We're reading from 1 Timothy chapter 6, verse 3 to 19.
If anyone teaches a different doctrine that does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ
and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing.
He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words
which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions and constant friction among people
who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth.
Imagining that godliness is a means of gain.
Now there is a great gain in godliness with contentment.
For we brought nothing into the world and we cannot take anything out of the world.
But if we have food and clothing, with these we will be content.
But those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, into a snare,
into many senseless and harmful desires that plunge people into ruin and destruction.
For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils.
It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith
and pierced themselves with many pains.
But as for you, O man of God, flee these things.
Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, steadfastness, gentleness.
Fight the good fight of the faith.
Take hold of the eternal life to which you are called
and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
I charge you in the presence of God who gives life to all things
and of Christ Jesus who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession
to keep this commandment unstained and free from approach
until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,
which he will display at the proper time.
He who is the blessed and only sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords,
who alone has immortality, who dwells in unapproachable light,
whom no one has ever seen or can see.
To him be honour and eternal dominion. Amen.
As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty,
nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches,
but on God who richly provides us with everything to enjoy.
They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share,
thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future,
so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.
Well, good morning, everyone.
Sounds like that children's talk touched a nerve there, Simon.
So if you want me to take that temptation off you of the millennium failure,
I'm very happy to help you.
And I saw Albert Dale Han coming to church for the first time.
Great to have little Albert here, Han family.
All right, let's get into God's word.
Let's pray.
Father, in this topic that is, I don't know, I suppose a taboo,
we don't like to talk about money,
I pray that you would help us listen to what you have to say.
And I pray most of all that you would show us where great gain can be found.
In Jesus' name, amen.
Amen.
Well, there's two polar opposite views on what the Bible says on the topic of money.
I went to a church once that I was visiting,
and they were fundraising for a really legitimate cause.
And the pastor, I don't know, he went on for maybe 10 minutes.
It felt like a long time.
He was just trying to, he was plucking Bible verses out of context,
and he was promising that God would richly reward us if we give towards this thing.
And he kept saying, are you ready to give?
Are you ready to give?
I just wanted to stand up and say, I was ready 10 minutes ago.
I should have.
I know.
I was gutless.
One view of what the Bible says about money is that we are children of God, right?
God is the king.
Would he want us to be impoverished?
Wouldn't he want us to abound in prosperity?
Isn't that what Scripture promises?
But then money just takes over the focus of the church service.
People's prayers are focused on their circumstances.
Wealth is taken as conclusive evidence of God's blessing,
of God's approval that you're pleasing him.
And it disregards the warnings we find here in 1 Timothy 6.
Those who desire to be rich fall into temptation, ruin, flee.
That's one view.
Another view of what Scripture teaches is kind of focuses on the passages like the rich young ruler,
where Jesus says, sell all that you have and give to the poor, then come follow me.
Church history is filled with monasteries.
Many Christians through the ages have tried to escape the materialism of this world.
Some today sense that owning a house or anything of value is inherently disobeying the true Christian lifestyle.
There's this nagging sense of guilt that if you're enjoying a holiday, there's just this guilt.
Should I be enjoying this?
But this view ignores the fact that Abraham and Job, they were filthy rich.
Now maybe you might say that's just Old Testament promises,
and there's some truth to that argument.
But even Jesus and Paul accepted at points in their ministry,
they accepted wealthy patrons who supported their ministry.
And here we find in 1 Timothy 6, to the rich, God doesn't say sell all you have, stop being rich.
He says God richly provides us with everything to enjoy.
Doesn't quite fit that model of getting rid of everything.
I think there could even be this inverted pride of trying to give away everything in the name of God.
In the movie Chocolat, I don't know if you've seen it, there's the religious mayor of the town,
and Lent is coming up, and he's observing Lent, the religious fast.
But others in the town are indulging in the chocolate.
And he's just condemning them for doing that.
And at one point he gets so angry that he breaks into the chocolate shop,
and he starts smashing all the chocolate until a little bit lands on his lip.
