Flee From Harm Series

FLEE FROM HARM

BACKGROUND:

A. Illustration: The pilot of a small Piper single engine plane developed engine failure. He continued to FLY the plane, gliding and trying find a place to land. He checked instruments, did everything he knew how, yet he was not able to FIX the problem. He called on emergency FREQUENCY 121.5 MHz, stated he had trouble. The pilot was able to FIND a rolling stretch of highway that had a straight section long enough to land, no overhead wires. So he landed. Then he sat in the plane, trying to figure out what went wrong. A few minutes later a tractor trailer came rolling over hill, crushed the plane and killed the pilot.

B. Regardless of whether it is commercial or general aviation, one needs to get away from danger.

1. This week we examine the 5th & final "F" of what to do when our engines fail:

2. FLEE the aircraft.

3. A card in the seat-back pocket of commercial planes describes the features of that aircraft. In the event of an emergency, it tells how to exit the plane. But it does not state "why."

4. Paul wrote to Timothy to tell the what, how, and why to get away from danger. It is good advice anytime our spiritual engines fail.

Read: 1 TIMOTHY 6:6-11

INTRODUCTION:

A. All of us survived at least one major storm in life

1. We may have even let Jesus FLY, be our chief pilot.

2. We opened our hearts & minds as to how God would FIND a safe place for us to land.

3. We asked the Lord for wisdom to FIX the problem.

4. We cried out in prayer, our emergency FREQUENCY, for His help.

5. Yet when the storm-of-the-moment is over, how often do we have a plan to FLEE from what caused the storm?

B. How often has our environment, our thoughts, or our desires produced trouble?

1. Sometimes our storm is so troublesome that we experience spiritual engine failure. We are at a loss as to what to do.

2. Somehow, by the grace of God, we get through.

3. But think about this for a moment. We never address the hot bed discontent, the roots of bitterness, the evil desires, or the bad friends that produced the harvest of worry.

4. In other words, we never flee from harmful circumstances.

C. Paul concluded his 1st letter to Timothy by laying out an emergency evacuation plan to deal with adversity.

THESIS: The plan involves goal, warning, & method

Goal = godliness with contentment (v 6)

Warning = flee from temptations & traps (v 9-10)

Method = pursue righteousness (v 11)

MESSAGE:

A. GOAL = GODLINESS WITH CONTENTMENT IS GREAT GAIN

1. We are reminded that we brought nothing into the world, nor will we carry anything out (v 7).

a. Naked I came, naked I depart; Lord gave & the Lord has taken away. May name Lord be praised

(Job 1:21).

b. Content with food & clothing encourages us to be satisfied with basics (v 8).

c. From His bounty, God provides for the poor (Ps 68:10).

2. "Godliness" is from 2 Greek words: "true" and "adore", meaning true adoration of God.

3. "Contentment" has a root in Greek indicating "self-satisfaction."

4. Great gain only comes when godliness is coupled with contentment (v 6).

a. It involves true adoration of who God is, and what He commands.

b. Our self-satisfaction comes from knowing we have been obedient & faithful, not anything we have done.

5. To be godly without contentment suggests one who is saved but not satisfied.

a. Parable: Mabel was in church every Sunday, but didn’t like it. When the women’s group hung curtains in the windows, Mabel did not like color. She felt the Children’s choir singing was too childish for worship. She didn’t like the idea that deacons used matzoh crackers instead of regular bread when the served the Lord’s Supper. To Mabel, the pastor should not put his sermons on new church web site, which she also didn’t like. One day, Mabel died; she stood before Christ as both books were opened (Rev 20:12). Christ found her name in the Book of Life, but much was in the other book. The Lord said she must watch her own funeral.

b. The Deacons carried her coffin, the sanctuary was decorated by the women’s group. The children sang "The Family of God." The pastor eulogized about her faith.

c. Mabel’s heart was broken, she wept. Then Jesus said, "ok, now you are ready to enter."

6. To be content but not godly is to live under false assurance. You can have a bigger barn; you can eat, drink, & be merry; not rich to God (Luke 12:16).

7. Then there are those that are neither godly nor content. These folks are in constant pursuit of pleasure. They are scoffers who follow their own ungodly desires (Jude 18). They want to sit at the head table, to be known & loved, to have prestige. They boast of themselves, and flatter others for their own advantage (Jude 16). Have you noticed how such people try to draw others into their pinball game of pleasure?