OUR CHARGE
1 TIMOTHY 6:17-19
INTRODUCTION… The word “charge” (http://www.thefreedictionary.com/charge)
Did you know that there are 15 different definitions for the word “charge.” I honestly had no idea. The word charge can mean so many different things in the English language. I shall not bore you with all 15 of the definitions, so we’ll talk about 14 of them instead. The word charge can mean…
… “to impose a duty or responsibility” such as “charge him with watching the children”
… “to set an amount or price” such as “charging $10.50 for a cup of coffee at Starbucks”
… “to hold someone financially liable” as in “charged them for the balance due”
… “to load something to capacity” as in “charge a furnace with coal”
… “to lay blame or wrongdoing” as in “charge him with theft”
… in basketball in means to “run into a defender illegally” and is also a term in soccer and hockey
… with electricity when a current is passed through a battery it has a “charge”
… “to excite or rouse” as in “you all are charged up by hearing all these definitions”
Today I hope to charge you with a charge so that you will be charged with charging later because you charged ahead because you were charged. Does that make sense? Clear as mud? Good!
We are continuing in 1 Timothy chapter 6 and continuing to look at generous living. 1 Timothy 6:17-19 continues the key thought for us that every Christian feels a God-inspired desire to live a generous life which is a life that models Jesus’ example of sacrifice and selflessness. We are continuing to discover the joy of generosity and today we are looking at a command and charge in Scripture which is a basis for this life of generous living.
THREAD:
Online Giving; Tithing to the Church and Missions; Second Saturday Serve; Nursery Servants and Volunteers;
Letting Dan, the elders, and the office know about your ‘extras’; Being a Horizon Ambassador in the Missions Program; The new vision and new future for Horizon Christian Church.
What do all of these have in common? You’ll see.
Let’s read from 1 Timothy chapter 6 where we will find a warning for us, our charge, and then some advantages of following after what God has commanded us.
READ 1 TIMOTHY 6:17-19
“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. 18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 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.” (NIV 1984)
I. THE TWO-FOLD WARNING (verse 17)
Our particular passage this morning begins with a warning, and not just a warning, but a two-fold warning that we must heed before we give headlong into our charge about generosity. I like warnings. I like signs that warn of danger. I like knowing what to avoid or what to expect before entering into a situation. I love that the Apostle Paul marks out two warnings for Timothy in verse 17 which reads, “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.”
First, we are commanded not to be arrogant which will become very important as we think about the charge in a moment. Depending on what Bible translation you use you may run across words such as “haughty” (ESV, RSV, KJ21), “highminded” (KJV, YLT, ASV), “conceited” (NAS), “proud” (CEV, NCV, GNT, NLT), “full of themselves” (MSG), or “high and mighty” (VOICE). All of these words and phrases mean exactly the same thing when it comes to arrogance. Arrogance an insulting attitude, way of thinking, and behavior that comes from believing that you are better, smarter, or more important than other people manifested in an overbearing manner (merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arrogance). In the Bible it is associated with trouble (2 Chronicles 25:19), fools (Proverbs 17:7), disobedience to God (Nehemiah 9), a poor standing before God (Psalm 5:5; Psalm 119), wickedness and evildoers (Psalm 75:4; Psalm 94:4), and being without regard for God (Psalm 86:14; Psalm 119)… and that’s just in the Old Testament!
Why is the Apostle Paul warning Timothy about pride, arrogance, and a conceited nature before he speaks to him about generosity? Why? He does so because the two (arrogance and generosity) do not go hand-in-hand. You cannot be at the same time truly generous before God and arrogant about yourself. Humbleness is a key for true God-centered generosity. True God-centered God-honoring and heart-felt generosity has an intrinsic quality of humbleness that cannot be faked or pretended.
ILLUSTRATION… “You don’t have to do that, I’ve got it” (p)
Unfortunately, arrogance and pride and I are old friends. When I think about my journey with pride, I think back to my very first church in the Smoky Mountains of Tennessee. It was a beautiful small church of about 30 people. I was fresh out of college and ready to take on the kingdom. One Sunday, my in-laws were visiting and I was heading out the door ahead of my family to be at the church a little early. My mother-in-law, right before I headed out the door, told me she would pray for me as I prepared to preach.
I said, “You don’t have to do that. I’ve got it.” Absolute arrogance. I don’t actually recall this episode in my life, but I cringed in my heart and in my spirit years later as my mother-in-law related the story to me. I went through a season of life which humbled me and I strive to be humble before my God. Arrogance is a heart sickness that will prevent you from centering on God.