And he gives in to temptation, and he just starts going for it.
And he's rolling around in the chocolate.
And he's just weeping because he too has failed.
If we're judging others,
it could be a symptom of envy, not godliness.
It could be a symptom of envy.
It's this inverted pride of going,
others are indulging, look what I've sacrificed for you, God.
But if it's a sacrifice,
if you're thinking it's a loss,
doesn't that suggest
you want it,
you delight in it,
you've lost something?
I think it can be just in love with money
as those who indulge.
1 Corinthians 13.3,
If I give away all I have,
and if I deliver up my body to be burned,
but have not love,
I gain nothing.
Are you confused?
Something's going on in 1 Timothy 6
and across the teaching of the New Testament
and Scripture as a whole
that it doesn't fit.
It's not prescribing a lifestyle of riches.
It's not prescribing a lifestyle of poverty
or bare necessities.
And I think it's possible.
There's another danger.
We're just confused.
We can't see the coherence.
So let's just not let the Bible
say anything to us really.
I can't quite make it fit in my mind.
Except maybe a vague notion
that I should share something
of the excess.
So if a Christian lifestyle isn't prescribed
neither poverty nor riches,
what gives 1 Timothy 6 coherence?
What is the godly life
when it comes to possessions?
And what we're going to see here
is first a really strong warning to flee.
But then,
but then we're going to see
the true path to great gain.
And you can have this great gain
whether in poverty or riches.
And so that's where we're headed.
But first we need to hear the call to flee.
When,
do you remember in Genesis,
Joseph was being seduced
by Potiphar's wife
in Egypt.
What does he do?
She grabs his cloak
and he runs for his life.
He gets out of there.
He doesn't try and reason with her.
Now,
now,
let's not do it.
He runs.
He senses the danger
and he runs.
So when scripture says,
flee sexual immorality,
we get it,
right?
To some,
to some extent.
We see the danger.
So when 1 Timothy 6 says,
flee,
do you struggle like I do
to sense the danger?
The desire to be rich
is like
a hidden trap
that catches birds.
It's hidden
and it causes their destruction.
Run away.
Now,
it's not riches in itself,
but it's the desire to be rich.
This is speaking to people
who think
they don't have
It would be really,
it would be really easy
in this series
that we're going through
to,
to agree
with much of what's said
or what scripture says
and just think,
oh,
that's,
that's speaking to them,
that's speaking to someone else,
that's speaking to
those people
who have more than me.
If we're thinking that way,
we are in great danger.
This is speaking to
all of us.
It's hidden
like a trap.
I've never had someone
arrange a pastoral
meeting with me
in order to say,
Dave,
I'm just addicted
to financial gain.
I,
I don't know what to do.
Now,
I've only been
a pastor
for so many years
but I've heard
other pastors
say their entire ministry,
they've never had it.
It's insidious.
It's gradual
and it's subtle
but it kills us.
I think
an example
of this
insidiousness
is what we call
a necessity.
It just
gradually,
subtly
increases.
Like,
you think
you'll be content
if you can buy
that house.
You'll,
you'll buy it
on the edge of town,
it'll be a fixer-upper,
the real estate agent
says it's got
great potential.
Then I'll be content
if I get that.
But how long is it?
How long?
Weeks?
Months?
Before we need it,
we must renovate it.
How long is it before
I want to move
into a safer neighbourhood?
How long is it before
we need to be
in this school zone?
How long is it before
it would be really
good for ministry
to have a house
with a pool?
Now,
it could be a good thing.
I'm not,
I'm not condemning
anyone with a pool,
okay?
But,
do you hear my point?
What we call
a necessity,
just,
it's just gradual
over time.
It just creeps up
on us.
It's like an addiction.
We need a bigger
and bigger buzz.
I found it helpful
this week
just to reflect,
like five years ago,
what was I content
to live without
that now I call
a necessity?
I'm not going to
tell you my answers,
but I'm asking you
to ask yourself
that same question.
There's,
there's an allure
and I,
I don't think it's just
comfort
that allures us.
