me to be?
But if
doing as
much good as
possible is
the goal,
being rich in
good deeds,
suddenly we
got to ask
a different
question.
what amount
should I
keep for
myself and
for my
family,
for our
own needs?
Command them
to be rich
in good
deeds.
Paul
tacks on
two more
commands here.
rich in
good deeds
and, he
says, be
generous.
Be willing
to share.
There's a bit
of a flow
here if you
read the
passage in
one go.
And we
see the
same flow
in other
places in
the New
Testament.
We're
commanded to
love as
Christ has
loved us.
We're told
to forgive
one another
as God
has forgiven
us.
And here
we see that
we're to be
generous.
just as
God has
been generous
to us.
He has
richly,
abundantly
provided for
us.
And we're
to take
now out
of that
abundance
and be
generous.
Give
abundantly
to others.
Be willing
to share.
would we
receive the
abundant
rich
provision of
God
and then
be stingy
and closed
fisted
towards
others.
That word
generous is
I mean we
throw it out
and we say
it, we
understand it.
I looked
it up in
the dictionary
because I
thought you
know what
does it
really mean?
What's the
way that,
what's the
thing that
we should
be thinking
of here?
And it
said to
give
willingly
more of
something than
is strictly
necessary or
expected.
To give
abundantly.
To give
willingly
more than
is strictly
necessary or
expected.
to give
abundantly.
And so we
come back to
that first
question that
I asked
earlier.
Are you
rich?
Do you
have more
than you
need?
Do you
have an
abundance?
If so,
Christ's command
to you is
this, give
willingly
and generously,
abundantly
to others.
Share out of
that abundance
with others.
Accomplish as
many good
things as
you can
without
abundance.
In this
way, they
will lay up
treasure for
themselves as
a firm
foundation for
the coming
age so
that they
may take
hold of
the life
that is
truly life.
here, these
words of
Paul hearken
back to
what Jesus
said in
the Sermon
on the
Mount.
Probably
you're
familiar with
that passage.
Matthew
chapter 6,
19 and
20.
Jesus said,
do not store
up for
yourselves treasures
on earth
where moths
and vermin
destroy and
where thieves
break in and
steal.
But store up
for yourselves
treasures in
heaven where
moths and
vermin do not
destroy and
where thieves
do not break
in and steal.
Well, how do we
do that?
How do we store
up treasure in
heaven?
Paul tells us
some of the ways
that we do
that in this
passage here
in his letter
to Timothy.
By doing
good, by
giving generously,
by sharing
with others
who are in
need, in
this way
they will lay
up treasure
for themselves
as a firm
foundation for
the coming
age.
So the good
deeds that we
do in this
life really
matter in
eternity, in
the age to
come.
There's
something good
in them,
something from
them that
lasts into
eternity.
And Paul uses
this language of
a good foundation
here.
If you were
going to build
a house next
year, first
of all, wow,
that's a lot of
money.
That's a big
investment.
That's a huge
undertaking.
Would you go
cheap and
save money and
just pop it
right on the
dirt?
Probably not.
Or would you
just get some
old wood and
shove it under
there and make
a little bit of
a thing for it
to rest on?
Probably not.
Would you pay
the money and
have a proper
concrete foundation
or basement
poured?
Lord?
I think we all
understand the
importance of
having a good
foundation when it
comes to earthly
houses.
But do we know
the importance of
having a good
foundation when it
comes to our
heavenly home in
the coming age?
Do you know
that how you live
here and now
matters in the
coming age?
being generous,
being willing to
share, being
rich in good
deeds?
It's like doing
work on your
foundation for the
age to come.
I'll just read it
again.
In this way,
they will lay up
treasure for
themselves as a
firm foundation for
the coming age.
What kind of
foundation are you
laying for the
coming age?
For the life that
comes after this
one?
We got on this
subject a little
bit in Adult
Sunday School last
Sunday, actually.
There are real
rewards that God
holds in store for
those who, by
faith, do good
with what he has
entrusted to them.
There are real
rewards which God
holds in store for
those who, by
faith, do good
with what he has
entrusted to them.
Now, that doesn't
mean that we have
to do a certain
amount of good
works in order to
be saved or to
go to heaven.
We get that as
God's gift simply
by faith and by
asking God for
forgiveness and
believing in Jesus.
But there are real
rewards that God
holds in store for
those who, by faith,
persevere in doing
good works in this
present world.
And I hope that we
maybe can dig into
some of that in
future, in other
passages.
These words are
intended to motivate
us.