Second, we are commanded not to set our hope on wealth which will also become very important as we think about the charge in a moment. At the beginning of verse 17, Paul remarks that he is speaking to people who are “rich in this present world.” People who have a roof, cars, jobs, extra money in an account, cash in their wallet, and other material goods often face the temptation that Paul warns about. There is a great temptation when it comes to money and material goods to place our hope and trust in them. Wealth is a great temptation. We are tempted to hold on to what we have and keep it as security. Job 31:23-28 describes for us this temptation, “For I dreaded destruction from God, and for fear of his splendor I could not do such things. 24 "If I have put my trust in gold or said to pure gold, 'You are my security,' 25 if I have rejoiced over my great wealth, the fortune my hands had gained, 26 if I have regarded the sun in its radiance or the moon moving in splendor, 27 so that my heart was secretly enticed and my hand offered them a kiss of homage, 28 then these also would be sins to be judged, for I would have been unfaithful to God on high.”
The two-fold charge of Paul to Timothy is important for us to recognize before we jump into looking at the charge for us to be generous. We must be mindful of our hearts and the arrogance that may lurk there. We also must be mindful of where we are setting our hope.
ILLUSTRATION… “It is just sitting in my back room” (p)
A few months ago, my wife and I were gifted with a new oven and new dishwasher. There was nothing wrong with the items in our home, but we were given almost new appliances and we took this as an absolute blessing from the Lord to upgrade some items in our home. That meant we had a fully-functioning oven and dishwasher sitting in our back room. It sat there and it sat there. Kelly asked me day after day what we were going to do with it, sell it on craigslist, ect.. To be honest, I prayed and felt like God said, “just wait.” So I did.
Two months later, I was at a friend’s house to watch a TV program, and he opted to make us brownies in celebration of the season finale. He put the brownies in the oven (it is the only thing he knows how to make), and an hour-and-a-half later the brownies were not done. Their oven which looked like it was from the 1950s had given up the ghost and broke. We sat. Watched the program. In passing, he wondered out loud what he was going to do to replace his oven. He did not have the money. I got to say, “I have a perfectly good oven sitting in my backroom. Do you want it? I also happen to have a dishwasher.” He needed them both. Through the blessing of the Lord, I was able to bless someone else from my excess.
THREAD:
Online Giving; Tithing to the Church and Missions; Second Saturday Serve; Nursery Servants and Volunteers;
Letting Dan, the elders, and the office know about your ‘extras’; Being a Horizon Ambassador in the Missions Program; The new vision and new future for Horizon Christian Church.
What do all of these have in common? You’ll see.
II. THE NATURE OF OUR CHARGE (verse 18)
Now we come to the nature of the charge and the center of the passage we are looking at this morning in 1 Timothy 6. The charge is in verse 18: “Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.” What is our charge? What is God’s command to us? What is our duty as believers? The Apostle Paul shares three commands which make up the charge to Timothy and to us and I believe defines for us what being generous actually looks like.
First, we are to “do good.” Generosity is defined by “good.” Our charge to be generous is woven with the word “good” because generosity at its core is motivated by love, compassion, mercy, kindness, selflessness, and watchfulness. All of these are under the umbrella word of “good.” It is the same elsewhere in Scripture. Galatians 6:9-10 says, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.” Titus 3:1 also says, “Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good.” “Good” is our motivation.
Second, we are to “be rich in good deeds.” Please note that when it comes to generosity, it is not enough just to have the right motivation. Generosity means absolutely nothing unless you act on it! Ephesians 2:10 reminds us, “For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Not only are we to have good as motivating our hearts, but we are to act on that goodness and express it in our works. Generosity is more than just an attitude of the heart motivated by goodness, it is an action, a lifestyle, and a practice.
Third, we are to be “generous and willing to share.” To be honest with you, this third part of verse 18 seems to me to be a repetition of the first two. If we are motivated by goodness and we are rich in good deeds, then we are generous and willing to share. This phrase is a summary of the charge for us. God wants us to be generous. God wants us willing to share with those around us. This is not an emphasis just in 1 Timothy, but all throughout the Scriptures:
Psalm 37:26 “They are always generous and lend freely; their children will be blessed.”
Psalm 112:5 “Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice.”
Proverbs 11:25 “A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.”
Proverbs 22:9 “A generous man will himself be blessed, for he shares his food with the poor.”