Possessions claim
to increase
our significance,
doesn't it?
Our worth as a person.
And,
like,
why else do we need
to have the latest phone?
Why do we need
to keep up
with the Joneses?
Why,
why do we need
a phone
that has
22 camera lenses
on the back of it
instead of 21
so that we get
that perfect image
to put on social media
of how abundant
our life is?
Like,
why do we feel
like we're missing out?
It can't just
be comfort
when it gives,
the new technology
gives just that
little bit more
functionality.
It,
it can't be just
comfort.
I think it's got
to be significance.
When I have more,
I am more.
When I have less,
I am less.
Like,
don't you feel
that,
I've,
I've never experienced
this,
but don't you feel
that little bit
superior wearing
the new dress
at the wedding?
If I have
new clothes,
somehow I am
more
valuable.
If I don't,
somehow I'm less.
at a funeral
of a wealthy
woman,
apparently a man
asked the minister,
how much did
she leave?
And he said,
everything.
It's a good
answer,
isn't it?
Everything.
What do you
mean?
The diabolical
lie that our
personal worth
is less or
more valuable
based on what
we have
is in this
obvious fact.
We all come
out with the
same in the
end.
Nothing.
Like,
what time
frame are you
measuring off
to say that
you're more
or less
significant?
And we're
warned here,
it's the
root of
all kinds
of evil.
Now,
it's not
saying it's
the root
of all
evil that
exists.
It's saying
it's a
root of
all kinds
of evil.
I'm just
going to
give a few
examples and
I'm sure
you could
add to
my list.
We treat
people as a
means to
an end,
don't we?
I remember
when Emma
said to
Sam,
people are
more important
than things.
I was like,
oh,
that's a
good point.
We treat
people as a
means to
think of
the country
in terms of
leadership and
the legal
system.
Scripture has
a lot to
say that
bribery
blinds the
eyes of
justice.
there's
double
standards
depending
how much
you have
or if
you're
poor.
How many
people have
been killed
in wars?
Think about
in business.
This desire
to be rich,
it makes
you break
your word.
Your yes
is no longer
yes.
I think
of when
you're
selling a
house and
you've
said,
yes,
I'll
accept
that
offer,
but you
allow that
higher
offer.
James 5
warns
about not
paying your
workers'
wages and
God hears
their cries.
How often
do we read
about tradies
not being
paid or
foreigners
not being
paid?
People
skimping on
safety
measures to
make the
profit bigger,
putting
people's
lives at
risk.
Think in
terms of
your personal
addictions,
people's
personal
addictions,
sports betting,
ruining
families.
Apparently
Australia has
a pokey
machine for
every hundred
or so
people.
Why do
we need
that many
poking
machines?
Any
poking
machines?
Whoops.
What?
How much
profit are
people making
off industries
like,
obviously,
drugs and
pornography?
Ruining
people's
addictions
that ruin
them.
Think about
family.
It ruins
families.
I heard
of a man
who had
elderly
parents,
I can't
remember if it
was mum
or dad,
but they
needed to
go in
nursing
home,
they had
dementia,
they could
afford a
place that
could really
care for
them,
but they
chose a
place that
couldn't
care for
them properly
with their
dementia
because they
wanted a
bigger
inheritance.
Dishonouring
our mother and
father.
how many
marriages are
fighting over
money because
each spouse
believes we
need this to
be content.
And children
and parents
not talking to
each other
anymore.
How common
is it to hear
that sort of
thing?
And sadly
in church,
you look in
church history,
the sale of
indulgences,
the church
saying to
people,
you can
buy your
forgiveness
before God.
Wow.
Or James
2,
the warning,
something that
will destroy
us as a
church,
something like
favouritism
based off
this.
It will
destroy us.
And I
read the
other day
that a
study found
like,
we can
look into
the merits
of the
study,
but this
study
apparently
found that
the most
common
reason for
leaving church,
you think it
might be
this crisis
of doubt,
of faith.
No,
it was just
the main
reason that
people look
back and
they stopped
going to
church for
multiple years
was because
they got a
new job or
they moved
city.
