Knowledge That Becomes Foolishness Or Foolishness That Becomes Joy Series

Knowledge that Becomes Foolishness or Foolishness that Becomes to Joy

In celebration of our 25th year of marriage, Donna and I took a cruise around the Hawaiian Islands. On one of our stops we drove to the top of a great volcano where we discovered that it can be cold, windy, and surprisingly, where there is nothing to breathe! It was pretty but the drive to the top ended with a destination that though amazing and interesting – was also a place we didn’t want to stay for very long.

People do it all the time… They drive, push, fight, and struggle to get to the destination – only to be disappointed when they get there. When they get to the top – they discover there is nothing there but wind (with little oxygen), low temperatures, and view of the world from a great distance. In other words people at the top are isolated from everyone and everything, they can’t catch their breath, and it’s cold up there.

I grew up with a band that made headlines all over the world – The Beatles. They started out in Liverpool, England, came to America and played on the Ed Sullivan show on a Sunday night and were a sudden sensation. Literally, overnight they were the talk of the entire country. Girls fainted, boys grew long hair, and mothers complained about the loud music, fathers derided the lyrics (I want to hold your hand – Yeah, Yeah, Yeah?????), and preachers railed about the youth going to hell in a hand basket.

Eventually the Beatles and their music matured, their audiences got older and more sophisticated, and John, Ringo, Paul, and George got jaded.

They reached the top of the mountain. They piled up great heaps of wealth. They hung platinum records like wallpaper. Then became so full of themselves that they proclaimed that they were more popular than Jesus. (That was real popular with the preachers!) And we watched them become isolated, breathless, and cold on top of that Great Mountain called success by some, fame by others, and fortune by the rest.

Then we watched the wheels come off. We saw them travel to India seeking the wisdom of a guru. George quit and hid in a castle somewhere in Great Britain until he died of cancer. John married a weird Japanese lady named Ono and was killed by a crazy gunman. Ringo banged around and eventually started a new group called “Wings”. Paul became a British Knight of the realm and sang “Hey, Jude” at the Superbowl.

Listen, The worldview of life will trip you up and destroy you every time – whether you are successful or simply a survivor.

God’s worldview leads to living and loving life - cheerfully and wonderfully.

Let’s get down to the nitty-gritty today. Everything we’ve been talking about the last three weeks leads up to this final statement…

God puts His wealth on deposit with us

God made a deposit in Timothy’s bank

What is that deposit? It’s not money or the things we usually associate with wealth.

In Casper, (the movie) the plot of the movie is wealth that has been long lost and hidden away in a vault. Did you see the movie? Do you remember what was in the vault – all dusty and forgotten? His ball glove and baseball… memories of being a boy and playing with his father.

Real wealth has nothing to do with material treasures.

So what did God give and entrust to Timothy that is so valuable????

Not wealth although we’ve already established that God owns all the wealth and the he gave it to us to enjoy and spread around.

So what is he talking about??? What is did God entrust to Timothy that is so valuable that it must be guarded so very carefully. It must be real treasure – and it is.

To answer this question we must leap forward into Paul’s second letter to Timothy.

God puts His wealth on deposit with us

Here is the real wealth of God – His only son who lives in us. Here is the wealth that we are entrusted with. Here is that which has value that will never be lost, misplaced, stolen, rusted, rotted, faded, or corrupted by time. Why, because it is in us. It is Jesus. It is our faith in God.

Now what do you do with such valuable wealth – simple – you guard it with your life. You protect it and you keep it very carefully from all that could destroy it or take it from you.

We know how to do that when money or material wealth is concerned. We protect these assets very well.

How do you guard spiritual wealth? Well here in this text it’s obvious that God is involved and he will protect it ultimately… but remember that Paul told Timothy to guard what was entrusted to him and then he tells him how.