He's saying, lay up
treasure for yourself
in heaven by doing
these things, being
generous, willing to
share.
If we think back to
what we heard a couple
weeks ago, the stuff
that we have now, our
abundance, our
possessions, we can't
keep them.
death will someday
separate us from all
of it.
And so don't just
focus on adding to
that and having more
of that.
These things may be
treasures to us and
truly God has given
them to us for our
enjoyment.
But when that day
comes, we breathe our
last.
It's not ours anymore.
And so instead, focus
on storing up for
yourself treasure in
heaven.
A treasure that you
can never lose.
That's not uncertain
or affected by the
things that go on
down here.
Focus on laying that
good foundation for
yourself in the coming
age.
page.
Paul ends this letter
with a final charge and
warning to Timothy.
Timothy, guard what has
been entrusted to your
care.
Turn away from godless
chatter and the opposing
ideas of what is falsely
called knowledge, which
some have professed and in
so doing have departed
from the faith.
He ends his letter by
charging Timothy to guard
what has been entrusted
to his care.
Quite literally, guard the
entrusted deposit.
Now this is not Paul's
life savings that he's
talking about, that
Timothy's keeping for
Paul under his bed.
That would be ironic,
after what Paul just
said.
What is this entrusted
deposit?
Paul actually reveals it
to us in his second
letter to Timothy.
Second Timothy chapter
one, verse 13.
Paul writes to Timothy
there, what you heard
from me, keep as the
pattern of sound
teaching with faith and
love in Christ Jesus.
Guard the good deposit
that was entrusted to
you.
Guard it with the help
of the Holy Spirit who
lives in us.
So the good deposit, the
entrusted deposit, is the
sound teaching that
Timothy heard from Paul.
It's the gospel.
It's the good news about
Jesus and all the
teaching of Christ that
goes with it.
That Paul is an apostle of
Christ Jesus has given to
Timothy.
And so here as he draws
this first letter to a
close, Paul is saying,
guard that message, that
teaching, that truth.
Preserve it.
Protect it.
Don't let it be lost.
Don't let it slip away
into the background.
Don't let it become
confused or mixed up with
all these other ideas and
false teachings, these
controversial speculations
of others.
Keep this truth about Jesus
as the main message, the
marching orders of the
church.
knowledge.
Turn away from godless
chatter and the opposing
ideas of what is falsely
called knowledge.
Another warning from Paul
concerning the ideas and
teachings of the false
teachers.
Just turn away from those
things, Timothy.
Stay true to the deposit
from Christ which I have
given to you.
That other stuff is not
knowledge.
those who profess these
ideas which oppose the
gospel and oppose the
words of Christ, they've
departed from the faith.
So don't listen to them.
Turn away from them.
Stay true to that good
deposit, that gospel, that
truth that I have given to
you.
And he closes with grace be
with you all.
A blessing.
May the grace of God, may
the giving kindness of
God be with you all.
So for those of you who
have an abundance, what
will you do with it?
Are there good deeds that
God has been laying on your
heart that are yet undone?
Are there people that you
know could be in our midst or
could be outside of these
walls, in our community or
family?
Are there people you know
who do not have an abundance
and are struggling just to
pay the bills and keep food
on the table?
But if I give away the
stuff that I've received or
the stuff that I've earned,
how will I have enough for me
and for my family?
Is your hope in the Lord?
Or is it in what you have?
My grandparents often said,
often say this to me, they
say, you can't out give God.
God owns the cattle on a
thousand hills.
He owns it all.
Everything.
Will he not supply your need
just as he does the birds of
the air and the critters of
the field?
And so I hope and pray that
with what we've heard this
morning, we don't go home
today and say, well, that was
convicting and then just do
nothing about it.
What real, tangible action
will you take this Christmas
with the abundance that you
have?
What real, tangible action
will you take in this year
ahead of us, 2024, with the
abundance that you have
received?
We are stewards, managers, all
of us.
And the King will come back
someday and he's going to ask
what we have done with what
he's entrusted to us.
May we all reflect the grace and
the generosity of our God
well on that day.
Let's pray.
Father, we thank you for
these words that you've given
to us.
And yes, we admit that they are
challenging to us.
They strike deeply into our
hearts because we do live in a
culture that is all about
greed, having more, having
better.
And so I pray that you would
do your work in us by your
Holy Spirit, that you would
teach us the way of
contentment and that we truly
would be willing to give
generously and to share with
those who are in need.
Do that work in us, we pray.
Make us to shine and to reflect
your glory for the glory of
Christ.
Amen.