Like some
change in
their life,
they just
stopped going
and then
they just
never came
back.
It's
insidious.
It's,
it's,
it leads to
all these
kinds of
evils.
It's,
and do you
see the
irony that
1 Timothy
6 is
warning us
about?
The desire
to be rich
leads to
ruin.
It ruins
our integrity,
it ruins
relationships and
society,
it ruins
churches,
it ruins
your soul.
you can,
you can
trade in
God and
eternal
life because
of this.
We've got
to hate
it.
We've got
to learn
to hate
it.
Not riches
in and of
itself,
but the
desire to
be rich.
We've got
to learn
to hate
it and
flee from
it.
I'm sure
you could
add to
my list,
couldn't
you?
I could
add my
own regrets.
Now,
what's the
remedy?
The command
here isn't
be content.
It's not
contentment
is great
gain.
It's
godliness
accompanied
by contentment
is great
gain.
It's not
flee riches
and just
be content.
It's
flee
the desire
to be
rich and
pursue.
Take hold
of true
life.
Fight
for it.
It's
appealing to
us.
You want
gain?
gain,
get great
gain.
I don't
know about
you,
but telling
myself,
be content,
it doesn't
work.
You've
got to
pursue
something
even
better.
Let's
take
missionaries,
for example.
They've
voluntarily
given up
so many
comforts
in one
of the
richest
nations
in the
world.
Now,
that's
amazing,
right?
It's
amazing,
but there's
something,
it shows
that something
is much
more important
to them,
but there's
something more
amazing about
some
missionaries,
at least.
The
daughter-in-law
of Hudson
Taylor,
Hudson
Taylor,
pretty well
known name,
he's the
pioneer
missionary to
China,
and his
daughter-in-law,
Geraldine
Taylor,
she thought
missionaries
were exaggerating
when Hudson
Taylor and
David Livingston
to India
before him
said this
phrase,
I never
made a
sacrifice.
If you
think about
the hardships
and they
made the
claim,
I never
made a
sacrifice.
Geraldine
thought they
just got
to be
exaggerating,
right?
But then
she went
on to
speak of
her own
experience.
Talk of
sacrifice,
this is
no sacrifice,
there is
no such
word to
the
Christian,
count it
all joy,
all joy.
After a
riot,
when our
lives had
been saved
by a
miracle,
when we
were sitting
bruised and
bleeding amidst
the ruins of
our home,
in that
hour,
believe me,
heaven itself
was open
to us,
and we
tasted then
and afterwards
a joy so
marvellous that
I scarcely
liked to
speak about
it.
As we
realised that
we had been
permitted to
suffer something
for Christ's
sake,
no words
can tell you
the joy
which filled
our hearts.
We have
never known
anything like
it since,
and we
would not
miss that
experience out
of our
lives for
all that
you could
give us.
That's a
strange paradox
to the
authentic
Christian
life.
They
voluntarily
lose the
world values,
but they
don't feel
superior for
sacrificing so
much.
They count
it as
personally
receiving
greater
gain.
Now,
not just
in the
future,
but now,
and they
say,
I never
made a
sacrifice.
How is
that possible?
How is
that possible?
Verses
11 to
16.
The
true life
pictured here
makes something
as precious
as gold
that we
list on
our contents
insurance.
It's as
commonplace
as concrete.
You may
walk on
it.
It
makes
wealth
just
pale
into
insignificance.
Now,
this is
addressed to
Timothy.
He's being
charged to
be so
different to
the false
teachers,
but he's
also an
example to
the whole
church.
This is
for all
of us.
He's
saying,
take hold
of the
eternal
life to
which you
were called.
Take
hold of
it.
What does
that mean?
Because he's
got eternal
life.
Take
hold of
it.
Pursue.
Eternal
life has
already
begun if
you know
Jesus
Christ.
It's
begun.
We're
in it.
The best
is yet to
come,
of course.
It has
begun.
So take
hold of
it.
Pursue
it.
Fight
for it.
Tooth
and nail.
