1 Timothy 6:6-10 (p. 831) December 15, 2013
Introduction:
There is an amazing story in the book of Acts that takes place right after Stephen’s stoning and during the time Saul is persecuting the church. This persecution caused many of the disciples to run for cover, to be scattered around the world. Philip, one of those original deacons went to Samaria. He became an evangelist, proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah.
Miraculous things happened while he preached in Samaria, impure Spirits left people with shrieks, paralyzed and lame people were healed, joy filled the city.
There was a guy in Samaria named Simon who had a following before Philip showed up with the gospel. He was a magician, a sorcerer. He was so good at his magic people gave him the nickname “The Power of God.”
But when the people believed Philip as he preached the good news they were baptized into Christ (seems to be important doesn’t it?) And even Simon, the magician believed and was baptized. In fact he followed Philip everywhere because of the great signs and miracles. When the guy who pulls a rabbit out of his hat sees a leper cleansed and made whole he stops thinking he is the “power of God.” Real power blows away illusions.
The Apostles are still in Jerusalem, but when they hear the Samaritans have accepted the word of God they head for Samaria to pray and give the gift of the Holy Spirit. Peter and John are the two Apostles that are sent. Remember Acts 2:38 tells us we are baptized into Christ Jesus for the remission, forgiveness of our sins and to receive the gift of God’s Spirit. These Samaritans had only been baptized in the name of Jesus. Peter and John place their hands on these new believers and they receive the Holy Spirit.
Now is when the story takes a weird turn. Listen:
ACTS 8:18-24 (p. 764)
By the way Simon had believed, been baptized in the name of Jesus, but his heart was still not right before God, and he had no share in real ministry.
It seems he’d left repentance out of the equation and still had a thirst for this world’s money and this world’s power, and now he’d seen “real power” and he thought he could buy it.
By the way, I don’t know why he would pray and repent himself, and I don’t know what happened to him eternally!
What does this have to do with surrendering to God our treasure? What does it have to do with godliness and contentment? EVERYTHING!!
I. GODLINESS AND CONTENTMENT KEEP US ETERNALLY FOCUSED
Godliness with contentment is great gain.
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Godliness with contentment is great gain, it’s not godliness or contentment, it’s godliness and contentment.
Remember Paul is writing to Timothy who is the Minister at Ephesus. He’s instructing a younger minister on how he should lead, the important things to teach.
There are some conceited folks in Ephesus who love to argue about current events and controversies. They like to take words out of context and use them to create strife, gossip, suspicions, and friction, and all of this wrapped up in a person who is more concerned with making a buck than God’s Church being healthy.
Paul says, “They’ve been robbed (Satan is a thief) of the truth and they think godliness is a means to financial gain.”
Simon the Magician fits in that category and comes to mind immediately. “I’d like to buy that ability to give the Holy Spirit to people. Man I’d make a fortune with that kind of power. How much is it?
No wonder our text says “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”
So what is godliness with contentment, and how is it great gain?
Godliness is simply “being like Jesus.” Christmas is the celebration of God becoming one of us, the incarnation, “God in the flesh.” Matthew 11:28 says Jesus was “gentle and humble of heart.” John 1:15 says, “we have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.” Philippians 2 tells us his attitude. His way of thinking was “complete obedience to God and serving mankind, even dying for the purpose on a cross.”
That’s godliness. He is the perfect example of godliness in the flesh. The gospels reveal His life, love and purpose, and His Spirit is given so that we can hear Him prompt us from our heart, soul and mind. Perfect? No, not until this selfish perishable body is replaced with an eternal imperishable one.
Contentment is the ability to be at “peace” no matter what circumstance you’re in. This word actually means “sufficient,” it’s the exact same word used in 2 Corinthians 12:9, “My grace is sufficient for you.”
You see the godly person has found a secret, a spiritual secret that a greedy, envious or discontented person always searches for but never finds, satisfaction for their soul, not over the next hill, or in the next promotion, or in a larger paycheck, but in their heart.
Contentment isn’t giving up and saying, “well, I guess this is my lot in life.” Contentment isn’t surrendering to “my fate.” It’s much more positive than that. It’s not obsessing about having more, but being secure in what you have today, even if it’s not everything you want!
Satan caused Adam & Eve to be discontent in a perfect world. He hasn’t changed his approach strategy, and now we live in a fallen, sinful world. Today there is an epidemic of discontent.
We were fine with our job and paycheck until our friend got a big raise and promotion. I liked my car until I saw the new corvette. I was fine with my clothes until I walked by Macy’s and the other stores in the mall. I love my home until I fantasize about a log cabin in the woods. I’m satisfied with every area in my life until I compare it to someone who has more.
The secret of God’s man or woman is this truth recorded by Paul in Philippians 4:11-13.
PHILIPPIANS 4:11-13 (p. 820)
Whether in prison (which he was when he wrote these words) or at home, his happiness was not based on situations or circumstances. It was based on His relationship with Christ, his godliness, so to speak.