2 Corinthians 9:11 “You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.”
God commands His people all throughout the Bible to be people who are generous. Generous means you are motivated by goodness and you share. Please note that you cannot “do good,” “be rich in good deeds,” and focus on being “generous and willing to share” if you are arrogant and have your hope set on material wealth. It just doesn’t happen. Being generous and keeping arrogance and hope in their proper places is an ongoing process.
ILLUSTRATION… The Millionare (http://www.generouschurch.com/207)
At a church meeting a very wealthy man rose to tell the rest of those present about his Christian faith. "I'm a millionaire," he said, "and I attribute it all to the rich blessings of God in my life. I remember the turning point in my faith. I had just earned my first dollar and I went to a church meeting that night. The speaker was a missionary who told about his work. I knew that I only had a dollar bill and had to either give it all to God's work or nothing at all. So at that moment I decided to give my whole dollar to God. I believe that God blessed that decision, and that is why I am a rich man today." He finished and there was an awed silence at his testimony as he moved toward his seat. As he sat down a little old lady sitting in the same pew leaned over and said to him: "I dare you to do it again."7
THREAD:
Online Giving; Tithing to the Church and Missions; Second Saturday Serve; Nursery Servants and Volunteers;
Letting Dan, the elders, and the office know about your ‘extras’; Being a Horizon Ambassador in the Missions Program; The new vision and new future for Horizon Christian Church.
What do all of these have in common? Are you starting to see?
III. PROMISES OF THE RIGHT COURSE (verse 19)
Our passage this morning in 1 Timothy 6 ends with verse 19: “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.”
The passage that we are looking at begins with warning, but ends with promises if we set ourselves on the right course. The right course, of course, is to take up the charge and command from God to be people motivated by goodness who act in generosity. That is our charge.
What are the promises, benefits, and advantages if we live the way God wants us to?
What are the promises, benefits, and advantages if we act generously?
We have two promises laid out for us in verse 19. I love when we get to talk about God’s promises because we know that God always keeps His promises and He is trustworthy and true. If God promises it, it comes to pass. If God says it, it is Truth.
First, we discover that if we commit ourselves to generous living that we will find that we have “treasure” laid up in the coming age. Another way of saying that is the same way Jesus says it in Matthew 6:19-21, "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” When we are generous, I imagine our divine bank account gets a deposit and we have a spiritual blessing from God because of our good generous deeds and actions. God smiles when we are generous. God loves it when we are generous. I want to make God the Father smile. I want to make God the Father proud of me. One of the ways I can do that is be generous which lays up true treasure in Heaven.
Second, we discover that if we commit ourselves to generous living that we will find we have “true life.” Being generous for God’s sake is an absolute thrill. There is nothing more exhilarating that being generous and seeing how God uses that blessing and how He multiplies it. Jesus Christ promises us in John 10:10, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” When we live the way God commands and charges us to, we will have a full life full of blessings and abundance from God. That is what life is all about. True life is life lived in God which is characterized by:
Fullness from God. Fullness in God. Fullness seeking God. Fullness under God.
THREAD:
Online Giving; Tithing to the Church and Missions; Second Saturday Serve; Nursery Servants and Volunteers;
Letting Dan, the elders, and the office know about your ‘extras’; Being a Horizon Ambassador in the Missions Program; The new vision and new future for Horizon Christian Church.
What do all of these have in common? Do you see?
APPLICATION
1 Timothy 6:17-19 continues the key thought for us that every Christian feels a God-inspired desire to live a generous life. That generous life is one that fights against arrogance and setting our hope on wealth and earthly things. We should then be motivated by goodness which leads to generous action. This generous action and way of life is not without promise and benefits from God Above who richly provides for us.
We would be remiss this morning if we did not take a moment to speak practically about how this passage works out for us. To be generous people, we must ACT generous. How can you act generous? I have been mentioning 5 different ways all morning:
* Online Giving; Tithing to the Church and if Missions [expound if there is time]
* Second Saturday Serve [expound if there is time]
* Nursery Servants and Volunteers [expound if there is time]
* Letting Dan, the elders, and the office know about your ‘extras’ [expound if there is time]
* Being a Horizon Ambassador in the Missions Program [expound if there is time]
All of this supports and funds the new vision and new future for Horizon Christian Church. Part of the vision and future of Horizon Christian Church is generosity. On your sermon notes you have a small place to write down goals.
What are two areas you CAN be generous in your family, in our workplace, and in the church?
What are two areas you WILL be generous in your family, in our workplace, and in the church?
Today I charge you with a charge so that you will be charged with charging later because you charged ahead because you were charged. That charge is the same as found in 1 Timothy 6:18: “do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.”
PRAYER
INVITATION