It won't
happen
automatically.
you've
got to
seize
it.
How
rich do
you believe
you are,
Christian?
These
verses,
look at
who it
is who
possesses
you.
God who
gives life
to all
things,
the source
of life.
He is
the blessed
and only
sovereign.
Blessed.
He's the
only one
who has
deep
contentment
in
himself.
He is
the source
of all
things.
And
look at
this
requires
much
more time
to meditate
on these
words that
Paul is
using here.
But look
at the
status of
who this
one is
compared to
whoever you
think is at
the top
of society.
Look who
this is.
The only
sovereign,
king of
kings and
lord of
lords who
alone,
alone has
immortality.
Death and
decay can't
touch him.
He has
life in
himself.
He dwells
in
unapproachable
light.
life.
His life
is so
full and
pure.
There's
nothing
unlovely
in him
who no
one has
ever seen
or can
see.
You can't
by your
human
reasoning
find this
God.
Only if
he reveals
himself to
you can
you have
him in
his
immortality
and in
his
blessedness
and in
his pure
life that
is light.
heart and
this one
has called
you.
He's
called
you to
know him
heart to
heart.
This one
was the
one who
stood before
Pontius
Pilate.
Picture
that moment.
Pontius
Pilate.
Governance
palace,
royal clothing,
sitting on
the judgment
seat,
representing
Caesar.
He's
representing
he's at
the top
and he's
looking at
this
Jesus
and
in the
screenplay
Jesus Christ
superstar
Pilate says
when he
sees Jesus
who is
this broken
man
cluttering
up my
hallways.
So this
is Jesus
Christ.
I'm
really
quite
surprised.
You
look so
small.
Not a
king at
all.
Why did
he do
that?
This
one.
Well,
we're
going to
look at
the
passage
next
week,
but to
quote 2
Corinthians
8,
he did
it to
make us
rich.
2
Corinthians
8 verse
9,
for you
know the
grace of
our Lord
Jesus
Christ,
that though
he was
rich,
yet for
your sake
he became
poor,
so that
you,
by his
poverty,
might
become
rich.
He
I
know I'm
not doing
this passage
justice,
I know I'm
not,
but do you
sense who
it is who
has called
you to
himself,
and the
cost to
do so,
and he's
going to
appear one
day,
this one
will appear,
that's the
right time
frame.
How wealthy
are you?
Are you
going to
measure that
based off
retirement?
Is that
the measure
of how
much you
succeed,
how wealthy
you are?
That is
too short
sighted.
His
appearing
is the
correct
time frame.
Five
minutes
into
eternity
and you're
just soaking
in pure
joy.
Five
minutes
in and
you look
back on
your life
and go,
are you
going to
think to
yourself,
man,
I wish
I hoarded
more stuff
for myself.
Surely
we're not
going to be
thinking that
way.
Surely
it would be
much more
likely that
when he
appears,
five minutes
in we're
going,
why didn't
I give
you more?
Paul
can't help
himself here.
He's just
going into
doxology.
He's just
praising.
I think
that's part
of the
key.
I think
that's the
key.
Godliness
isn't a
means to
some other
end.
Godliness
is the
end because
you pursue
him and
you're taking
hold of
him.
I'm rich
because I
have him.
He possesses
me.
He treasures
me.
despite
my
treasuring
stuff
over
him.
Jeremiah
Burroughs,
he was a
Puritan,
he wrote
the rare
jewel of
Christian
contentment.
Godliness
teaches us
this mystery.
A little
in this
world will
content a
Christian for
his
passage,
but all
the world
and 10,000
times more
will not
content a
Christian for
his portion.
Because the
blessed one has
called you to
himself and
is calling us
man of God,
woman of God,
know how rich
you are.
Take hold of
it.
Pesure it.
Fight for it.
You've got to
preach it to
yourself.
Tim Keller
gives a really
great test of
whether you
know how rich
you are as a
Christian.
Here's the
test.
You don't
envy those
with more
than you.
Now with
this test,
I'm going to
encourage a
scale here.
because I
clearly fail
that test to
some degree
and that's
why we've
got to
pursue it
more and
more.