You see the god of this world wants us to be enslaved and ensnared in
II. THE DEADLY TRAP OF MATERIALISM
I know you’ve heard it before, but it’s not money in and of itself that’s evil, it’s “THE LOVE OF MONEY.”
It’s not wanting something to eat and something to wear that’s ungodly and wrong. That’s perfectly simple, it’s a need, not a want. What gets us in trouble is wanting only lobster and Brooks Brothers. It’s when we start to pursue the next level and the next level so we can gratify our desires first and impress the world.
How can you tell you love something or someone, you spend your time, your talents, your energies pursuing it, wooing it. You give it your affection, or them your affection.
I’ll show you what each of you loves by looking at only 2 things: 1) Your checkbook and 2) Your calendar. Because what we spend your time and money on is what we love.
And when people begin to pursue money as the answer for their problems, or the reason they are not happy, Satan sets the trap, like a hole covered with branches and leaves, it looks secure, but gives way plunging you into a pit of ruin and destruction.
*If you’re not happy with what you have, why do you want more of it?”
Howard Dayton, financial advisor and founder of Crown Ministries, a financial training ministry counted about five hundred verses in the Bible on prayer but 2,350 verses on how to handle money and possessions. Half of Jesus’ teachings deal with our attitude towards money and possessions. Jesus knew that God’s greatest rival for our hearts would not be Satan, but it would be money. That’s why Luke 16:13-14 says, “No servant can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”
Do you know why money is God’s greatest rival? Because money provides power, and if we have money we can get what we want without God.
That’s why it’s harder for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle.
Here’s the scary part for us in America. Most of the world exists on 2 dollars a day, and our dogs are overfed!
John the Apostle wrote: “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world and the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, comes not from the Father, but from the world. The world and it’s desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever.” (1 John 1:15-17) (p. 855)
You cannot have an intimate relationship with Jesus and the world at the same time, it’s impossible to love, really love both at the same time, because loving one excludes the other. They are opposite in their thinking, acting and attitude.
The ironic thing is, serving one makes you a slave, serving the other makes you a son.
Patrick Morely in his book, “The Man in the Mirror” wrote, “Money enslaves men-it will work you till you die. And, after it has conquered your poor soul, its haunting laughter can be heard howling through the chambers of hell. And then it seeks out another hapless, unsuspecting victim - an ambitious fellow who wants just a little bigger slice of the good life.”
Ecclesiastes 5:10 lets us know the trap of loving money (and this can be a trap whether you have a lot or a little) “whoever loves money never has enough, whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income.”
US News and World Report had an article on money a few years back, and the reporter spoke the truth when she said this: “For most of us, money and our feelings toward it are dynamic and intense. We either love money or we hate it; we fear it or we worship it; but one thing is sure, we certainly never ignore it.”
We ignore God, but money’s different, isn’t it? We need money!
Funny that we come into this world with nothing and we’ll leave this world the same way. Whether we have worldly riches or we’re dirt poor, birth and death make us equal. But, what we dedicated our life to, that which we love with our years, our treasure.
There are some here today that are so engrossed in obtaining treasure, but you neglect the things that really matter. When you speak about your best, it’s “nice clothes, polished shoes, pin stripes and ties.”
But, your best has nothing to do with a worldly perspective or earthly treasure. That which is best can never be bought, that which has real value never is an illusion. Ask Simon.
Bob Russell once told the story about how he realized how fleeting this life and its accomplishments were. He said, “our family used to play board games together on vacation trips. On one particular night when we were playing Monopoly, I was really on a roll. The first time around the board I landed on Boardwalk. The next time around I landed on Park Place! Before long I owned all four railroads and Indiana, Illinois, and Kentucky Avenues. I knew I was unstoppable. Within an hour I had hotels on every property and I was raking it in. Someone would land on my property and I would smirk, “That’s five hundred dollars! Oh, wait, I have a hotel on that one! That’s one thousand dollars!” One by one, the other family members went bankrupt until the last person went bankrupt and I was the champ.
The rest of the family trudged off to bed and I said, “Hey, wait a minute! Someone has to clean this mess.” That’s the prize for winning, Dad!” they retorted. You get to clean up the game.” Suddenly there I sat. I was surrounded by wealth, and no friends! The game was over. I picked up the pieces, placed them back in the box, put the money back, and closed the lid.
That night as I lay in bed, I remembered hearing Dr. James Dobson compare the Christian life to a Monopoly game. How empty we will feel if we stand before God someday and our emphasis throughout our lifetime has been on material things. Suddenly all the wealth we’ve accumulated won’t matter. We have to leave it behind. What will matter will be whether or not we were honest, compassionate, and generous with what God has given us. And then he quotes Matthew 6:19-21, “[Jesus said}, “Do not store up for yourselves treasure in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
There are only two things that are eternal here on earth. The Word of God and people. Everything else is gonna burn.
So, let me ask you. What should we really treasure? What will impact eternity? Godliness and contentment, both keep us focused on eternal treasures, the Word of God and people.
Let’s Pray.