But the
more we
know how
rich we
are, the
less we
envy those
with more
than us.
And the
flip side of
that is you
don't feel
superior to
those with
less.
If we
have food
and clothing,
if we
have got our
basic necessities
to meet the
responsibilities God
has given us,
we'll be content
because we
know how
rich we
are.
In fact,
I think we
can have
compassion on
those who
are filthy
rich in
this life
only because
they are
setting their
hopes on the
uncertainty of
riches and
they commit
suicide when
there's a
global financial
crisis.
You can have
compassion on
those.
who don't
have life.
And when
you have
more than
our basic
necessities to
meet the
responsibilities God
has given,
when you
have more,
you don't feel
superior to
those with
less.
You recognize
that you
haven't earned
this.
They are
gifts from
God to
enjoy.
you don't
see excess
as an
opportunity to
hoard.
You see
money for
what it is.
It's a
resource.
That's all
it is.
You see it
for what it
is.
It's just
a resource.
And it's a
resource to
do good.
You get to
get great
gain by
sharing your
God's
character in
meeting the
needs of
others.
being rich
in good
works because
you know
you're rich.
You're
content and
if you have
more than
what you
need, you
get to
share in
God's
character.
And so
you get
more and
more of
God,
whether
you're
struggling
to make
ends meet
or you've
got more
than what
you need.
Great
gain in
both.
Scripture
doesn't
command a
lifestyle.
God is
not equally
distributing
among us
equal outcomes.
He doesn't
command a
lifestyle.
He's
calling us
to pursue
God and
make having
him an end
in and of
itself and
to know how
rich we
really are,
to know it
in our
inner life,
not our
circumstance,
but our
inner life.
God is
going to
fight for
it tooth
and nail.
God is
going to
preach it
to
ourselves,
knowing we've
been called
to true
life.
If you
know how
rich you
are,
money can't
add to
your
significance
and when
you lose
it,
it can't
take away
from your
significance.
You can
have great
gain in
poverty or
in riches.
You can
have great
gain.
I think
only the
Christian can
live like
this.
We saw
last week,
Matthew 6,
those who
trust in
wealth for
their security,
their safety,
they're always
worrying about
tomorrow.
But the
Christian, we
can look at
tomorrow and
go, I'm
safe.
I know my
tomorrow is in
my Father's
hands.
And here in
1 Timothy 6,
we're not
just told be
content, be
content.
We're told,
Christian, you're
rich.
You can have
great gain in
poverty or
plenty.
You know
where great
gain is to
take hold of
it.
When people
make us think
we're missing
out or we're
telling ourselves
we're missing
out, we can
go, I never
made a
sacrifice.
I'm pursuing
great gain.
And
I think at
stake here is
the clarity and
the attraction of
our testimony of
where true life is
found.
That we know
great gain.
Why would the
unbelieving world
look at our
lives, either as a
church or our
families, our
individual lives,
and think, I
want what they
have, if we're
seeking the exact
same things.
We're just using
Jesus as a
ticket to the
exact same
things.
The witness of
where true life
is found is
at stake.
And our
testimony, our
witness can be
equally as
powerful, whether
we're struggling
to make ends
meet and we're
content and we
think we're
rich because we
have God.
What a
testimony.
Or you've
got more than
you need and
you're not
hoarding it like
the rest of the
world.
You know you're
rich and you
think it's great
gain.
You're not proud
because you're
giving so much
away and just
boasting, look
how much I'm
doing.
You're not
doing anything
like that.
You think you're
sharing in God's
character, getting
to know him
more.
What a
testimony.
What a
testimony.
With little or
plenty, may our
lives testify to
where great gain
is found.
Will you pray
with me?
Let's pray.
Father, send
your spirit to
convince our
hearts that
knowing you
more and more
really is the
path to joy.
Lord, fill us
with your spirit
afresh to set
our eyes on
when Christ
appears so
that we live
in light of
that day.
I pray this in
Jesus' name.
Amen.